Famous New Orleans Easy Muffuletta Sandwich Recipe | The Pure Taste (2024)

Posted by Maria | May 29, 2018 | | 0 |

This easy to make Muffuletta Sandwich Recipe is a must for the Italian antipasto lovers. It is made of muffuletta bread infused with olive oil dressing, layers of gorgeous Italian cold cuts and Italian cheeses. Make it a day ahead to save some time because this New Orleans pride gets better as it sits.

What is a Muffuletta anyway?

Muffuletta is a name for both a type of the Italian bread and New Orleans sandwich that is made with this bread.

The muffuletta bread is soft round Italian bread with sesame seeds. It is not widely accessible outside of New Orleans. If you cannot find it use any bread that is crusty on the outside and soft on the inside. My choice is ciabatta, focaccia or recently found in Costco artisan burger buns that became my favorite choice for sandwiches and burgers.

The muffuletta sandwich was created in 1906by Salvatore Lupo in New Orleans,Louisiana. Fast it became famous New Orleans sandwich.

A traditional muffaletta sandwich recipe consists ofolive salad and layers of Italian cold cuts and cheeses. However, as much as I love original muffaletta sandwich, I found olive salad to be somewhat too much.

Also, the long ingredient list in the sandwich recipe is such a turn away. This is what I felt when I discovered authentic muffuletta recipe. I was intrigued and discouraged at the same time. The long list of the olive salad dressing wasn’t exciting at all. But I wanted to make this Italian sandwich badly because I’m a huge fan of Italian antipasto. Every time I’m in Italian shop I buy a different selection of charcuterie. The first choice is usually to enjoy it with a nice glass of wine, and my next option is expensive and impressive antipasto sandwich.

So I simplified muffaletta recipe to make life easier and tastier. The result is delicious and easy to make olive oil dressing infused with garlic, oregano, red pepper flakes and other fragrant add-ons. With this easy muffuletta recipe, you can use your gorgeous selection of Italian antipasto without any extra hassle.

As with any sandwich adjust and adopt layers to your liking. Of course, changing the original olive dressing doesn’t make an authentic muffuletta sandwich, but it does make an impressive cold cut sandwich!

The key ingredient to the best muffuletta sandwich is patience. I know it is difficult to put aside this sandwich for a while, but resting and pressing is what makes a sandwich to go from good to one of a kind. While the sandwich under the press, bread is slowly soaking all the fragrance and taste form olive oil dressing. So make it a day ahead at evening and put it in the fridge. Next day your patience will be rewarded!

There is no better summer sandwich then muffuletta. Make it overnight and take with you to a beach, picnic, road trip, you name it. Or make it for a party to feed an entire crowd. Anyway, this is easy to make a sandwich that steals the show!

Happy Cooking 😉

Tips and Tricks on how to make a muffuletta sandwich recipe:

  • Resting time is crucial. It lets all layers come together while bread absorbs all the juices from ingredients. Don’t skip on pressing step.
  • The Italian charcuterie selection in the ingredient list is just a suggestion. Use your favorite Italian cold cuts and cheeses. Salumi 101: Your Guide to Italy’s Finest Cured Meats guide will help you to choose the right selection.
  • Muffuletta bread substitutions: ciabatta, focaccia or any other crusty on the outside and soft on the inside bread or buns.
  • Toast the bread slightly. This prevents sandwich from becoming too soggy.

If you make this recipe, please share your picture with me by tagging it #thepuretaste on Instagram. Or share your results in the comment section down below. It means a whole world to me knowing someone is making my recipes.

Thank you for sharing and support ❤️❤️❤️

Maria

Yields: 1 large bread or 4 regular size sandwiches

Famous New Orleans Easy Muffuletta Sandwich Recipe

25 minPrep Time

25 minTotal Time

Famous New Orleans Easy Muffuletta Sandwich Recipe | The Pure Taste (11)Save Recipe

Print Recipe

Ingredients:

    For Olive oil dressing:

  • 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • ¾ teaspoon dried rosemary
  • 3/4 teaspoon dried oregano
  • ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 ciabatta bread, or focaccia or 4 sandwich buns
  • 1 ½ cups fresh greens (arugula, or lettuce, or mixed greens)
  • 2 medium tomatoes, sliced
  • 4 large or 16 small cheese slices of your choice (usually provolone and/or mozzarella)
  • Your selection of Italian charcuterie, example:
  • 8 soppressata slices
  • 8 salami slices
  • 12 coppa slices
  • 4 prosciutto slices
  • ½ cup black dry olives
  • ½ red onion, sliced
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt

Instructions:

1. In a small bowl combine extra virgin olive oil, red pepper flakes, dried rosemary, dried oregano, ground black pepper, and garlic. Mix and let it sit for 15 minutes while you prep rest of the layers.

2. Cut bread in half. Slightly toast it under the broiler or on a grill. Brush both insides with the olive oil mix.

3. Place a handful of greens, then tomato slices. Sprinkle with kosher salt. Continue with cheese, then antipasto selection, then olives, then sliced red onion. Top with the second half of the bread.

4. Wrap super tightly with plastic wrap. Arrange on a baking sheet or plate so it will catch any drippings. Place a cutting board on top of sandwiches. And put something heavy, like brick or cast iron pan, on top of cutting board. Refrigerate the whole construction overnight or at least 4 hours.

If you used the whole bread, cut into desired serving sizes and savor!

Notes:

Total Time does not include resting time, which is 4 hours to overnight.

