muffuletta

The classic New Orleans sandwich combines a homemade olive salad with layers of thin-sliced Italian cold cuts. The secret is to let it rest before eating so the olive juices get absorbed into the bread.

Classic New Orleans Muffuletta Sandwich Recipe

olives

capers

red peppers

parsley leaves

giardiniera (Italian-style pickled vegetable salad, see note)

garlic clove, minced (about 1 teaspoon)

red wine vinegar

olive oil

muffuletta-style roll (see note)

sweet soppressata

mortadella

capicola

provolone cheese

Combine olives, capers, peppers, parsley, giardiniera, and garlic in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse to chop until no pieces larger than 1/2-inch remain. Transfer to a bowl. Add vinegar and olive oil and stir to combine. For best results, let olive salad rest overnight before continuing to step 2.

Split muffuletta roll in half and spread each cut surface generously with olive salad, making sure to include the juices when spreading. Layer half of soppressata on bottom half of bun, followed by half of mortadella, half of capicola, and half of provolone. Repeat layers with remaining meat and cheese. Close sandwiches and press down gently to compress. For best flavor, wrap tightly in paper or plastic and let rest for 1 hour before serving. Cut into triangular wedges to serve.

Hearty and filling, this Muffaletta Sandwich is packed full of meats, cheeses and an olive spread encased in a soft round white bread.

Muffaletta Sandwich

giardiniera (drained)

kalamata olives (drained)

bread

deli Genoa salami

prosciutto

mozzarella

Place the giardiniera, green olives, kalamata olives, olive oil, and vinegar into a food processor. Process until it is almost a paste, set aside.

Cut the bread about ⅔ up from the bottom all the way across. Take out most of the bread from the bottom half, leaving about ½ inch thickness of bread left.

Add half of the olive spread, and spread it out evenly.

Layer the provolone cheese.

Then continue layering with the ham, salami, and prosciutto.

Finish it off with the mozzarella.

Take the top of the bread and once again scoop out most of the bread leaving a ½ inch of the bread inside. Spread the remaining olive mixture onto the bread then place it cut side down onto the sandwich.

Wrap it tightly with plastic wrap a few times so it is completely encased. Place it on a sheet tray and put something heavy on top like a 6 pack of beer or a heavy skillet. Place it in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours to chill or even best overnight.

Remove the plastic wrap and cut into wedges, serve immediately.

Layers of tasty Italian cold cuts, cheese, and a yummy chopped olive salad are sandwiched between delicious traditional muffuletta bread to make this authentic Muffuletta sandwich! It’s a quick and easy New Orleans classic that will knock your socks off!

Muffuletta

giardiniera (chopped)

green olives (pitted, chopped)

Kalamata olives (pitted, chopped)

oregano

garlic (minced)

shallot (minced)

salt and pepper (to taste)

10" muffuletta bread

genoa salami (sliced)

mortadella (sliced)

swiss cheese (sliced)

capicola (sliced)

provolone cheese (sliced)

In a medium bowl, combine all the olive mixture ingredients together. Set aside.

Olive Mixture

Slice the Muffuletta bread in half horizontally. Scoop out some of the interior of the bread to make room for the rest of the ingredients.

Spread half of the olive mixture in the bottom of the bread then start layering with genoa salami, mortadella and swiss cheese slices.

Continue layering with Capicolla and then provolone cheese. Top with the other half of the olive mixture, then the top bread slice.

Lightly press the bread down and slice it into quarters and serve.

Assemble The Muffuletta

This muffuletta sandwich recipe is made in the authentic New Orlean's style! Flavorful and delicious, your muffuletta can be prepared in minutes so you can enjoy it any time of day.

New Orleans Muffuletta Recipe

Italian bread

Olive Salad

lb Genoa Salami (6-8 slices)

lb Mortadella (4-6 slices)

lb Sliced Mozzarella (3-4 thin slices)

lb Provolone (3-4 thin slices)

Slice the round bread in half and open both sides on a flat surface.

Brush both inner sides of the bread with oil from the Olive Salad or extra virgin olive oil, go a little heavier on the bottom.

Begin layering thre ham, salami, and mortadella on the bottom half of the bread. Top with cheeses.

Next, add the olive salad from the center out and spread it, leaving about a half-inch around the edge. Place the top half of the bread over the olive mixture, and press down to let the bread absorb the olive salad juices. 

Using a bread knife, slice into 4 to 6 wedges. 

Optional: place the whole sandwich, before slicing, on a large baking sheet, and toast/warm-up in a 350F preheated oven for about 5 minutes. 

