Muffaletta Sandwich
This muffaletta recipe is the ultimate sandwich from New Orleans, piled high with Italian meats, cheese, and a homemade spicy olive tapenade. Feeds a crowd!
We’re making Muffaletta Sandwiches in the Chili Pepper Madness kitchen today, my friends. Have you ever had a muffaletta? What a great sandwich!
I encountered my very first muffaletta on a foodie tour of New Orleans, where we were served a thick slice of the traditional version. Talk about delicious…and filling. New Orleans muffalettas have no equal.
The muffaletta is layered with Italian meats, including capicola, mortadalla and salami, lots of provolone cheese and a flavor powerhouse olive spread that stands up to all that meat. It’s all spread over round Italian bread, and meant to serve a small group.
The sandwich was reportedly invented by Sicilian immigrant Salvatore Lupo at the Central Grocery Co in New Orleans in 1906 and has clearly stood the test of time, a true tribute to its flavorful impact.
I like to make this advance for parties or for us for long hike days. Great lunch! I think you’re going to love this one, my friends.
Let’s talk about how we make the classic muffaletta, shall we?
Muffaletta Sandwich Ingredients
- FOR THE OLIVE TAPENADE MIXTURE
- 1 cup green olives, chopped
- 1 cup giardiniera, chopped (or use pickled peppers)
- ½ cup roasted red peppers, chopped
- 1 shallot, minced
- 2 tablespoons capers
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- ½ teaspoon dried basil
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- Salt and pepper to taste
- FOR THE MUFFALETTA SANDWICH
- The Bread. 1 10-inch loaf of round Italian bread. Use Muffaletta bread if you can obtain it, though it is super rare outside of New Orleans. Italian bread is great.
- The Meats. I use ½ pound thinly sliced capicola, ½ pound sliced mortadella and ½ pound sliced salami. Deli ham is a common addition.
- Cheese. I use ½ pound sliced provolone cheese. Smoked mozzarella is a nice addition, too.
How to Make a Muffaletta – the Recipe Method
Make the Olive Tapenade. Mix together the olives, giardiniera, roasted red peppers, shallot, garlic, olive oil, vinegar, basil and oregano in large bowl. Season to taste with extra oil, salt and pepper.
ASSEMBLE THE MUFFALETTA
Prep the Bread. Slice the loaf of bread in half lengthwise and scoop out part of the interior to make room for the olive-pepper salad. Save the scooped out bread for another use if you’d like. Lay the bread slices down with the insides facing up.
Olive Spread. Spread the olive tapenade mixture evenly over the bread slices.
Layer it Up. Layer the bottom slice with capicola, mortadella, salami and provolone cheese. Top with the other half of bread.
Let is Rest. Wrap the entire muffaletta sandwich with plastic wrap and set a cast iron pan or other weight over the top of the sandwich to lightly press it down. This will let the tapenade juices soak into the bread and build a lot of flavor. Set aside for at least 1 hour. Overnight is even better for more developed flavor.
Unwrap and Serve. Unwrap the sandwich, slice it into 8 triangular pieces and serve, or into 4 large slices for very hungry people.
Boom! Done! Time to enjoy your awesome muffaletta sandwich! How are you slicing yours? Are you serving it to a small group? Appetizer platter? Maybe just for yourself!
Recipe Tips & Notes
- Muffaletta Bread. I can’t find muffaletta bread sold anywhere outside of New Orleans, so I buy a large round loaf of Italian bread. It is traditionally made on round bread, though you an use others, such as focaccia or a sub roll. Any bread will do, but I suggest using thicker, denser bread to stand up to the olive spread.
- The Meats. Salami, mortadella and capicola are often used, though you can also use deli ham.
- The Cheeses. Provolone is very common, though Swiss and mozzarella are also used. Try smoked mozarella. Yum.
- Olive Salad. The olive tapenade is typically made with chopped olives mixed with chopped Italian style giardiniera ingredients (carrots, cauliflower, celery, peppers), though you can use other pickled vegetables and peppers with olive oil and Italian seasonings.
That’s it, my friends. I hope you enjoy your muffaletta sandwich. Let me know if you make it. I’d love to hear how it turned out for you. I love this recipe.
Try Some of My Other Popular Recipes
- Shrimp Po Boy Sandwich
- Pepper and Egg Sandwich
- Cuban Sandwich
- Chicago-Style Giardiniera
- Sausage and Peppers
- Spicy Grilled Chicken Sandwich
- Chicken Fricassee
- Boudin Balls
- Shrimp Etouffee
- Cajun Chicken and Sausage Gumbo
Got any questions? Ask away! I’m happy to help. If you enjoy this recipe, I hope you’ll leave a comment with some STARS. Also, please share it on social media. Don’t forget to tag us at #ChiliPepperMadness. I’ll be sure to share! Thanks! — Mike H.
Muffaletta Recipe
Ingredients
FOR THE OLIVE TAPENADE MIXTURE
- 1 cup green olives chopped
- 1 cup giardiniera chopped (or use pickled peppers)
- ½ cup roasted red peppers chopped
- 1 shallot minced
- 2 tablespoons capers
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- ½ teaspoon dried basil
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
FOR THE MUFFALETTA SANDWICH
- 1 10- inch loaf of round Italian bread use Muffaletta bread if you can obtain it, but Italian is great
- ½ pound sliced capicola or use deli ham, or both!
- ½ pound sliced mortadella
- ½ pound sliced salami
- ½ pound sliced provolone cheese
Instructions
FOR THE OLIVE TAPENADE MIXTURE
- Mix together the olives, giardiniera, roasted red peppers, shallot, garlic, olive oil, vinegar, basil and oregano in large bowl.
ASSEMBLE THE MUFFALETTA
- Slice the loaf of bread in half lengthwise and scoop out part of the interior to make room for the olive-pepper salad. Save the scooped out bread for another use if you’d like.
- Lay the bread slices down with the insides facing up.
- Spread the olive tapenade mixture evenly over the bread slices.
- Layer the bottom slice with capicola, mortadella, salami and provolone cheese.
- Top with the other half of bread.
- Wrap the entire muffaletta sandwich with plastic wrap and set a pan or other weight over the top of the sandwich to lightly press it down. This will let the bread soak up some of the tapenade juices and build a lot of flavor. Set aside for 1 hour.
- Unwrap the sandwich, slice it into 8 triangular pieces and serve.
Follow