Authentic Muffuletta Sandwich Recipe (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.

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.

Like many sandwiches, muffulettas are best served warm. However, this optimal temperature isn't merely a matter of preference — it also plays a crucial role in bringing the whole sandwich together. Warming your muffuletta melts the cheese, which is most commonly sliced provolone.

ORIGINS. The muffuletta (or muffoletta, moffoletta, muffoletto, muffulietta, depending on the dialect) derives its name from Sicilian dialect that means 'soft and spongy bread'. This soft round bun is so versatile and many locals use it as a sandwich to fill with local hams and cheeses.

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.

This legendary sandwich was invented at one of the city's oldest markets, the Central Grocery. Sicilian immigrants working at the nearby farmer's market would buy salami, ham, cheese, olive salad and Muffuletta bread (a soft round loaf that the sandwich takes its name from) and eat them separately.

A genuine muffuletta should be made on oven-fresh round Italian bread loves topped with sesame seeds. The spicy, tangy olive salad is what really sets this meat and cheese sandwich apart. These gigantic sandwiches were invented a century ago at Sicilian Deli here in New Orleans.

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.

This simple muffuletta spread is reminiscent of a classic New Orleans muffuletta sandwich. It can be served on crackers, toasted bagels, or crostini. It's also a nice addition to a pasta salad, a cheese board, or spooned onto grilled fish, pork, or chicken.

The sandwiches arrive ready-to-eat in temperature-controlled boxes. Upon arrival, place them in the fridge. We recommend serving them within 3 days. Muffulettas can be stored in the freezer for up to 60 days in their original packaging.

What is a substitute for muffaletta bread? ›

The bread: Traditionally in New Orleans, muffaletta is made on a round, soft-crust, medium-dense bread with sesame seeds on top. Since that bread is not found all over, you can substitute a focaccia or a ciabatta bread.

We just serve it with pita chips or toasted pieces of sesame bread for a tasty (and unique!) snack. A muffaletta sandwich is always made on round Sicilian sesame bread. Serving the olive salad as an appetizer with toasted sesame bread is a fun nod to the sandwich itself.

Muffaletta is a chopped, relish-like condiment featuring many olives and crisp pickled vegetables. Its texture is more like a bruschetta or tapenade. Giardiniera, on the other hand, is a mix of cauliflower florets, carrots, bell peppers and celery, which may or may not include olives.

A: Giardiniera/Muffalata – Should be stored at room temperature or in a refrigerator. DO NOT FREEZE.

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.

A po' boy (also po-boy, po boy derived from the non-rhotic southern accents often heard in the region, or poor boy) is a sandwich originally from Louisiana. It traditionally consists of meat, which is usually roast beef, ham, or fried seafood such as shrimp, crawfish, fish, oysters, or crab.