Author: Rosemarie's Kitchen

This isn’t so much a recipe for Sub Sandwiches – that’s open to so much interpretation anyway. This is more a walk down memory lane.

Growing up as we did, family vacations were mainly “road trips” – pile all the kids in the back of a station wagon with a mattress (for napping) and lots of coloring books – and off we went. Mom and Dad took turns driving. No one wore seat belts or took any precautions to insure the safety of the children. We crawled around in the back of the family wagon, watching the world whisk by. Our destinations were usually to visit other family members – uncles and aunts and cousins living in other states. Stops consisted of gas stations and truck stops (to refill the thermos of coffee). Restaurants? Who needed a restaurant when you could pack sandwiches. Granted, a mile-high sandwich would have been unheard of – we ate baloney or PB&J sandwiches. Highways were two-lane roads winding through the country side. The folks would spot a safe place to pull over, usually near a meadow or other “picnic” spot. They would pass out the paper plates and fetch cold sandwiches from the stash in the cooler. We’d chow down, watch the nearby wild life and stretch our legs. Dad would whip out the Brownie Camera to capture the moment and then we’d all pile back into the wagon and off we would go. What a grand time we had! When our children were younger, we’d pile into the family car and head out. We had the advantage of fast food for cheap burgers. Other than that, the road trips were pretty much the same. Today, highways are speed traps. Meadows are fenced off. And everyone is strapped into the car, making it impossible for the kids to crawl about. But then, kids of today have video players and hand-held electronics and no one is looking out the window as the car whisks down the freeway. Even on vacations, we are all “plugged in”, with no sing-a-longs or conversations. How sad.

This fond memory gave way to another. Once upon a time, when our kids were just teenagers, we took road trips just like those I remembered. The only real difference was my kids were strapped into the back seat, all safe and sound. No station wagon, no mattress, but the joy of family time remained the same.

As I listen to the wind howling outside today, I am reminded of another cold winter day over twenty years ago. It was very cold and wet President’s Day Weekend, and our little band planned a get away to Lake Tahoe. Hubby worked for a company that owned a beautiful cabin near the lake. It was one of the perks for Corporate Officers, and Hubby was a Vice President. That particular President’s Day Weekend was one of the worst for traveling. Rather than take our passenger car, Hubby decided to take one of the company’s King Cab pickups with four-wheel drive. While Hubby went off to fetch our transportation, I was left in charge of packing. As I packed our suitcase with heavy sweaters and winter jackets, I also watched the weather updates. Chain requirements were in effect less than forty miles from our home – that was low, foothills low. Outside a frigid rain pounded against the roof. When Hubby returned, not only did I have suitcases at the ready, I had a small cooler packed with sandwiches, a thermos of coffee, one of hot chocolate and a pile of blankets. Hubby frowned. After all, the drive was just over a hundred miles – only a few hours. What in the world did we need with blankets and food? Half way up the mountain, avalanches blocked any thought of a retreat. A little further up the mountain, and more avalanches prevented any forward momentum. No turning back, no going forward. We were stuck. Let me tell you, Hubby appreciated the warm drinks, cold sandwiches and comfort of blankets! Twelve hours later, the roads were cleared and we reached our destination.

To this day, I like to pack sandwiches to take on the road. Not the Bologna sandwiches of my childhood – but big, meaty sandwiches. The sort of sandwich you can have for dinner on a warm summer night.

Mile-High Hoagie Style Sub Sandwiches
6 Hoagie rolls, 6″ each
1 Tablespoon Olive oil
1 Tablespoon Red wine vinegar
1/4 Teaspoon Italian seasoning
12 slices provolone cheese
12 slices Deli Ham
12 slices Soft Salami
12 slices Deli Turkey
12 slices Deli Roast Beef
2 sliced tomatoes (see note)
1/4-1/2 head shredded lettuce (see note)
1 Small Red Onion, sliced into thin rings (see note)

Split rolls. Sprinkle liberally with olive oil. Lightly sprinkle vinegar and season roll with Italian seasoning.

Place sliced tomatoes and onions on bottom of roll. Layer cheese and meats on top of onions. Top sandwich with shredded lettuce.

If desired, serve with potato salad, macaroni salad or chips.

Note: If packing the sandwiches for later, pack the sliced tomatoes, shredded lettuce and onions into separate bags. Wrap sandwiches in plastic wrap, then place into bags. Finish assembling sandwiches when ready to serve. This will keep the vegetables fresh and crisp and the sandwich won’t get soggy.