Kinda Muffaletta
The “real” muffaletta originated in New Orleans and locals there are pretty particular about what goes on this formidable sandwich. I like to think of it as an Italian sub, but better.
Finding true muffaletta bread is the big challenge. It’s an Italian-style bread that’s soft on the inside, crusty on the outside and sturdy enough to hold up to whatever you pack into your sandwich. Try it with focaccia or ciabatta bread.
What makes this a muffaletta, kind of, is the olive and marinated vegetable salad that’s loaded into the bread, along with your choice of sliced cheeses, deli meats and some good quality olive oil.
Kinda Muffaletta
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients
- 1 large round loaf of crusty bread sliced in half with the bottom half a little thicker than the top
- extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ pound sliced provolone cheese
- 1 ½ cups olive salad (try Mezzetta’s Italian Mix Giardiniera, mixed with chopped green and black olives)
- 1 pound assorted sliced deli meats (wild game summer sausage, salami, mortadella, etc.)
Instructions
- Place sliced bread halves on a work surface. Drizzle a liberal coating of olive oil over both halves. Allow to soak into bread for a couple minutes.
- Arrange sliced provolone cheese on the bottom half.
- Top with olive salad and spread evenly.
- Add sliced meats.
- For best flavor, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours.
- Slice sandwich into 4 equal triangle portions.