Muffaletta Sandwich

By
Kevin D. Weeks.
Kevin D. Weeks.
Kevin D. Weeks is a personal chef, cooking instructor, and food writer.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 12/6/22
Tested by
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Tested by Diana Rattray
Southern-cuisine expert and cookbook author Diana Rattray has created more than 5,000 recipes and articles in her 20 years as a food writer.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Muffaletta sandwich

The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

Prep: 25 mins
Cook: 0 mins
Resting Time: 60 mins
Total: 85 mins
Servings: 4 servings

Just like beignets and gumbo, the muffaletta is a quintessential part of New Orleans cuisine. Many people had their first experience with the iconic sandwich at Central Grocery on Decatur Street. Central Grocery opened its doors in the heart of the French Quarter in 1906. Its first owner was Salvatore Lupo, a Sicilian sandwich-maker who came up with the legendary muffaletta. The sandwich became an easier way to serve farmers who would stop by for a traditional Sicilian lunch where everything (cold cuts, cheese, bread) was eaten separately, so Lupo sliced open a whole loaf of his Sicilian sesame bread and stuffed everything inside.

There are many ways to make it at home, but this comes as close to the real thing as possible. A whole muffaletta is served on a round loaf of bread about eight inches in diameter and fully two-inches tall. Bread not included, the sandwich weighs in at almost two pounds! Eating a whole sandwich in one sitting seems impossible and, in fact, Central Grocery sells half- and quarter-sandwiches for that reason.

The key ingredient is the olive salad mix. Ideally, you want to make the sandwich an hour or two before eating it so the juices from the olive mix can soak into the bread, which makes this a perfect picnic dish. You can make a loaf of muffaletta bread at home, but a purchased round Italian loaf will do nicely in a pinch.

"This big, delicious sandwich is an authentic taste of New Orleans, and it's the perfect sandwich for a party or Game Day crowd. Prep is super-easy and the ingredients were easy to find. And you could make it an hour before serving or the day before." —Diana Rattray

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Ingredients

For the Olive Salad

  • 3/4 cup pimento-stuffed green olives, drained

  • 1/4 cup pitted Kalamata olives, drained

  • 1/4 cup jarred Italian giardiniera, drained

  • 2 large pepperoncini, drained

  • 4 small pickled onions, drained

  • 2 tablespoons drained capers

  • 1 clove garlic, finely chopped

  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano

  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, more to taste

  • 2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil

For the Sandwich

  • 1 (8-inch) round loaf muffuletta bread, or Italian bread

  • 1/4 pound sliced ham or capicola

  • 1/4 pound sliced mortadella

  • 1/4 pound sliced Genoa salami

  • 1/4 pound sliced provolone

  • 1/4 pound sliced mozzarella

Steps to Make It

Make the Olive Salad

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients to make the olive salad

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  2. Place the green olives, Kalamata olives, giardiniera, pepperoncini, pickled onions, capers, garlic, oregano, black pepper, lemon juice, and olive oil in a food processor.

    A food processor with green olives, Kalamata olives, giardiniera, pepperoncini, pickled onions, capers, garlic, oregano, black pepper, lemon juice, and olive oil

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  3. Pulse until coarsely chopped.

    Chopped olive salad in a food processor

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

Assemble the Sandwich

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients to make a muffaletta sandwich

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  2. Cut round bread loaf in half horizontally.

    A round loaf of bread cut in half

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  3. Spread the bottom half of the loaf with 1 cup of the olive salad mix.

    Olive salad spread on the bottom half of the bread

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  4. Layer on the ham, mortadella, salami, provolone, and mozzarella. Spread any remaining olive salad mix on top of the mozzarella layer.

    Ham, mortadella, salami, provolone, and mozzarella layered on top of the olive salad

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  5. Cover with the top of the bread, then tightly wrap the loaf in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour to allow the juices to soak into the bread.

    A muffaletta sandwich wrapped in plastic wrap

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  6. Slice into quarters and serve.

    Muffaletta sandwich cut into quarters

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

Tip

  • Appetizer- or canapé-sized versions of this recipe can be made on slices of baguette.
  • The olive salad can stand on its own as a flavorful spread. Serve it at parties with crostini or pita chips.
  • Traditional muffuletta bread is somewhat flat. If the top of your loaf of bread is quite thick, you can trim it or hollow it out a bit, but make sure to leave at least a 3/4-inch layer of bread.
  • Add the meats and cheeses in the order given or alternate meat and cheese layers.

Make Ahead

  • The olive salad can be made up to 1 week before making the sandwich.
  • If making the muffaletta bread from scratch, the bread can be made up to 2 days in advance. Keep it tightly wrapped so it doesn't stale.

Recipe Variation

To serve a muffaletta hot, after assembling the sandwich wrap it in foil instead of plastic wrap and bake in a 350 F oven until heated through, about 30 minutes.

How to Store

Wrap any leftover sandwiches tightly in plastic wrap and store in an airtight container in the fridge. The sandwich is best eaten within 2 days.