Skip the Italian sub sandwich and try something new! Rather than a hoagie or sliced white bread, try layering up your favorite grinder sandwich toppings on flat, chewy focaccia. You don't have to bake your own bread, but this tasty Italian sandwich would be even better with homemade focaccia. Once you've sliced your bread, slather it with creamy Caesar dressing and top with a salad made with marinated artichoke hearts, roasted red bell peppers, and sliced olives. Choose marinated artichoke rather than ones canned in water. This helps infuse the sandwich with even more flavor. Layer on thinly sliced deli meats and plenty of provolone cheese. Not a fan of the deli meats listed below? Swap in salami, turkey, pepperoni, or ham. Add a flavor boost to this Italian sandwich recipe. Italian sandwich ingredients like red wine vinegar, chopped fresh basil, chopped oil-packed dried tomatoes, thinly sliced red onion or bell peppers, and chopped dried pepperoncini make great toppings. You could even add a sprinkle of dried oregano, basil, crushed red pepper, or garlic powder before sealing up the sandwich.
We recommend making these sandwiches a few hours before you plan to serve them and placing them in the fridge. This allows the flavors to come together. You can refrigerate the assembled sandwiches up to 24 hours before serving. Serve the sliced sandwiches with more Caesar or Italian dressing for dipping.
Ingredients
-
1 6 ounce jar quartered marinated artichoke hearts
-
¼ cup finely chopped roasted red sweet pepper
-
2 tablespoon finely chopped pitted ripe olives
-
1 9-10 inch round garlic Italian flatbread (focaccia)
-
¼ cup creamy Caesar or creamy Italian salad dressing
-
4 ounce thinly sliced capicola
-
4 ounce thinly sliced salami
-
2 ounce thinly sliced mortadella
-
4 ounce thinly sliced provolone cheese
Directions
-
Drain the marinated artichoke hearts and pat dry with a paper towel. Finely chop the artichokes and pat them dry again.
Test Kitchen Tip: Try to remove as much moisture as possible from the chopped artichoke hearts. This will help keep your sandwiches from getting soggy later.
-
In a small bowl combine the chopped artichokes, roasted red bell pepper, and sliced olives.
-
Cut the foccacia in half horizontally. Using a spoon, hollow out the inside of the top half, leaving a 3/4-inch shell.
-
Spread the cut side with the purchased dressing. Layer the bottom half with capicola, salami, and mortadella. Spoon the artichoke mixture over meat; top with cheese. Replace the top of the focaccia.
-
Tightly wrap the Italian sandwich in foil or plastic wrap to tote. Chill up to 24 hours. To serve, cut into wedges and insert toothpicks to hold the Italian sandwich recipe together.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
| 346 | Calories |
| 21g | Fat |
| 23g | Carbs |
| 15g | Protein |
| Nutrition Facts | |
|---|---|
| Servings Per Recipe 8 | |
| Calories 346 | |
| % Daily Value * | |
| Total Fat 21g | 27% |
| Saturated Fat 6g | 30% |
| Cholesterol 35mg | 12% |
| Sodium 1120mg | 49% |
| Total Carbohydrate 23g | 8% |
| Total Sugars 5g | |
| Protein 15g | 30% |
| Vitamin C 3.8mg | 4% |
| Calcium 138mg | 11% |
| Iron 2.5mg | 14% |
| Potassium 233mg | 5% |
| Folate, total 80.4mcg | |
| Vitamin B-12 0.6mcg | |
| Vitamin B-6 0.2mg | |
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
