Veggie-Packed California Club Sandwich Board

When I was little, there was this local café called The Tower where my mom and I would occasionally go on a date for their famous club sandwich. Half the fun was that it was soooo tall, with layers upon layers cut into cute triangles and held together with a frilly toothpick.

But even better than the novelty was that magic flavor combo of toasted wheat bread spread with mayo and stacked with lettuce, tomato, turkey, and crisp bacon.

As an adult, the club sandwich holds a nostalgic appeal that, for me, is the epitome of comfort food. When I’m traveling for work and exhausted at the end of a day of shoots or meetings, there’s truly no better feeling that getting back to my hotel room, swapping out my heels for a fluffy robe, and ordering room service. A club sandwich with fries feels like the ultimate treat yo self moment, especially paired with a glass of sauv blanc or a warm chocolate chip cookie, depending on my mood.

This time of year feels perfect for bringing the crowd-pleasing favorite back, just in time to invite friends for game day, an Oscars party, or simply to have a cozy night with fun people. And y’all know that I love an interactive dinner party menu (like this one or this one), so for today’s post in partnership with Boar’s Head, we’re bringing those crowd-pleasing flavors of the classic club into an ultimate sandwich board that lets everyone layer up the ingredients that are speaking to them. And not surprisingly, my approach packs in more veggies, flavor, and clean ingredients than the original.

Without further ado: the Ultimate California Club Sandwich Board.

Let’s talk clean ingredients for a sec, shall we? Especially since having kids, I’ve become a lot more mindful of what we’re stocking in the fridge for snacks and on-the-go lunches, because let’s be real — there is just a lot more snacking that happens when you’ve got littles to feed. I’ve felt a bit conflicted about lunch meat, because a turkey sandwich or BLT is one of the easiest (and yummiest) things to whip up for a quick meal, but then there are the nitrates and antibiotics to think about, so I’ve steered away from regularly stocking lunch meat in our fridge. Enter Boar’s Head’s Simplicity line. The deli meats and bacon in this line are all natural and organic, expertly crafted with nothing artificial and no antibiotics (and the flavor is like nothing you’ve gotten in the deli before.) I love that they are sliced to order, which means no preservatives, too.  There’s also a delicious line of cheeses, and even frankfurters so we can indulge our hot dog cravings without worrying about questionable ingredients.

Party prep doesn’t get much easier than this: just crisp up the bacon, toast the bread, then spread everything out on a big cutting board and let guests go to town. Only rule is that it’s got to be a double decker — and that toothpick garnish is a nonnegotiable.

Scroll on for the recipe, and I’d love to hear in the comments if y’all give this one a try!