I have used several different olive salads for use on salads &amp; sandwiches, I noticed a new olive salad at Rouses Grocery I hadn’t seen before &amp; decided to try it. Actually it is Central Grocery Olive 
Salad, made by them &amp; it’s TERRIFIC.

I tried this last year. My family loved it. My son said “ mom it can’t get better then this” this is really Good!”  So I thank you very much for sharing and now I share your recipes to my niece. Love it.

I'm 8 I made this for my family, It was great!!!!

Great recipe!  Made it yesterday a couple hours before dinner, wrapped it in saran wrap and weighted it down to flatten it, then cooked in my George Foreman grill, all of I know takes it from a true muffaletta to a muffaletta/panini hybrid, but it was GOOD!  To finish up my New Orleans (I'm in Chicago) menu. I also made oyster stew and had some leftover corn salad which I realized was kinda like maque choux.

thanks for sharing this with us…i will try to make this wonderful Recipe…

It's a great recipe for New Orleans Muffuletta Sandwich. Easy to follow to make for my son. he loves it much. thank you for sharing!

Wow, these were huge! We really enjoyed and there are lots of leftovers for tomorrow.

Wow.  I had to substitute good ol' bologna for the mortadella as there was no mortadella at our local deli.  The deli manager told me there is a shortage of mortadella because of the pandemic.  It is one of the most complex Italian meat coldcuts to make.  Hope it makes a reappearance soon.  This is a wonderful sandwich nonetheless.   Excellent.

Your recipe is wonderful.  Brings back Central Grocery (one of my favorite things about New Orleans).  I looked at the Boscoli olive salad and saw that it was mostly canola oil with a small amount of olive oil.  Apparently there is another version that is 100% olive oil - however the person who mentioned it said it was 128 oz. size.  I love olive salad, but not that much.  Maybe you haven't bought it since they changed.  Since the Central Grocery brand has soybean oil it doesn't seem much better.  Would it work if I drain all the oil out of the jar and replace it with good olive oil?  Thanks for your help.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NdUrvFKnGRs

Authentic New Orleans Muffuletta Recipe

Bake this moreish focaccia with the flavours of the Med – it's ideal for a picnic. Or try it minus the olives, tomatoes and feta for a very reliable plain focaccia

Olive, cherry tomato & feta focaccia

strong bread flour,

sachet fast-action dried yeast

tbsp olive oil,

cherry tomatoes, halved (a mixture of colours looks nice)

kalamata olives, pitted

feta, crumbled

Tip the flour into a large bowl with the yeast and 2 tsp salt, and mix together. Add 2 tbsp of the olive oil, then slowly pour in 350ml lukewarm water, continuing to mix until you have a slightly sticky dough. Tip the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface, scraping around the sides of the bowl. Knead for 5-10 mins until the dough is soft and less sticky, then put in a clean bowl, cover with a tea towel and leave to prove for 1 hr until doubled in size.

Generously oil a shallow rectangular baking tin (ours was 20 x 30cm). Tip in the dough, then use your hands to stretch it out until it reaches the corners of the tin. Cover with a clean tea towel and leave to prove for a further 35-45 mins. Meanwhile, tip the tomatoes into a bowl, season, add the oregano and drizzle with 1 tbsp olive oil. Toss together and set aside.

Heat the oven to 220C/200C fan/ gas 7. Press the tomato halves evenly into the into the dough, then do the same with the olives. Crumble over the feta, then lightly press everything down again using your fingertips. Drizzle with 1 tbsp olive oil and scatter with sea salt, then bake for 25-30 mins until deep golden and puffed up. While the bread is still hot, drizzle over the remaining 1 tbsp olive oil. Leave to cool completely in the tin, then slice. You can wrap it in the tin to take on a picnic, or wrap individual squares. Will keep wrapped, or in an airtight container, for up to two days.

Classic New Orleans muffuletta recipe scaled down to serve one person. Layers of meats, melted cheese, and olive salad piled high onto sturdy Italian bread.

Mini Muffuletta

green olives

black olives

carrot (, peeled and rough chopped)

olive oil ((extra virgin olive oil

Parmesan cheese

(4x4-inch) ciabatta roll ((or use 2 rolls if your roll is small))

ham ((2-ounces 48 grams))

pastrami ((2-ounces 48 grams))

pepperoni ((.5-ounce 15 grams))

provolone cheese ((1.5-ounce 40 grams))

butter (, melted)

Gather the ingredients together and read through the recipe and the ingredient notes. Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C).

Place the green olives, black olives, and a chopped carrot in a food processor. Pulse until the ingredients are finely chopped. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the olive oil and Parmesan cheese. Set aside.

Make the olive salad

Slice the bread horizontally and on one half, layer the meats, then the cheese, and then top with the olive salad. Place the other half of the bread on top.

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