It’s hard to beat the satisfying nostalgia of a good peanut butter and jam sandwich, but we think this sandwich hits the nostalgia vibes even harder…

Hands up if your kid's favourite subject in school is “lunch.” We’ll be the first to admit that we can relate to this. Not that there’s anything wrong with that! A delicious, nutritious lunch gives your kids something to look forward to and fuels an afternoon of learning. In fact, we think this Pizza Sub recipe using our house-made baguettes is so good that it might even motivate them to spring up out of bed and get ready to catch the bus without a fuss just so they can get to lunchtime sooner.

The foundation of this nostalgia-inducing submarine sandwich is, of course, freshly-baked Christie’s Bakery bread. For this recipe, we use our French-style baguettes. They provide a nice crusty exterior and are wonderfully soft and tender on the inside. They are the perfect vessel to deliver all the intense pizza flavours we pack into this lunchtime superstar.

An added bonus is that this sandwich doubles as a crowd-pleasing after-school snack that can feed multiple kids. You can make it the day before and store it in the fridge wrapped tightly in plastic wrap. When the kids get home from school, unwrap it, flip it open, and pop it in a 350-degree oven for 6-8 minutes. Once it gets a bit crispy and melty, pop the top back on and cut it into several small pieces. You can easily feed up to 6 kids or make multiple snacks out of it throughout the school week.

And let us be clear - this is not just for kids. It makes an incredibly satisfying lunch to bring to the office or workplace and just like pizza, you can dress it up just the way you like it - don’t be afraid to get fancy!

BACK-TO-SCHOOL BAGUETTE PIZZA SUBS

Shopping List

• Christies' Plain Baguette
• Arugula or any leafy greens.
• Sliced pepperoni, capicola, Genoa salami or any of your favourite Italian deli meats. May we suggest Pig & Pantry Craft Butchery?
• Your favourite pizza sauce or marinara sauce.
• Italian dressing (or make your own with olive oil, white wine vinegar, salt, dried oregano and fresh chopped garlic.)
• Mozzarella cheese (your call here - fresh mozza balls will plus this sandwich up, but we like it with standard pizza mozzarella).
• Parmesan cheese (Reggiano is great, but pre-grated works too!)
• Sliced olives (it’s ok to skip these).
• A red onion and a green bell pepper (or whatever your fave pizza veggies are.)

Instructions

1. Slice off both tips of the baguette. They are a bit too crunchy for sandwiches but save them for breadcrumbs, croutons or to dip in soup.
2. Slice your baguette down the middle so you have a top and a bottom.
3. On the bottom, spread an even layer of your pizza sauce or marinara.
4. Add your deli meats in an even layer on the bottom half of the baguette.
5. Add your cheese on top of the deli meats - we like shredded mozza for the full pizza effect.
6. Add thinly sliced red onions, olives, sliced peppers and any other must-have toppings to complete your preferred pizza flavour profile.
7. Drizzle some Italian dressing on the top half of the bun - not too much or it will get soggy!
8. Grate or sprinkle your parmesan cheese on the top half of the bun.
9. Add a thin layer or arugula to the top half.
10. It might take a bit of finesse, but flip the top half onto the bottom and give it a good squish to hold everything together.
11. You can slice it into as many portions as you need and serve it right away. Typically, we cut it in half to get two very hardy sandwiches out of each baguette. But, it can easily be cut into custom-sized portions depending on the appetite of the eater. You can also wrap it up tight and put it in the fridge. It will still be delicious a day or two later.

Who wouldn’t love this pizza sub? We’re confident this sandwich will please even the pickiest palates and will appeal to the masses and gourmands alike. A crusty, tender baguette with tangy pizza sauce, mozzarella cheese and all your favourite Italian deli meats? What’s not to love!?