Piled high with layers of meat, melted provolone cheese and a crisp and creamy homemade slaw. This Italian grinder sandwich is the perfect way to enjoy that Mickey shaped sourdough bread you may have picked up from Disneyland during your last trip.
The textures and flavors makes this Italian grinder sandwich extra delicious. The bread is topped with slices of provolone cheese, thinly sliced deli meats, then toasted in the oven until the bread is crispy and the cheese is melted.
Lastly, the sandwich is finished off with a refreshingly crisp grinder salad. Wrap it up and bring it to your next picnic or serve it up for lunch. This sandwich is perfect for all occasions!
If you are a bread lover like I am, make sure to try Mickey Buffalo Chicken Grilled Cheese and Easy Sourdough Garlic Bread.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Grinder salad- The crunchy grinder salad really makes this sandwich pop. It's made with shredded iceberg lettuce, red onions, peperoncini and tossed in a creamy garlicky "dressing." It's so good!
- No shortage of meat- This sandwich has ham, turkey, salami, pepperoni and prosciutto. It's a meat lovers dream!
- Deli style sandwich- No need to go out! This sandwich tastes just as good, if not better than any sandwich you can get at the deli.
- Great for crowds- Put out a platter of these tasty sandwiches, let your guests help themselves and sit back and enjoy the party.
Ingredient Notes
- Bread- Although I used a sourdough loaf I picked up from Disneyland, you can use French bread, hoagie rolls or a baguette.
- Meats- I used a combination of salami, ham, prosciutto, turkey and pepperoni.
- Cheese- Provolone is the preferred choice of cheese but you can also use Swiss cheese or mozzarella.
- Parmesan- Use finely shredded or grated parmesan cheese.
- Grinder salad- Shredded iceberg lettuce, red onions, and peperoncini peppers.
- Garlic mayo- Mayo, garlic, dried oregano, red wine vinegar, red chili flakes, and fresh cracked black pepper.
- Tomatoes- I used heirloom tomatoes but you can also use beef steak tomatoes or roma tomatoes as well. Use ripe tomatoes for the best flavor and make sure to season them with salt and pepper.
Step By Step Instructions
STEP 1: Prepare the bread. Using a serrated knife, slice bread in half. Add provolone to each side. Place in the oven and toast until the cheese is melted and edges of the bread are crisp, about 5 minutes.
STEP 2: Layer on the meat. Add the ham to one half of the bread, followed by the turkey and prosciutto. Top the other half of the bread with salami and pepperoni.
Then, place the sandwich back into the oven and bake for an additional 5 minutes.
STEP 3: Make the grinder salad. In a large bowl, whisk together mayo, red wine vinegar, garlic, oregano, salt and fresh ground black pepper. Toss in lettuce, red onions and peperoncini. Stir to coat.
STEP 4: Assemble. Remove bread from the oven. Add sliced tomatoes and season with salt and pepper. Top with grinder salad and grated parmesan cheese.
Then, close the sandwich with the top half of the bread. Slice and enjoy!
Expert Tips
I recommend serving this sandwich as soon as you assemble it. If you plan on wrapping it up and taking it to go, toss the grinder salad once you get to your destination. This will keep the salad fresh and crisp.
Make sure to layer both halves of the bread with cheese and meats. This will create a barrier and prevent the salad from making the bread soggy.
Use a sturdy bread that can withstand the weight of the meat, cheese and toppings. French bread, sourdough, or hoagie roll are all great options.
I'm not a big bread eater and if you aren't either, this tip is for you. If you want a more equal ratio of bread to meat, simply remove some of the inside of the bread before layering on the cheese and meats. This makes room for all the toppings and helps keep everything inside the sandwich.
FAQ
Add some potato chips, French fries, potato salad or homemade soup. These all go well with your sandwich.
Yes, you can. You can slice the tomatoes, lettuce, onions and peperoncini ahead of time. You can also make the dressing for the salad in advance as well.
This sandwich is filled with lots of ingredients so make sure to choose a bread that can handle the weight. A good sturdy French bread, hoagie roll, sour dough loaf, focaccia or baguette work very well.
Storage and Reheating
You can store this Italian grinder inside an airtight container or wrapped in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for up to 2 days. Unfortunately, the salad will become soggy as it sits but will still taste delicious cold.
Reheating
If you want to warm up your sandwich, scrape off the salad and reheat inside a toaster oven for 7-10 minutes until warmed through. Add shredded lettuce, drizzle on some Italian vinaigrette and you're good to go!
Other Recipes To Try
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📖 Recipe
Italian Grinder
Ingredients
For Sandwich
- 1 Mickey shaped sourdough, or any large loaf of bread (16 oz) French bread, focaccia, or hoagie rolls are all good substitutes.
- 12 oz Provolone cheese sliced
- 5 oz Salami thinly sliced
- 5 oz Pepperoni thinly sliced
- 4 oz Proscuitto thinly sliced
- 8 oz Ham thinly sliced
- 8 oz Turkey thinly sliced
Grinder Salad
- ½ cup Mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoon Red wine vinegar
- 2 Garlic cloves finely minced
- 1 teaspoon Dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon Red chili flakes
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
- ¼ teaspoon Fresh ground pepper
- 4 cups Iceberg lettuce finely shredded
- ½ Red onion thinly sliced
- ⅓ cup Peperoncini sliced
Assembly
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese shredded or grated
- 2 Heirloom or beef steak tomatoes sliced
- Fresh cracked black pepper
- Kosher salt
Instructions
- Using a serrated knife, slice bread in half. Add provolone to each side. Place in the oven and toast until the cheese is melted and edges of the bread are crisp.
- Add the ham to one half of the bread, followed by the turkey and prosciutto. Top the other half of the bread with salami and pepperoni.
- Then, place the sandwich back into the oven and bake for an additional 5 minutes.
- In a large bowl, whisk together mayo, red wine vinegar, garlic, oregano, salt and fresh ground black pepper. Toss in lettuce, red onions and peperoncini. Stir to coat.
- Remove bread from the oven. Add sliced tomatoes and season with salt and pepper. Top with grinder salad and grated parmesan cheese. Then, close the sandwich with the top half of the bread. Slice and enjoy!
Notes
- Feel free to substitute any of the meats with your favorites.
- The amounts for the meat and cheese are all customizable depending on what size bread you use. You can add more or less depending on your preference.
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