The Ultimate Pool Sandwich

When I was a kid, we often spent all day at the community pool. We’d leisurely snack on popsicles and chips, until it was time for lunch. No one wanted to dry off, get dressed, and go home for lunch. Mayonnaise didn’t travel well and wasn’t safe under the summer sun. Peanut butter sandwiches were a solution, but also suffered under the heat. 

My kids love the pool too, so I looked for a better alternative to those less-than lunches of childhood. The answer? Stuffed sandwiches. They travel well and are easy to eat, even with wet pool fingers. Prepping the night before or in the morning is easy with a round loaf filled with sandwich fixings. A bake-on mustard and butter coating adds extra flavor.

The ingredients are easy; you can make this sandwich from whatever deli meats and cheeses you have on hand. Kid hands can also help in the process. Simply make or buy a round unsliced bread loaf, cut off the top, scoop out the insides, and fill. The completed round sandwich stores well in the fridge overnight. Slice it ahead and put it in zip-top bags. Or, keep it in the circular form and wrap the entire sandwich for slicing and serving poolside.