Description
This recipe for Muffaletta is Teri’s take on the classic sandwich from New Orleans. Loaded with a briny California olive mix, cheeses, and lots of meats.
Ingredients
For the California Olive Mix:
- 2 (6-ounce) cans of California pitted green or black olives
- ½ cup pepperoncini drained and destemmed
- ½ cup olive oil
- ½ cup finely diced carrots
- ¼ cup finely diced celery
- 3 tablespoons finely chopped red onion
- 2 tablespoons capers, drained and chopped
- 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- ½ to 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ½ teaspoon celery seeds
- ¼ teaspoon salt
For the Sandwich*:
- 2 muffuletta loaves, hearty Italian bread or gluten-free bread
- 1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ pound sliced mortadella
- ½ pound sliced salami
- ½ pound sliced Provolone
- ½ pound sliced Mozzarella
- ½ pound sliced ham
- ½ cup Marinated Red Onions, as dry as possible
*If using smaller bread, use smaller amounts of meat and cheese.
Instructions
Make the California olive mix
The day before making the sandwich, drain the jars of olives and cut the olives into thin rounds, about four per olive. Finely dice the pepperoncini, keeping the seeds. Combine all the ingredients in a small bowl. Taste for seasoning. Set aside and let the flavors come together overnight in the refrigerator and take out and bring to room temperature for 30 minutes prior to using.
Make the sandwich
If using muffuletta loaves, slice them in half horizontally and hollow out much of the inside of the bread halves to make room for the toppings. Brush half a tablespoon or more of olive oil on each half of your loaves. Spread a good amount of the olive mix on each side of the bread—we used almost all of the mixture between the two loaves. Divide your meats and cheeses into two piles. Lay half the mortadella on each of the bottom breads and follow with half the provolone. Add some Marinated Red Onions. Top loaf tops with half of each of the mozzarella, ham, and salami. Close the sandwiches and wrap tightly in aluminum foil.
Place the two sandwiches between two baking sheets. Weigh the top baking sheet down with a Dutch oven or any other heavy kitchen tool and let the sandwiches sit for an hour, flipping the sandwiches midway. Skip this step if you’re using gluten-free bread.
If using an Italian loaf, slice it in half lengthwise and scoop some of the bread from the insides to make room for your toppings. Build your sandwich in the same way as above by brushing the bread halves with olive oil, spreading the olive mix, and layering the mortadella, provolone, onions, salami, ham, and mozzarella. Wrap tightly in aluminum foil and place between two sheet trays, with the top sheet tray weighed down. Allow the sandwiches to sit for an hour, flipping the sandwiches over halfway. Skip this step if you’re using gluten-free bread.
Heat the oven to 350°F.
Add the wrapped sandwiches to the oven and bake for 20 minutes. Pull the sandwiches out and open the foil to expose the sandwiches and bake for an additional five minutes, or until melted and fabulous.
Take the sandwiches out of the oven and remove from the aluminum foil. Cut each Muffuletta sandwich in half and enjoy.