A Classic New Orleans Muffuletta Sandwich Recipe is the quintessential New Orleans Sandwich. Stacked tall with hearty meat and cheese, I top it with a salty olive salad. It’s the perfect sandwich for a crowd of hungry football fans!
I updated this post from an earlier version dated September 9, 2012. My blog was a baby then at six months old! I made new photos and simplified the recipe instructions.
Classic New Orleans Muffuletta Sandwich
The Muffuletta is a sandwich that consists of an olive salad (the key ingredient), cheese, ham, and salami. Traditionally, it’s made on a round loaf of bread. (However, I find them easier to serve on an oblong loaf.) You can find them all over New Orleans, but Central Grocery claims to have invented this sandwich. The record has it, in 1906, the owner of Central Grocery, an Italian immigrant, began making this sandwich for local workers.
You can serve Muffuletta hot, cold, or at room temperature. Literally, it’s good however you serve it!
It’s totally fine to purchase the olive salad (This is Central Grocery’s original olive salad and this is Boscoli brand olive salad that I’ve used that is cheaper.). When I started making this sandwich 25 years ago I couldn’t always get olive salad so I developed a recipe for it. I included it below and it’s pretty dang close to the original.
What does Muffuletta mean?
The muffuletta is both a type of round Sicilian sesame bread and a popular sandwich that originated among Italian immigrants in New Orleans, It is made with Italian bread, cold cuts, cheese, and olive salad.
As well, a couple of ingredients you may not be familiar with. Kalamata olives are large, dark brown olives with a smooth, meaty texture, named after the city of Kalamata in Greece.
Capers come from a prickly bush called Capparis spinosa that grows wild across the Mediterranean and parts of Asia. The taste of a caper is reminiscent of the lemony tang and brininess of green olives but with a unique floral tartness.
Mortadella is Italian luncheon meat made of finely ground heat-cured pork, which incorporates at least 15% small cubes of pork fat. Traditionally, it has a black pepper flavor. You can substitute German bologna or regular bologna.
What you’ll need for your Muffuletta
The full recipe with ingredient amounts and instructions is at the bottom of this post. You can save a tree and save the recipe to your personal and private recipe box right here on Call Me PMc. This way you’ll never misplace it as well as help the planet. 😍
As well, for your convenience of the more uncommon ingredients, I highlighted and linked to the product so that you can see exactly what I used. You are not obligated to purchase them if you just want to open and look at them. Of course, you can easily add them to your grocery cart if you do want to purchase them.
- Hoagie rolls. You can also use one large round loaf or one large oblong loaf.
- Italian giardiniera. Giardiniera is pickled vegetables and is with traditional pickles at the store.
- Peppadew peppers. These are small red peppers. They come in hot or mild, get whichever you like best.
- Pitted green olives
- Kalamata olives.
- Capers.
- Oregano
- Thyme
- Parsley
- Lemon juice
- Hot sauce. You’ll need a vinegar-based sauce such as Cholula or Louisiana hot sauce.
- Olive oil
- Mortadella.
- Black Forest ham.
- Capicola – or salami.
- Provolone cheese, sliced
- Mozzarella cheese, sliced
- Baby Arugula. Not traditional but very good on a muffuletta.
If you like a New Orleans Muffuletta Sandwich, you’ll enjoy these recipes
- Sweet Tea Brined Chicken Cheddar Sandwich
- Brie & Fig Grilled Cheese
- Blackberry Bacon Grilled Cheese
- Egg in a Hole Grilled Cheese
- Boy Scout Campout Bacon Hash Brown Breakfast Sandwich
Please keep in mind that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary based on the products used.
Last But Not Least…I love hearing from you, so please comment and rate after you make this delicious sandwich if you don’t mind. Please, also, don’t forget to follow me on Instagram and tag me with a photo of your creation.
Classic New Orleans Muffuletta Sandwich Recipe
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Save To Your Recipe BoxIngredients
- 1 round loaf Italian bread or any dense bread if you can't find Italian
- ½ pound cotta salami sliced
- ½ pound ham sliced
- ½ pound pepperoni sliced
- ½ pound provolone cheese
Instructions
- Split the bread in half.
- Layer in this order on the bottom half of the bread: cheese, ham, pepperoni, and salami.
