Description
The Muffuletta is a classic New Orleans sandwich, stacked with savory meats, cheeses, and a zesty olive salad. With its crispy, toasted bread and flavorful fillings, this recipe offers a delicious combination of textures and tastes, perfect for lunch or dinner.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1/3 cup large pimento-stuffed olives
- 1/3 cup pitted black olives
- 1/3 cup giardiniera
- 1/4 cup marinated roasted red peppers
- 1 clove garlic
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 1/2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon capers
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon celery salt
- 1 (9-inch) round Italian bread loaf with sesame seeds, or 1 (12-inch) ciabatta or French bread loaf
- 4 ounces sliced low-moisture mozzarella cheese
- 4 ounces thinly sliced Genoa salami or pepperoni
- 4 ounces thinly sliced provolone cheese
- 4 ounces thinly sliced mortadella or deli ham
- 4 ounces thinly sliced capicola, coppa or prosciutto
- Pickled pepperoncini, for serving (optional)
- Potato chips, such as Zapp’s, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, finely chop the olives, giardiniera, roasted red peppers, and garlic. Add the olive oil, red wine vinegar, capers, black pepper, and celery salt. Stir to combine. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 1 week.
- Split the bread loaf in half horizontally. Hollow out the inside if needed. Spoon half of the olive salad onto the bottom half of the bread. Layer with mozzarella, salami, provolone, mortadella, capicola, and the remaining provolone and mozzarella. Press with the back of a spoon, then top with the rest of the olive salad.
- Drizzle the reserved olive oil onto the cut side of the top bread and place it on top. Wrap the sandwich tightly in aluminum foil. Weight it down with a heavy object, such as a Dutch oven or bricks. Let sit for 1 to 3 hours at room temperature.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Place the foil-wrapped sandwich directly on the rack and bake for 10 to 20 minutes until crispy and toasted.
- Unwrap the sandwich and slice into triangles. Serve with pickled pepperoncini or potato chips if desired.
Notes
- For a lighter version, you can reduce the amount of oil in the olive salad or skip the toasting step.
- This sandwich can be made ahead of time and kept refrigerated for up to 3 days.
- Customize the meats and cheeses to suit your preference or availability.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 500
- Sugar: 3g
- Sodium: 950mg
- Fat: 30g
- Saturated Fat: 7g
- Unsaturated Fat: 19g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 40g
- Fiber: 4g
- Protein: 20g
- Cholesterol: 40mg