Pastrami Football Finger Sandwiches

Ingredients

• 1 pinch pepper black freshly ground
• 16 slices bread and butter pickle 
• 1 slices cheese white such as muenster or american (you want a 4-inch square slice)
• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise 
• 1 cup cheddar and monterey jack cheese blend shredded
• 8 ounces pastrami thinly sliced
• 0.3 cup pickled piquant peppers such as peppadews, chopped
• 32 slices cocktail pumpernickel bread squares 
• 2 tablespoons butter unsalted melted
• 1 teaspoon mustard yellow

Equipment

• bowl
• baking sheet
• oven
• knife
• toothpicks
• cutting board

Directions

1. Special equipment: 16 toothpicks
2. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
3. Mix the shredded cheese, peppers, mayonnaise, mustard and pepper in a medium bowl.
4. Stack 4 slices of the bread on a cutting board. Using a knife or 2 1/2-inch round cutter, trim the bread into football shapes, save the trimmings for another use. Continue with the remaining bread.
5. Lay the bread slices on a rimmed baking sheet and brush with the melted butter.
6. Place in oven and toast until crisp, about 5 minutes.
7. Spread about 1 tablespoon of the pepper cheese mixture on the bread. Top with some pastrami, a pickle and another slice of bread.
8. To make the laces, cut the cheese into 16 long strips.
9. Cut each strip into 1 long and 3 short pieces.
10. Lay the long strip lengthwise on the sandwich, and then the 3 short strips crosswise to make the laces. Repeat with all the strips.
11. Put the sandwiches back into the oven for 2 minutes to set the cheese laces. Secure the sandwiches with a toothpick and serve.