Nutrition

Calories

1502 cal

Fat

137 g

Carbs

11 g

Protein

52 g

Click Here For Full Nutrition, Exchanges, and My Plate Info

Famous New Orleans Easy Muffuletta Sandwich Recipe | The Pure Taste (12)

7.8.1.2

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https://thepuretaste.com/muffuletta-sandwich-recipe/

Maria | The Pure Taste

Famous New Orleans Easy Muffuletta Sandwich Recipe | The Pure Taste (2024)

FAQs

What is the original muffuletta sandwich? ›

The muffaletta is one of New Orleans' most iconic and identifiable dishes. Made on large rounds of sesame bread and layered with olive salad, genoa salami, ham, mortadella, provolone and Swiss cheese, the muffaletta is clearly Italian in spirit and yet no such sandwich exists in Italy.

What is the New Orleans signature sandwich? ›

A muffaletta is a famous italian sandwich invented in New Orleans with cured meats (ham and salami), provolone cheese, olive dressing and great bread. The olive dressing sports chopped green and black olives with onions and olive oil and spices, and the bread is a round sesame-seed roll big enough for sharing.

What is the special New Orleans sandwich? ›

A muffuletta is one of the three iconic sandwiches in New Orleans, a proud trio that also includes po' boys, of course, and the Vietnamese version, the banh mi. Like most traditional bites, a muffuletta isn't just a sandwich, it's a history lesson.

What is a fun fact about muffuletta? ›

The muffuletta bread has origins in Sicily, Italy. The muffuletta sandwich is said to have been created in 1906 at Central Grocery Co. on Decatur Street, New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S., by its delicatessen owner Salvatore Lupo, a Sicilian immigrant.

What is a key component of a muffuletta? ›

The muffuletta–a mammoth sandwich of round sesame bread layered with Genoa salami, ham, mortadella, cheese, and olive salad–is a signature dish of New Orleans.

Who made the original muffuletta? ›

The muffuletta is not the only sandwich that traces its roots back to New Orleans (count the po' boy in there, too), but it does come the closest to shouting, “You're in the Big Easy!” Its origin story is well told: Creator Salvatore Lupo was one of nearly 300,000 Sicilian immigrants who landed in New Orleans between ...

What is New Orleans favorite sandwich? ›

Po' Boy: This is perhaps the most famous sandwich in New Orleans, made with either fried seafood (such as shrimp or oysters) or roast beef, and served on a long, crusty French bread roll.

What kind of bread is a muffaletta made of? ›

True muffuletta bread is a wide, round, flat loaf, covered in sesame seeds, with a soft crust and a texture somewhere between focaccia and ciabatta. It's not commonly made anywhere else in the country (or the world, as far as I know), but your next best bet is to use some good soft ciabatta or focaccia.

What is the number one food in New Orleans? ›

Perhaps more than anywhere else, New Orleans is a city filled with iconic dishes. Po' boys, jambalaya, gumbo, beignets — these dishes define the city's cuisine and culture to the outside world.

What is New Orleans signature food? ›

The iconic dish of New Orleans

Gumbo is rich in flavor and history. With roots in Western Europe, Africa, The Caribbean and Native American culture, the strongly-flavored stew is quite literally a melting pot of cultures. It consists of the Cajun holy trinity of vegetables - celery, bell peppers and onions.

What is New Orleans signature dish? ›

1. GUMBO. Gumbo is found on both Cajun and Creole tables in and around New Orleans. Originating from the African word for Okra, gumbo began as a boiled or stewed okra dish with rice.

Should a muffaletta be served hot or cold? ›

The traditional muffuletta is served warm, and is big enough for two people (you can also get it in half and quarter sizes).

What do you serve muffaletta with? ›

Layer olive-salad-laden side of bread with overlapping slices of ham, salami, mortadella, provolone, and Swiss. Top with oil-coated side. Cut loaf into four wedges; serve with Zapp's Cajun Crawtator potato chips and Barq's bottled root beer or mini screwtops of Merlot.

Do you eat muffuletta hot or cold? ›

Is a Muffuletta Served Hot or Cold? Throughout New Orleans, you'll find muffulettas served either warm or cold, depending on the restaurant. The most famous spot for a muffuletta — Central Grocery — serves cold-style muffulettas to highlight the Italian cold cuts, while others, like Napoleon House, serve it warm.

Where is the original muffuletta? ›

The invention of this oversized sandwich is credited to Salvatore Lupo, the proprietor of Central Grocery & Deli on Decatur Street in the French Quarter. The “Home of the Original Muffuletta” opened in 1906 and has been selling the sandwich for over a century.

What is a muffaletta sandwich from New Orleans? ›

A Muffaletta sandwich is a type of Italian-American sandwich that originated in New Orleans, Louisiana. It is typically made using a round loaf of Italian bread, such as focaccia or ciabatta, that is sliced horizontally and filled with layers of cured meats, cheeses, and olive salad.

Is Schlotzsky's original a muffaletta? ›

In 1971, Don and Dolores Dissman founded the company in a "small, hole-in-the-wall shop" in Austin, Texas, on South Congress. The initial menu consisted of one sandwich, called "The Original," consisting of mixed meats, cheeses and black olives on a freshly made, toasted bun." It was based on the muffuletta sandwich.

Where did the muffuletta sandwich originate? ›

Another American tradition born in the French Quarter, the Muffuletta sandwich is a true New Orleans classic and an important part of any Mardi Gras party. This legendary sandwich was invented at one of the city's oldest markets, the Central Grocery.

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