Muffuletta Sandwich
The original recipe called for all kinds of fancy things like capicola, mortadella, prosciutto, focaccia and/or ciabatta. Since I’m a dumb redneck, I didn’t know what half of those things were so I made some substitutions.
When it came to the olive salad, I downright made something up since I thought capers and anchovies were nasty and I couldn’t figure out what the hell a giardiniera was. The only thing original to the recipe is the cheese (provolone).
Amazingly enough, my hybrid muffuletta recipe turned out fantastic and my family really loves it!
The rule of thumb for a muffuletta is to have a soft flavorful Italian-like bread (or hoagie roll), 2 or 3 different kinds of cold cuts, some olive salad, and a mild cheese (or two).
Make this sandwich your own. If you don’t like my choice of deli meats and cheeses – choose your favorites. I’m going to try pastrami and smoked gouda next time!
Ingredients
Olive Salad
1/4 cup chopped black olives
1/4 cup chopped green olives
2 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar (or more to suit your taste)
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3-4 shakes of lemon pepper
In a small mixing bowl, stir together all ingredients. Taste and re-season as you see fit.
Sandwich
1 large round bread (or oblong or loaf), 8 to 9 inches in diameter
1 large tomato, thinly sliced
1/2 cup (or more) olive salad (see above)
1/4 pound salami, thinly sliced
1/4 pound turkey, thinly sliced
1/4 pound honey baked ham, thinly sliced
1/4 pound cheddar (or gouda, pepper jack, Colby-jack, or whatever) cheese, thinly sliced
1/4 pound provolone cheese (or mozzarella, Monterey jack, Swiss, whatever), thinly sliced
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar
Salt and pepper
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Slice bread in half horizontally, and pinch out some of the bread from the center to make room for the fillings. (Dip these little wads of bread in the olive salad and eat while your muffuletta bakes!)
Drizzle insides of bread with olive oil and vinegar, and then season with salt and pepper. Add a thick layer of olive salad to both sides of bread.
On the bottom half of the bread, layer vegetables, meats, and cheeses however you see fit. Replace top half of bread and wrap sandwich tightly in aluminum foil.
Bake until muffuletta is warmed throughout and cheese has melted, about 30 to 45 minutes.
Remove from oven and let rest 10 minutes before cutting and serving..