Cheese and bread… two of my most favorite foods. Which for me would make the grilled cheese sandwich and the likes, the perfect meal.
There’s something about a slice of rustic bread, drizzled with olive oil, and toasted to golden brown and crispy perfection that makes me so happy. And cheese, don’t even get me started on cheese. Let’s just say, if I’m having a rough day I often console myself in the cheese section of the grocery store.
I love cheese and bread so much that I’ve written a little poem for you inspired by Dr. Seuss’, ‘Green Eggs and Ham.’
Do you like bread and cheese?
I do like bread and cheese,
I would like some please.
Would you like them here or there?
I would like them here or there.
I would like them anywhere.
I do like bread and cheese.
I do like to eat any of these.
I would eat them in the car.
I would eat them at the bar.
I will eat them sitting in a chair.
I will eat them standing at a fair.
I will eat them sipping on wine.
I will eat them and feel just fine.
Ok, ok, ok… we get it, Kathleen. Clearly you’re a fan. But slow your roll, what’s a muffuletta sandwich?
The muffuletta sandwich was invented at Central Grocery opened in 1906 in the French Quarter of New Orleans by Sicilian immigrant, Salvatore Lupe. As the story goes, Salvatore notice that his patrons had some difficulty juggling their lunch of bread, salamis, olives, and cheese – so he put it all into one brilliant sandwich and a star was born.
Pairing my all-time favs with a briny olive relish and some serious portions of salami, mortadella, and capicola make this one big daddy of a sandwich.
- 1 16 ounce jar of giardiniera, drained
- 1 20 ounce jar roasted red peppers, drained
- 2 tablespoon capers
- 1 cup mixed olives
- extra virgin olive oil
- kosher salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- 1 loaf ciabatta bread
- ½ pound salami, thinly sliced
- ½ pound mortadella, thinly sliced
- ½ pound capicola, thinly sliced
- ½ pound provolone cheese, thinly sliced
- 8 large pimento stuffed olives for topping, optional
- 8 toothpicks, optional
- In a food processor, add the giardiniera, roasted red peppers, capers, olives, and 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Pulse to roughly chop. Season with salt and pepper to taste (you may not need to add salt given the brininess of the mix).
- Heat a heavy-bottomed skillet over low heat (you want it low and slow so that it gives the cheese time to melt as the bread toasts).
- While the pan is warming, assemble the sandwiches. Brush some olive on one side of each slice of bread. Turn the slices over so that the olive oil brushed sides are down. Layer the cheese, olive relish, meat, add another layer of cheese, and top with a slice of bread to close. (I like to place the cheese on the top and bottom so that it makes it easier to flip, keeping the contents of the sandwich in place).
- Place the sandwiches in the pan and cook until golden brown on one side, turn and brown the second side. Sandwiches are ready when the outside is golden brown and crispy and the cheese has melted. Cut in half and top each half with a pimento stuffed olive. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Your poem totally struck a chord with me because I LOVE BREAD & CHEESE!!! YUM!!! I had never heard of a muffuletta sandwich but now I am totally sold! Wow! I love mortadella and I love olives..so tasty. When I’m thinking about all the ingredients here, it reminds me of all the finger foods I love to eat on a cheese plate. I love a little salami, cheese, bread, olives….and you managed to make this all into one completely mouthwatering, gratifying meal…amazing!! So so delish <3
Seriously… who doesn’t love bread and cheese?! Even if you don’t eat it for dietary reasons, I’d have to believe that at your very soul you just love the stuff 😉
Your point about this sandwich being like a charcuterie and a cheese plate wrapped into one, is totally on point! I hope you enjoy 🙂
Looks delicious! Love muffuletta sandwiches!
You are too funny with that Dr. Seuss bit! I’m a big fan too – in fact I have his autograph. My third grade teacher was sweet enough to get one for everyone in her class – complete with a little sketch of Horton! Anywho…(pun intended)…this sandwich looks incredible. And I could see using that tangy tapenade on just bout everything.
I love cheese and I love muffuletta! I love that you turned it into a grilled cheese! I also love your poem – it was an unexpected surprise that cracked me up. I’ll have wine with my cheese please!
I like your poem way better than the original one! lol! I like bread and cheese and wine and muffulettas!! New Orleans is me and Hubby’s favorite city in the US (we like it so much we named our dog Nola after it). When we lived in Florida, we used to visit New Orleans 4-5 times a year and we visited Central Grocery every trip to get our muffuletta fix. One time, Hubby went on a business trip there and he bought back a Central muffuletta for me. The problem was that the airline messed up his return flight so he didn’t get home for over 24 hours, all the time the well wrapped sandwich was in his carry-on bag. Can’t believe I’m admitting this but I actually ate about half of that darn sandwich once he got home. Hahaha! That’s so gross but it’s a testament of how much I love Central’s muffulettas! Please don’t judge 🙂 The great news is now I have your recipe, so I don’t have to eat 24hr+ old sandwiches!
Ha! Dedicated foodie high-five! I have not been fortunate enough to have the real deal Muffuletta from Central Grocery, but I can totally understand why you would not let something so special go to waste! I’ve been guilty of enjoying a few food favs a bit past their prime too – so no judgment here 😉
How in the world did I miss this delicious post?? I subscribe to your emails! I am going to kick my gmail accounts butt for making me miss this!!
Anyways, your Dr. Suess inspired poem had me cracking up! Loves it! What I also love – Muffuletta sammies! They are THE JAM and yours looks spectacular!!! love.Love.LOOOVE! Great, Now I am craving this Epic sandwich and feel like I need it NOW. Guess it is off to the store for me. 🙂 Cheers, girlfriend!
Oh, what a fabulous-looking muffaletta! We actually had one (well, more than one) at the Central Grocery in New Orleans last year, it was incredible. Yours looks just as awesome! 🙂
I think I’ll have to teach my daycare kids a new poem tomorrow! 😉 I’ll have to remove the “bar” and “wine” parts with something G-rated though. Haha! This muffuletta sandwich is mouth-watering! I’m loving all the meaty, cheesy, piquant flavors going on here!
This sandwich speaks to me… it’s whispering my name in the night. AMAZING.
I love bread and cheese, I love anything with cheese. This is a hearty and comforting sandwich, so many great flavors.
I do like bread and cheese and would like some too please. When my friend and I went to Paris, do you know what we were most excited about? Not the Eiffel Tower, not the Louvre, not the Arc de Triumph…but rather spending our days gorging on bread and cheese. So you can see that I am as fanatical about bread and cheese as you are. Now you throw all those wonderful Italian meats into the mix and I am quite possibly in heaven.
oh my gawd, this sandwich! Big daddy indeed! and that tapenade . . love!!!
Oh – you wrote a poem for ME! How sweet! Te he – it really could have been written for me!!
So I’m not exaggerating – it’s 8.30 pm here in Sydney and I haven’t had dinner yet. I saw this email and my mouth actually watered. Seriously.
I mean, melted cheese. I have a weakness for it anyway, but seeing it in this stack of goodness? I’m dying. Dying, dreaming of you delivering this hot and fresh right to my front door. Please?
Wow! I have never heard of muffuletta sandwich. But I love bread and Cheese. These sandwiches are indeed making a perfect meal. AWESOME! 🙂