Maybe you can’t take a trip to New Orleans, but your taste buds will feel like they’re there when they bite into this delectable, hearty Muffaletta Sandwich. This street food classic from the Big Easy is big and easy to make.

What’s Special About This Muffaletta Sandwich

Muffaletta sandwiches were created by Sicilian immigrants living in New Orleans.

This tasty meal combines the hearty goodness of freshly baked bread with the satisfying flavors of Italian cold cuts and Creole spiciness.

Helpful Tips for Making a Muffaletta Sandwich

The recipe calls for olive muffaletta salad. You can buy this premade in most grocery stores or Italian specialty shops, but you can also make your own in about 10 minutes.
Authentic muffaletta sandwiches are made with round loaves of sesame seed bread. If you can’t find them, use any large, crusty loaves that will stand up to the cheese, spread and meats. You can also bake the bread yourself.

What to Serve with a Muffaletta Sandwich

A sandwich this big and flavorful deserves the right pairing when it comes to beverages.

Keep the New Orleans theme going by pairing it with an Abita beer. I suggest the crisp Maison Blanc or the summery Strawberry Lager.

Abita is the oldest and best-known craft brewery in New Orleans. You can find Abita beers at any liquor store that carries craft beers.

If you’re serving it to kids or adults who prefer nonalcoholic beverages, match it with a refreshing, Southern-style tea or sipper.

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5 from 1 vote

Muffaletta Sandwich

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Author Good Living Guide

Ingredients

1 10-12 inch loaf round bread topped with sesame seeds sliced in half horizontally
2 tbsp olive oil
1 cup muffaletta olive salad
12 to 24 slices black forest ham
12 slices provolone cheese
12 to 24 slices mortadella or bologna
12 slices mozzarella
12 to 24 slices salami

Instructions

Open bread on a large surface like a cutting board. Remove some of the inner bread to create room for the stack of meats and cheeses.
Brush the open sides on each half of bread with olive oil. Spread olive salad over the olive oil on both pieces of bread.
On the bottom half of the sandwich, begin layering the ham, provolone, mortadella or bologna, and mozzarella.
On the opposite (top) half of the sandwich, place the salami over the olive salad. Using the salami to help hold the olive salad in place, invert the top and place on the bottom.
Press the sandwich down and secure with plastic wrap. Remove plastic wrap before serving.
Sandwich can be stored overnight (covered with plastic wrap) if needed or sliced and served immediately.

Recipe Notes

Mortadella is not easy to find in common grocery stores. A cured pork embedded with pieces of fat, the closest substitute is common bologna. But don’t be skeptical. It tastes amazing in this combination. Also, it is easier to make this sandwich if you stack everything on one side EXCEPT for the final layer of meat. Place the salami on the opposite side to help hold the olive salad in place as you invert the sandwich half onto the other side. This sandwich is easier to slice with a serrated bread knife. To prepare this for a picnic or potluck, slice into portions and rewrap each part in plastic wrap.