Picnic treat

Some of my favorite recipes have come from my sister, so it comes as no surprise that I loved the hoagie dip she prepared for our daughters’ high school graduation party at my house last week.

I had seen recipes for hoagie dip in cookbooks and magazines over the years, but I had never tried the recipe, which features deli meats and cheeses. Susan had made the dip a number of years earlier and remembered it when we were planning the outdoor family party.

I watched Susan make this dish, which took very little prep time, really.

She stacked layers of meat and cheese, then cut the stack into small rectangles. The meats and cheese stay together in little stacks. She gently tossed that with a simple dressing of olive oil, mayonnaise and Italian seasoning and mixed in chopped lettuce and tomato.

Susan made a double recipe of the dip, which chilled in the refrigerator until the party started.

I ate the dip on whole wheat rolls; other guests at the party just ate it with a fork and bypassed the roll!

I was pleased how much the mixture tastes like a hoagie.

My husband and I enjoyed the leftovers for lunch the next day.

This recipe would be perfect for a tailgate party or a picnic.

You can customize this dish to meet your family’s tastes. Susan bought deli ham, salami and turkey for her meats, but you could certainly adapt that to your family’s tastes. The recipe is from Susan’s friend Janine Odgen.


Hoagie Dip

• 1/4 pound thinly sliced deli provolone cheese
• 1/4 pound thinly sliced deli ham
• 1/4 pound thinly sliced deli salami
• 1/4 pound thinly sliced cappicola or turkey (we used turkey)
• 1/3 head iceberg lettuce, shredded
• 1 large tomato, diced into half-inch pieces or chopped sun-dried tomato (we used fresh tomato)
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon mayonnaise

Stack a tall layer of the cold cuts, using slices of meat and cheese. Cut into strips, then across, dicing into half-inch pieces. The pieces will stick together.

Put in mixing bowl with lettuce and tomato and spice mix. Add oil and mayonnaise and toss gently to mix.

Refrigerate until ready to serve. If you prepare this several hours in advance, it would probably be best to wait until the last minute to mix in the lettuce.

Serve with a spoon and small pieces of hoagie roll or dinner rolls.

Janine Odgen