The Best Italian Sandwich

A hearty and flavorful Italian sandwich you’ll crave again and again! Perfect for a hearty lunch or an easy weeknight meal.

A Lovely Thought from Teri on this Italian Sandwich

I’m a total sandwich enthusiast, and there’s nothing I love more than making a juicy, delicious sandwich for my favorite eaters. My joy and passion for sandwiches comes from a place of nostalgia and home-comfort, from making pickle-peanut butter-and-butter sandwiches for my dad as a child to making egg salad sandwiches for my kids as a mother. As an adult, an Italian sandwich is one of my all-time favorites!

Is there anything more fun than getting lost in a new town and finding amazing local gems? Last year I spent some time in LaCrosse, Wisconsin, a hip college town with spectacular restaurants. I happened upon a fabulous butcher and sandwich shop called Schuby’s. I was in heaven! They had the loveliest products available and served a few wonderful sandwiches. One fabulous Italian sandwich was neither toasted, warm, or cheesy but it was so incredibly delicious that I could eat one every day! It featured ham, pepperoni, finocchiona, provolone, lettuce, tomato, hot giardiniera, and mayo on a seeded roll. I knew I wanted to create a version in my nocrumbsleft kitchen.

As a gluten-free girl, I’m always asking myself how I can make a spectacular version for myself, and of course, a great sandwich relies on finding the best ingredients available! I used my favorite gluten-free bread (Canyon Bakehouse’s Heritage Honey White sandwich bread) and began building my masterpiece. If you’re using gluten-free bread, toasting the bread on both sides is a must, but if you’re using regular bread, it’s your choice whether to toast or not. I added my favorite Italian meats, a good amount of provolone, hot giardiniera, a quick homemade sauce, and of course, my Marinated Red Onions.

This Italian sandwich is simply divine! I loved making a fabulous Italian sandwich right at home. It wasn’t exactly like the one in LaCrosse, but it was just as delicious! You can switch up the ingredients 100 ways, depending on what you like or what you have on hand, but in my opinion every Italian sandwich should have Chicago-style giardiniera. This is such a hearty sandwich, and depending on how hungry you are, you might not need any sides, but it sure is lovely with a crunchy chip.

Ingredients

• Mayonnaise, store-bought or home-made 
• Peppadew peppers and juice
• Gluten-free or regular bread 
• Salami
• Capicola
• Mortadella
• Provolone cheese
• Romaine lettuce
• Tomato
• Hot giardiniera
• Marinated Red Onions

How to make this Italian sandwich

In a food processor, combine the mayonnaise, peppadew peppers, and peppadew pepper juice, and blend until well combined. Set aside. 

If using gluten-free bread, toast your bread on both sides until golden brown. If using regular bread, this step is optional. 

Spread half the peppadew mayonnaise on one side of the bread then layer the capicola, cheese, and mortadella. Spoon the giardiniera on top then add the salami, lettuce, tomato slices, and Marinated Red Onions. Spread the remaining peppadew mayonnaise on the other slice of bread and close the sandwich.

Cut the sandwich in half and dig in!

Variations

This Italian sandwich is a slam-dunk for me, but there are endless ways to customize it depending on your preferences or what you have on hand. It can easily be made into a sub if you have hoagie rolls or a soft Italian bread on hand. If you don’t have salami, mortadella, or capicola, you can use ham, pepperoni, turkey, prosciutto, or even bacon! I loved using provolone in my sandwich, but mozzarella, shaved parmesan, Monterrey Jack, or even white cheddar would be fantastic.

When it comes to the finishing touches, if you don’t have peppadew peppers, you can simply use plain mayo. You can also mix the plain mayo with a little fresh garlic, fresh basil, or sun-dried tomatoes! If you’re feeling like going the extra mile, you can make my Creamy Chive or Charred Scallion dressing. Either would be fantastic in this sandwich! Chicago-style giardiniera can sometimes be harder to find and can be swapped with pepperoncini or banana peppers. Even jalapeno peppers will add great flavor! If you don’t have romaine lettuce handy, shredded iceberg lettuce would be quite nice. If you don’t have Marinated Red Onions, use raw red or white onions and dress your greens with a little olive oil, red wine vinegar, and a pinch of dried oregano. You’ll thank me later!

Another fun variation is this take on the chopped sandwich! I chopped all the ingredients ups and scooped them onto my favorite bread from Canyon Bakehouse. Delicious!

Try these other sandwiches!

• High Protein Toast
• Pickle BLT
• Sloppy Joe Grilled Cheese

If you make this Italian sandwich, be sure to rate and review the recipe to let me know what you think. And if you want to follow along, head to Instagram, TikTok, and Pinterest for more inspiration!

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