Antipasto Squares

Course Appetizer, Main Course

Cuisine American, Italian Inspired

Keyword anitpasto-squares-recipe, antipasto-squares

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 30

Stand time 5

Total Time 55

Servings servings

Calories 150kcal

2 8 oz tubes crescent rolls or crescent roll sheets
8 slices provolone cheese
2 tsp prepared basil pesto
1 lb thinly sliced deli ham
10 slices sandwich pepperoni
10 slices hard salami
1 8 oz jar mild or spicy pepperoncini rings well drained, pat with paper towels and gently squeeze dry
1 4 oz can sliced black olives well drained
8 slices mozzerella cheese
1-2 tsp olive oil
2 Tbsp Parmesan cheese
1 tsp dried oregano

Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a nonstick 13x9 inch metal cake pan with cooking spray.
Unroll one can of crescent rolls. Press together perforations. Press evenly on bottom and 1/2 inch up sides of the pan.
Arrange provolone cheese slices over crust. Brush with pesto.
Layer ham, pepperoni, and salami. Top with pepperoncini and olives. Arrange Mozzarella cheese slices on top.
On a silicone mat or parchment paper press second can of crescent rolls into roughly a 13x9- inch rectangle. Lay on top, then pinch the edges together with the bottom crust to seal.
Brush top with olive oil, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and oregano.
Bake in preheated oven for 30-35 minutes, until golden brown and cooked through. (Check the top and lay foil on top, if over browning.
Let stand for 5-10 minutes, then use a sharp knife to cut into 30 even squares.
Serve immediately.

- Drain the Pepperoncini Well - When preparing the ingredients, it's important to remove as much liquid as possible from the pepperoncini. Drain them then gently press using paper towels to dry. You could also use Calabrian chiles.

- Pesto - I used a prepared brand of basil pesto for this recipe. If there's a brand that you already enjoy, go for it. Both Classico and Bertolli have great pestos that are typically easy to find.

- Cheese - It's perfectly fine to use only mozzarella or only provolone cheese in place of the combination of the two used for these antipasto squares. We enjoy the combination of flavor, but it's fine to adapt using gruyere, American cheese, swiss cheese, or cheddar cheese.

- Alternate Pan - I bake these in a 13x9-inch metal cake pan for the crispiness it gives to the crust. If you don't have one, you can also bake this in a glass pan, if that's what you have available.

- Pepperoni - I recommend sandwich size pepperoni for these rolls. You could adapt using classic pizza-style pepperoni, but you'll need more than called for in the recipe to cover the surface of the filling. You could use Italian ham in place of smoked ham.

- Peppers - You can use roasted red peppers, diced banana peppers, add a layer of red bell pepper or green bell peppers for crunch.

- Olives - If you don't care for black olives, you could substitute using green pimento stuffed olives or olive salad, instead.

- Olive Tapenade - You could also use an olive spread or olive tapenade in place of sliced black olives.

- Egg Wash - You can brush the top of the crescent rolls with a beaten egg mixture in place of olive oil.