Tomato Jam Sandwich
Be the talk of the party with this sweet and savory focaccia sandwich with mortadella, salami, sharp cheddar, pickled red onions, an addictive tomato jam, and rosemary kettle chips for the perfect crunch. Serves 16-20 as an appetizer or 6-8 as a main sandwich.
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“Oh my gosh” was what I said when I took the first bite of this sandwich. I was already on my second batch in as many weeks of the tomato jam, and had put it on a few turkey and cheese sandwiches, but I had a feeling the charcuterie twist and focaccia would take this combination absolutely over the top (I was very right). It is unique with the tomato jam, and then the fat from the cheese and meats is balanced by the pickled red onion and the crunch from the rosemary kettle chips. All enveloped in my friend famous rosemary focaccia, it is truly an unforgettable sandwich.
I developed this for the First Impression drink and appetizer series, and paired it with my Tomato Lemon Drop.
This does take a bit more time to put together than a typical appetizer, but if you put it out or bring it to a party, I promise it will be demolished.
Go light on the fillings if you’re making it as an appetizer. This is a heartier appetizer, and in my mind is what someone would eat from a charcuterie board just combined into a single eatable sandwich.
This sandwich was inspired by the tomato jam recipe from Gaby Dalkin’s Cookbook Everyday California Food. I have loved absolutely every recipe I have tried in that cookbook (queso, pulled pork, chicken burgers, etc), and everything I’ve made from her site. I highly recommend that book if you’re looking for a cookbook with reliable, easy, and delicious recipes.
The cheddar was inspired by Molly Baz’s tomato cheddar toast recipe from her book Cook this Book, which went viral multiple times in 2025.
Tips for getting this right:
When you put the mortadella on the sandwich, don’t just lay it out flat, try to put it down in little ribbons so there is some air incorporated into it. I’ve heard before the difference between a good sandwich and an excellent sandwich is air based on the way the meat is added onto the sandwich, and I could not agree more.
Serve it as fresh as possible. Because the chips tend to get a little soggy, try to serve this within two hours of making it.
Use small cherry or grape tomatoes. Cherry and grape tomatoes are smaller than larger tomatoes (plum/roma, beefsteak, or heirloom), and therefore have less water content and are sweeter.
Don’t skip the toothpicks. I used these bamboo toothpicks, which are slightly longer than standard toothpicks. They help the sandwich stay together during cutting, and also give the sandwiches look more chic.
Make this recipe when tomatoes are in season. Tomatoes are best in the summer months, and since the tomato jam is the star of the show for this recipe, you want to be starting with the best ingredients. This recipe is perfect for a beach sandwich, summer dinner party appetizer, or as a little something special to celebrate tomato season.
Buy a block of cheese. Pre-sliced cheese gets a little lost in the other ingredients. But if you buy a block, and cut it slightly on the thick side then you’ll really be able to sink your teeth into it and it will stand out against the other stronger flavors and textures of the sandwich.
Recipe Substitutions and Variations
Mortadella/Salami: Prosciutto would probably be lovely as well as a spicy sopressatta.
Focaccia: Homemade focaccia is so easy and impressive, it’s like having a superpower once you know how to make it. That being said, if you must, I imagine this would be delicious on a baguette or sourdough bread.
Sharp Cheddar Cheese: I used Trader Joe’s English Coastal Cheddar, aged 15 months. A brie, blue cheese, or burrata would be lovely on this sandwich, but I loved the sharpness of the cheddar in contrast with the other ingredients.
Consider adding: Cavelstrano olives, an additional cured meat, or red pepper flakes for a kick.
Tomato Jam: The tomato jam is what turns this sandwich from average to over the top delicious. On its own I would serve tomato jam along side focaccia as a dipping sauce or pour it over buratta for a lovely appetizer.
Recipe
Ingredients
½ No Knead focaccia recipe, baked in a 9×13” pan and topped with flakey sea salt and fresh minced rosemary
Tomato Jam (recipe follows)
¾ cup Pickled Red Onion (from 1/2 large red onion)
5-6 oz Mortadella
7-8 oz Salami
10 oz Sharp Cheddar
1 bag 6 oz Rosemary Kettle Chips
20 Bamboo toothpicks, for assembly
To assemble the sandwich
Cut the focaccia in half to make a top and bottom layer for the sandwich. Arrange toppings in the following order from the bottom up: mortadella, salami, cheddar cheese, pickled red onion, and rosemary kettle chips. Spread tomato jam on the underside of the top half of the focaccia, and place the top of the bread on the bottom. Press down slightly to make it easier to cut. Place toothpicks in a 4 × 5 grid across the focaccia starting with the corners. Cut out squares as best you can, and return any fillings that have fallen out. Place on a platter and serve immediately.
Tomato Jam
1 pound (16 oz) Cherry Tomatoes
3 Cloves Garlic
3 Sprigs Rosemary (or 1 tablespoon dried rosemary)
1/4 cup Olive Oil
1 teaspoon Sea Salt
2 tablespoons Brown Sugar
2 tablespoons Lemon Juice (about 1 lemon)
Method
Add all ingredients except lemon juice to a medium pot over medium heat and cover. After 2-3 minutes when tomatoes have started to expand and burst, mash with a potato masher.
Then reduce heat to medium-low and reduce heat as necessary for a gentle simmer.
Cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally to avoid burning.
Once reduced by about half, stir in lemon juice and remove from heat. If making in advance, store in refrigerator until ready to use and thaw in microwave to melt the olive oil. If making the sandwich within a couple of hours, then store at room temperature until ready to assemble.
Tomato Jam Focaccia Sandwich
Be the talk of the party with this sweet and savory focaccia sandwich with mortadella, salami, sharp cheddar, pickled red onions, an addictive tomato jam, and rosemary kettle chips for the perfect crunch. Serves 16-20 as an appetizer or 6-8 as a main sandwich.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Add all ingredients except lemon juice to a pot over medium heat and cover.
- After 2-3 minutes when tomatoes have started to expand and burst, mash then reduce heat to medium-low and reduce heat as necessary for a gentle simmer.
- Cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally to avoid burning.
- Once reduced by about half, stir in lemon juice and remove from heat.
- If making in advance, store in refrigerator until ready to use and thaw in microwave to melt the olive oil. If making the sandwich within a couple of hours, then store at room temperature until ready to assemble.
- Cut the focaccia in half to make a top and bottom layer for the sandwich.
- Arrange toppings in the following order from the bottom up: mortadella, salami, cheddar cheese, pickled red onion, and rosemary kettle chips.
- Spread tomato jam on the underside of the top half of the focaccia, and place the top of the bread on the bottom. Press down slightly to make it easier to cut.
- Place toothpicks in a 4 × 5 grid across the focaccia starting with the corners. Cut out squares as best you can, and return any fillings that have fallen out.
- Arrange on a platter and serve immediately.
