Cubano Sandwich Stuffing
The elements of a Cubano sandwich might not seem like they translate well to a Thanksgiving stuffing, but let me tell you – it works! It not only works, but it tastes awesome and would be a knockout dish to bring to Friendsgiving! Friendsgiving is the time to make fun Thanksgiving twists, and I strongly believe that stuffing is the most fun T-day dish to mess with!
Just want to be clear here- there is a Cuban style Thanksgiving stuffing, and this is NOT that. This is the sandwich turned into the stuffing. If you are interested in the traditional Cuban stuffing, check out this authentic recipe.
Where did I come up with this idea?
One of my favorite recipes I have ever made is Big Mac Stuffing, but since then, I haven’t turned any other sandwiches into stuffing! I decided to fix that this year by mashing up a Cubano sandwich with stuffing. Roasted pork, ham, pickles, and mustard, all mixed together with bread in a hearty casserole. It’s time to get weird with Thanksgiving this year. Embrace it.
Make the pork
This pork is marinated in a quick mojo marinade and then pan fried to cook through.
Gather the ingredients
Swiss, pickles, pork, and ham. Looks like I cooked that pork a little hot but it’s ok, the char will be nice in the final Cubano sandwich stuffing.
Dry out the bread
I used buns for the bread cause this is based on a sandwich after all. If you can get actual Cuban bread, I would use that instead. I was in a new city at the height of the pandemic when I first made this so this was the best I could do. Bake the bread at 300 for about an hour, stirring occasionally, until it is dried out a bit.
Put the cubano sandwich stuffing together
I tossed it all together along with some roasted garlic broth, mustard, and an egg. You could also use chicken broth if that’s what you have. Pile the Cubano sandwich stuffing into a baking dish and bake at 350 until it’s crispy on top!
So good! It’s definitely something different, but it really works.
The Cubano sandwich stuffing will be the most talked about dish at Friendsgiving!
Make ahead tips for the Cubano sandwich stuffing
If you want to make this ahead of time, I would mix everything except the bread together. Then when it is time to bake it, mix in the bread and get it into the oven. I think if you mixed it all ahead of time the bread would get too soggy and break down.
If you love fun twists on stuffing, check out my tater tot stuffing, or everything bagel stuffing!
If you love fun twists on Cuban sandwiches, check out my Korean Cubano, or my Cuban sandwich lasagna!
Cubano Sandwich Stuffing
Ingredients
- 6 rolls or buns cut into cubes
- 1/4 pound thin sliced pork loin
- 1 orange juice of
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon clove
- salt and pepper
- 4 ounces sliced ham diced
- 3 large pickle spears diced
- 4 slices swiss cheese diced
- 2 cups stock of your choice
- 1 egg
- 2 tablespoons yellow mustard
Instructions
- Toast the bread on a large sheet pan at 300 until dried out and lightly brown
- Mix the pork in a large bowl with the orange juice, olive oil, garlic, oregano, cumin, clove, salt, and pepper. Cover and allow to marinate for about an hour on the counter.
- Sear on high heat for about a minute on both sides. Remove from pan. Chop.
- Stir the bread with the meats, pickles, and cheese. In a measuring cup, whisk together the stock, egg, and mustard. Pour the stock mixture over the beard mixture. (I used a roasted garlic stock, but you can use whatever you have around)
- Turn the oven up to 350. Pour the bread mix into a baking dish. Bake about 45 minutes until crispy on top and cooked through.