Picnic-Ready Italian Sub Skewers (Printer-friendly)

Vibrant skewers layered with Italian meats, cheese, veggies, and creamy aioli for easy outdoor dining.

# What You'll Need:

→ For the Skewers

01 - 6 slices Genoa salami
02 - 6 slices deli ham
03 - 6 slices mortadella
04 - 6 small mozzarella balls (bocconcini)
05 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes
06 - 1 cup pepperoncini or mild banana pepper rings, drained
07 - 1 cup marinated artichoke hearts, chopped
08 - 1/2 cup pitted black olives
09 - 1/2 cup sliced roasted red peppers
10 - 6 small pieces romaine lettuce
11 - 6 bamboo or metal skewers

→ For the Homemade Aioli

12 - 1 large egg yolk
13 - 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
14 - 1 garlic clove, finely minced
15 - 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
16 - 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
17 - 1/2 cup neutral oil (sunflower or canola)
18 - Salt and black pepper to taste

# Directions:

01 - On each skewer, alternate folded or rolled salami, ham, and mortadella with mozzarella ball, cherry tomato, pepperoncini rings, artichoke heart, black olive, roasted red pepper, and romaine lettuce. Repeat pattern with remaining five skewers for balanced, colorful presentation.
02 - In medium bowl, whisk together egg yolk, Dijon mustard, minced garlic, and lemon juice until combined. Slowly drizzle olive oil while whisking vigorously, then add neutral oil in thin stream, continuing to whisk until mixture thickens and emulsifies completely.
03 - Season aioli with salt and pepper to taste, transfer to small serving bowl. Arrange assembled skewers on platter with aioli alongside for dipping. Refrigerate until service.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • They look fancy enough for actual guests but require zero cooking skills or stress.
  • Everything can be prepped hours ahead, leaving you free to actually enjoy people instead of being glued to the kitchen.
  • The homemade aioli tastes like restaurant magic but takes maybe five minutes of whisking.
02 -
  • If your aioli breaks while you're whisking, don't panic—start over with a fresh egg yolk in a clean bowl, then slowly whisk in the broken aioli as if it were oil, and it'll come back together.
  • The one moment that changed everything for me was learning to thread the meats by rolling them into little cylinders instead of folding them flat; it gives each skewer an elegance that feels intentional.
03 -
  • Make the aioli first while you're still fresh and focused; trying to whisk frantically while guests are arriving is a recipe for a broken sauce and a stressed evening.
  • If you don't have pepperoncini, a combination of sliced jalapeños and a pinch of red pepper flakes mixed into regular peppers gets you ninety percent of the way there.
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