Muffaletta Sandwich Recipes

Steps:

• Slice bread in half lengthwise. Drizzle olive oil on both sides. Sprinkle both sides with Parmesan cheese, basil, and oregano.
• On the bottom half, layer chopped black olives and chopped green olives, then the salami, ham, provolone, and mozzarella. Cover with top layer, and cut into 4 servings.

Steps:

• In a small saucepan, combine 1/2 cup of the oil, the carrot, celery, cauliflower, oregano, thyme and 3 tablespoons water. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer, covered, until the vegetables are somewhat tender, about 6 minutes. Transfer the vegetable mixture to a small bowl and stir in the olives, pimento and salt. Set aside to cool.
• When the olive-vegetable salad has cooled, stir in the parsley.
• Slice the bread in half lengthwise. Using your hands, scoop out the inside of each bread half to make a shallow pocket. Brush the inside of the top half with the remaining 2 tablespoons oil. Fill the bottom bread half with the olive-vegetable salad and pack it down with your hands. Layer the provolone, mortadella and soppressata over the salad (without letting any hang over the sides).
• Cover with the top bread half and tightly wrap the sandwich with plastic wrap. Place the sandwich on a cutting board or baking sheet and weigh it down with a heavy object, such as a cast-iron skillet, for at least 1 hour or up to 3 hours.
• Remove the plastic wrap and cut the sandwich into fourths or sixths. Serve.

Steps:

• Whisk together the mayonnaise, vinegar, mustard and honey in a large bowl. Add the onion, olives, peppers, parsley and oregano; toss, and season, to taste, with salt and pepper.
• Slice the bread in half and pull some of interior from the top half. Spread some of the olive salad on each half. You will probably have some salad left; it holds well in the refrigerator.
• Layer the meat and cheese on the bottom half, alternating layers of each meat with thin layers of cheese. Cover with the top half, press gently, slice, and serve.

Steps:

• If using home made olive salad, make it by mixing all ingredients together.
• Cover and refrigerate at least 8 hours before assembling sandwich.
• Cut bread in half horizontally.
• Remove about 1/2 inch of soft white bread from top layer of each half to make room for the filling, starting about 1/2 from sides.
• Drain olive salad, reserving liquid.
• Brush some of the liquid over cut sides of bread and toast under broiler until just lightly browned.
• Brush a little more liquid on toasted sides and layer salami, 1/2 of the olive salad, the cheese, ham and remaining olive salad on bottom half of bread.
• Cover with top half of bread and secure with a couple of tooth picks.
• Place back in oven for a few minutes to heat all ingredients.
• The cheese should just be warm and starting to get soft, but not runny.
• Cut into 4 quarters and serve with plenty of napkins.

Steps:

• Insert your knife 1 inch from the top edge of the loaf at a 45 degree angle and cut around the loaf until the lid comes off. Set lid aside. Pull excess bread out of the center of the loaf to create a hollow effect. Level off the inside of the lid and begin assembly. Brush the lid with some of the oil mixture from the olive salad. Spread the olive salad on the bottom half of the bread and begin to layer the sandwich, starting with the fontina cheese, mortadella, arugula, capicolla, red peppers, and finishing with the salami. Wrap the sandwich tightly with plastic wrap and put on a plate. Place a cast iron skillet on top of the sandwich to weigh it down and put it in the refrigerator overnight. Bring to room temperature before serving. Cut into wedges.
• Combine all ingredients. Serve at room temperature.

Steps:

• Whisk the first 3 ingredients in a large bowl to blend. Gradually blend in the oil. Stir in the olives and roasted peppers. Season the vinaigrette, to taste, with salt and pepper.
• Cut the top 1-inch of the bread loaf. Set the top aside. Hollow out the bottom and top halves of the bread. Spread some of the olive and roasted pepper mix over the bread bottom and cut side of the bread top. Layer the meats and cheeses in the bread bottom. Top with the onions, then the arugula. Spread the remaining olive and roasted pepper mix on top of the sandwich and carefully cover with the bread top. You can serve the sandwich immediately or you can wrap the entire sandwich tightly in plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator a day before serving.
• Cut the sandwich into wedges and serve.

Steps:

• Take one loaf fresh Italian bread (one big round for a traditional Muffaletta or individual sub loaves will do fine for smaller sandwiches).
• Cut the loaf (or loaves) in half, and scoop out a little of the inside to make some room.
• Make the olive salad by combining the olives and roasted pepper, garlic and vinegar.
• Drizzle some of the olive oil and juice from the olive salad on each side of the open loaf-- use plenty.
• On the bottom, place some salami, olive salad, provolone, mild cheese, and mortadella.
• Top with the other half loaf.
• Wrap tightly with plastic wrap and set a heavy skillet on top of loaf or individual loaves.
• Chill for 1 hour.
• This helps compress for easier slicing and absorption of flavors.
• Slice into wedges (or eat the individual loaves).
• *The roasted red peppers are Italian-style, available at many Italian delis or in the ethnic aisle in the grocery store.

Steps:

• Open the rolls and pull out a bit of their fluffy insides.
• Sprinkle each cut side with olive oil and vinegar, then with garlic, capers and oregano.
• Layer one side of each roll with red pepper, pickled peppers, onion, olives, tomato, salami, ham and finally the cheese.
• Replace roll tops, close up tightly and press together well to help seal.
• Heat a heavy nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and lightly brush the outside of each roll with olive oil.
• Place 2 sandwiches at a time in the hot pan.
• Press the sandwiches with a wide spatula several times, turning once or twice, until the bread is crisp and the cheese is melted.
• The sandwiches also can be pressed by placing a heavy skillet on top during grilling.
• (If the bread is browning too quickly, reduce heat to medium.) Cook sandwiches until golden brown on one side, then turn and brown the second side.
• Sandwiches are ready when crisply golden and the cheese has oozed a bit and crisped in places.
• Cut into halves and eat right away.

Steps:

• To Make the SANDWICH.
• Split a muffoletta loaf or a round loaf of Italian bread horizontally. Remove some of the center soft bread.
• Spread each half with equal parts of olive salad/oil.
• Place meats and cheeses evenly on bottom half and cover with top half of bread.
• Wrap tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 4 hours. Cut in quarters for huge sandwiches, or eighths for more manageable sections.
• To Make the OLIVE SALAD.
• To pit the olives crush each olive on a cutting board with your hand or use the end of a funnel.
• Combine all ingredients except oil in processor. Pulse 4-5 times. You want this to be coarse chopped.
• Add olive oil. Put into a bowl or jar, cover and let the flavors marry for about one week.