- Spoon ½ to 1 cup olive salad, evenly, on top of salami. Replace the top with bread. Wrap in aluminum foil and press tightly together and let sit 30 minutes to an hour. You can also heat it in the oven if you prefer. Heat at 350° for 15 minutes then rotate and heat another 15 minutes.
- This will keep the salad and sandwich from falling apart so much when you try to eat it.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.
Notes
Nutrition
Mary says
Hi! Is the salami the hard salami or cotto? Thank you! I’m going to make this for sure! Mmmmmm!
Paula says
Hi Mary, it’s supposed to be cotto. I can’t always get cotto where I live and substitute hard, but cotto is better if you can get it. Hope you enjoy it.
Debi Bolocofsky says
I love Muffalettas. I haven't made it for a while. Your recipe looks delicious. Thank you so much for sharing with Wednesdays Adorned From Above Link Party last week.
Have a great week.
Debi
Jamie @ Love Bakes Good Cakes says
Thank you so much for sharing this at All my Bloggy Friends last week. I can't wait to see what you share tomorrow! 🙂
Dawn says
I'm originally from New Orleans and Central Grocery does have the BEST Muffalettas. Everytime I visit my family I make a point to head to the FRench Quarter and get one. I dont know why I've never tried to make one myself. I should add it to my list of New Orleans dishes that I make form my friends in Alaska. THey would love it & my boyfriend would think I'm the bee's knees if I made these for him.
THanks for sharing at WHatcha Whipped Up!
Michelle's Tasty Creations says
Oh my goodness, I've never had one but this looks amazingly delicious! I will definitely give this a try. Maybe for the next get together. It is football season, right? Thanks for sharing.
Carole says
Hi there. This week's Food on Friday is all about ham. So it would be great if you linked this in. This is the link . Have a good week.
Paula Jones says
I totally agree!
Tanya-Lemonsforlulu.com says
I'm crazy for muffuletta's !!! The best sandwich ever in my mind!!! Great recipe! Suddenly I'm craving salami???
The Life Of Faith says
That looks great! I am looking forward to eating lunch meat again in a few months:) Thanks for linking up with Mommy Moments! Following along with you:)
http://the-life-of-faith.blogspot.com/
Jeannie Clemens says
Blog hopping fro Serendipity & Spice. I've wanted to make Mufflettas ever since we went to New Orleans. I'll be following for more of your great recipes.
Shiloh says
I've never heard of that but it looks like such a hearty yummy sandwich!
Suzanne says
I love Muffalettas! Thanks for sharing the olive salad recipe. Never knew exactly what was in there, but it's delicious.
Paula Jones says
I had not thought of it until you said that, but I only make it for tailgating or picnics. lol! Thanks for following, I'm going to your site now.
Paula Jones says
This is the only kind of pickled vegetables I have found. http://www.mezzetta.com/our-products/detail/giardiniera This brand of olives is also good. Our WalMart and Kroger carry them and they're where the pickles and olives are, usually on the very top shelf w/ other random pickled items.
Lisa @ akawest says
Muffulettas are one of my favorite sandwiches. For some unknown reason I have always made them to take on picnics, but never serve them at home. I should remedy that.
Lisa, your newest follower
Bover says
Ok Ms. PMc, where do I get pickled Italian vegetables? At just any grocery store? I'm never looked for them but doesn't sound like something easily found in T!! Ha! I love muffulettas but have never made one!! Thanks for this recipe!!
Michelle
Dawn's Disaster says
Thanks so much for answering so quickly! I'm sure it's a mixture of all you stated. The oats are whatever the “Quick oats” are, so probably instant. I know our oven is overly hot, so I set it at 325 instead of 350 for this last batch. I may be overly beating the mixture, but I'm not sure how I would tell…
Thanks again!
~d says
Hi! You have such good items, I thought maybe I'd ask you…how do I NOT make hard Oatmeal Raisin cookies?!?!?!?!? It stumps me! Thanks!
Check out my Mommy blog at:
http://www.dawnsdisaster.blogspot.com
Visit anytime!
{All follows are returned}
Jamie @ Love Bakes Good Cakes says
I have never had a muffaletta sandwich – but have wanted to try one for sooooo long! Thanks, Paula!