This post may contain affiliate links. Learn more.
Nothing beats a classic muffaletta sandwich for Mardi Gras (or really anytime you want to feed a crowd). Here’s how to make our favorite version.
Why we love this recipe
Certain meals are simply iconic and so good they practically crave themselves. A muffaletta sandwich is pretty high up on this list. It’s:
- Super-savory
- Wildly crowd-pleasing
- Great on a party buffet or for a slightly indulgent family dinner
- Make-ahead friendly
- Like traveling to New Orleans without leaving the house
Feeling festive but not into meat? Here’s our epic vegetarian muffaletta (with an easy vegan option), which I honestly like even more than the original.
What you’ll need
Here’s a glance at the ingredients you’ll need to make this recipe.
- Muffaletta bread is a flat, round loaf that’s crisp outside and tender inside. It can be a challenge to find outside of New Orleans, but luckily it’s easy and fun to make your own. If you don’t like either of those options, you can hollow out a sourdough boule or make individual muffulettas on sesame seed rolls.
- Giardiniera is a pickled vegetable mixture that typically contains cauliflower, celery, carrot, and multiple varieties of peppers. It’s widely available in U.S. supermarkets in a jar and sometimes also in the prepared foods, olive or salad bar area.
- To make the olive salad, you’ll mix the giardiniera with chopped pimento-stuffed green olives, chopped jarred roasted red peppers, and a little bit of red wine vinegar.
- Traditionally, a mufaletta contains three types of deli meats. Have them all sliced thin. A salami such as genoa, soppressata, or pepperoni. An emulsified sausage such as mortadella or bologna. And a ham such as capicola, speck, or coppa. I’ve bolded the three that I prefer to use.
- A good quality deli-sliced provolone cheese is perfect for this recipe.
How to make it
Here’s an overview of what you’ll do to make a great muffaletta sandwich. You can see the steps in action in the video that accompanies this post, and get all the details in the recipe card below.
- Slice the bread in half across the belt line.
- Mix up the olive salad and spread it evenly onto the inside face of each half.
- Layer on the cold cuts.
- Close the sandwich, give it a good press with your hands, and let it sit for an hour so the flavors and textures have a chance to develop. Slice into wedges and serve.
Expert tips and FAQs
Muffaletta (also spelled muffuletta) is the name for both a style of Sicilian bread and a sandwich made from that bread, invented by Sicilian immigrants to New Orleans a century ago.
The bread is a round, flat loaf, usually with sesame seeds, that’s crisp outside and soft inside.
A muffuletta sandwich traditionally contains a variety of sliced sausage and ham, usually soppressata or Genoa salami, mortadella, and capicola or deli ham; provolone cheese; and an olive and vegetable spread.
If you like, you can make individual sandwiches on sesame seed rolls. You don’t need to change anything else about the recipe. You can also add more spice if you like, especially if your giardiniera isn’t very spicy. Try adding a layer of chopped pepperoncini, or mixing them right into the olive salad. (Most giardiniera includes some pepperoncini, but it can be nice to add more.)
You sure can. I recommend making this sandwich at least an hour in advance to let all the fabulous flavors soak into the bread.
Unlike most sandwiches, tightly wrapped leftovers will keep well for a day or two. If your house is at cool room temperature, you can leave it right on the counter for a few hours. After that, pop it in the fridge.
More favorite epic sandwiches
Hungry for more?
Subscribe to Umami Girl’s email updates, and follow along on Instagram.
Muffaletta Sandwich
Ingredients
- 1 loaf muffaletta bread
- 8 ounces (227 grams) giardiniera, drained and chopped
- 4 ounces (114 grams) pimento-stuffed green olives, drained and chopped
- 4 ounces (114 grams) jarred roasted red peppers, drained and chopped
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) red wine vinegar
- 8 ounces (227 grams) genoa salami
- 8 ounces (227 grams) capicola
- 8 ounces (227 grams) mortadella
- 8 ounces (227 grams) provolone cheese
Instructions
- Using a serrated knife, slice the bread in half across the belt line.
- In a medium mixing bowl, stir together the giardiniera, olives, roasted red peppers, and vinegar.
- Spread half of the olive salad evenly on top of the inner face of each piece of bread.
- Make an even layer of the salami, the capicola, and the mortadella over each piece of bread.
- Make an even layer of the provolone on the bottom half of the sandwich.
- Carefully close the sandwich and press it together gently but firmly with your hands.
- If possible, let the muffaletta sit for at least an hour, covered in aluminum foil, so the flavors and textures have a chance to develop.
- Slice into wedges and serve.
Notes
- Muffaletta bread is a flat, round loaf that's crisp outside and tender inside. It can be a challenge to find outside of New Orleans, but luckily it's easy and fun to make your own. If you don't like either of those options, you can hollow out a sourdough boule or make individual muffulettas on sesame seed rolls.
- Giardiniera is a pickled vegetable mixture that typically contains cauliflower, celery, carrot, and multiple varieties of peppers. It's widely available in U.S. supermarkets in a jar and sometimes also in the prepared foods, olive or salad bar area.
- For a spicier sandwich, try adding a layer of chopped pepperoncini, or mixing them right into the olive salad. (Most giardiniera includes some pepperoncini, but it can be nice to add more.)
- Have all the deli meats sliced thin.
- I've indicated my favorite ingredient from each of the three deli meat categories traditionally included in a muffuletta. Here are some other options, if you can't find those or prefer to switch things up. Instead of genoa salami, use hot or sweet soppressata, or pepperoni. Instead of mortadella, use bologna. Instead of capicola, try speck or coppa.
- Unlike most sandwiches, tightly wrapped leftovers will keep well for a day or two. If your house is at cool room temperature, you can leave it right on the counter for a few hours. After that, pop it in the fridge.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Hungry for more?
Subscribe to Umami Girl’s email updates, and follow along on Instagram.
