This loaded Grilled Muffuletta Sandwich takes this classic sandwich recipe to the next level. Ready in just 30 minutes, this deli-style meal gets an outdoor grilling makeover that’s irresistible! A smoked sandwich with three meats and lots of veggies!
Hi SoFabFood Readers! This is Mahy, the foodie blogging over at TwoPurpleFigs. I can’t tell you how pumped I am to share this fun, fresh Grilled Muffuletta Sandwich recipe with you today!
I know that it’s probably unusual for many of us to think of sandwiches when it’s grill season, but just like everything else, sandwiches taste even more delicious when you grill them. Today’s deli-style sandwich is a great one to start with!
There are plenty of things to talk about today. There’s the sandwich, the bread choice, the grilling, the assembly, the choice of ingredients, the layering, the serving, and the eating! I’ll start off with some tips and then we’ll go into a step by step on how to make this perfect muffuletta sandwich on the grill.
Tips for the perfect Grilled Muffuletta Sandwich
First of the all, the bread. Classically in New Orleans, where this heaven of a sandwich came to life from Sicilian families, the bread is a round loaf with sesame. I’ve found that a focaccia style bread is best for grilling. I’ve used a garlic and herb focaccia for even more flavor, but any type would work just fine.
The round loaf of bread takes so much filling and its almost too heavy to be handled around on the grill so for that I prefer a focaccia.
When it comes to filling your muffuletta sandwich, choose your favorite cold cuts, veggies, greens, cheese, and olives. The layering is very important.
This step is crucial in making the perfect muffuletta sandwich on the grill — don’t use juicy/watery veggies except on the very top. If you can avoid it all together, then all the better.
Anything juicy on the bread will make it soggy. Out of all of the classic sandwich recipes, the Muffuletta is a super rich one with many layers. The weight of these delicious layers will make things worse if the bread gets soggy.
Another tip is don’t flip the assembled sandwich on the grill, rather, grill the bread first before assembling it. Again that’s because of all the layers in your sandwich!
How to assemble your Muffuletta Sandwich!
First of all, start by slicing the focaccia bread in half along the whole length of it and grilling it on all sides.
Make the garlicky herb spread. Classically a muffuletta sandwich will have an olive salad minced and spread on the sandwich, but I prefer having the olives sliced into my sandwich to save time.
This is no ordinary grilled cheese sandwich!
Start layering the sandwich by adding greens, basil leaves, cold cuts, artichoke heart slices, olives (green and black), sliced tomatoes, and finally sliced cheese. Here’s where you can customize your muffuletta sandwich. Choose, mix, and match your favorite ingredients so your sandwich is uniquely you. It’s always going to be delicious!
It’s time to head outside and grill your sandwich!
Place the assembled sandwich on the grill and top that with two heavy cast iron pans to press the sandwich down. The heat from the grill and the added weight will press down the sandwich in 15 minutes!
I love serving this as bite-size, pick-me-up mini muffuletta sandwiches. They almost feel like a tiny treat and you absolutely won’t count how many you ate!
Make these for lunch, snacks, or light weeknight dinner with a huge plate of salad. They’re also perfect to wrap and keep in the fridge for two days. If you skip the tomatoes, these sandwiches can stay up to five days in the fridge. You can even make them ahead and serve at your next party as an appetizer that’s sure to impress friends and family.
Ingredients
- 1 loaf garlic herb focaccia bread, sliced in half along the length
- 1/2 cup garlic herb spread (recipe below)
- 1/3 cup mixed greens
- 1/4 cup basil leaves
- 8 artichoke hearts, sliced (use marinated or plain)
- 6 oz salami
- 4 oz turkey breast
- 6 oz cajun chicken slices
- 1/3 cup sliced black olives
- 1/4 cup marinated green olives, sliced
- 1 large beef steak tomato, sliced
- 8 oz cheese, sliced (cheddar, provolone, havarti, or a combo)
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1/4 cup minced herbs (basil, parsley, oregano, thyme)
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
Instructions
- Prepare the garlic herb spread by mixing all ingredients in a small bowl. Set aside.
- Prepare all the muffuletta sandwich ingredients and preheat your grill to medium heat.
- Grill the sliced focaccia for 2 minutes on each side and take it off the grill.
- Start assembling the sandwich. Spread the garlic herb spread on the inside of the focaccia bread, and start layering ingredients in order. Greens, herbs, cold cuts, artichokes, olives, tomatoes, and cheese.
- Put the top layer of bread over the cheese and put the sandwich back on the grill.
- Lower the heat to low, put two heavy cast iron pans over the sandwich to press it down. 10-15 minutes later, remove the sandwich from the grill and cut up into 2 inch squares. Serve right away and enjoy.
Notes
Home Chef Tip: Use whatever cold cuts or greens you prefer to make the sandwich uniquely you.
We hope you love this Grilled Muffuletta Sandwich recipe from SoFabFood Home Chef, Mahy from Two Purple Figs, as much as we do. If you love this hearty classic sandwich recipe, stop by our deli section for more like it. For daily recipe inspiration, subscribe to our newsletter, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Pinterest. Enjoy!
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