Bridget Makes: Muffuletta

New Orleans’ Central Grocery created the muffuletta in 1906, and today lines still stretch out the door for one of these sandwiches. When I was a kid, my mom created her own version of the legendary sandwich, and I still prefer her olive salad mix to the original. Her salad mix is lighter and not as greasy as the mixes usually found on traditional N’awlins muffulettas. Sometimes, I just get a craving for muffuletta, and it’s so easy to make, that it’s hard to resist.

Ingredients (Sandwich):

• 1/4 lb Genoa salami
• 1/4 lb ham
• 1/4 lb mortadella (optional for me)
• 1/2 lb sliced provolone cheese
• olive salad
• Rolls (Kaiser, or other seeded; I also like onion rolls)

Directions (Sandwich):

• Slice rolls in half (Mine is a family of culinary sinners and we like mayo or mustard on our muffs, so if you want to sin too, feel free to add condiments here.)
• Place salami and cheese on bottom half of roll; spread small amount of olive salad onto roll using a slotted spood to drain excess liquid.
• Place ham and mortadella on top of olive salad; put top half of roll on
• Warm through until cheese is melted.

Ingredients (Olive Salad):

• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 green pepper, chopped
• 6oz can black olives, drained and chopped
• 7oz can green olives, drained and chopped
• 3 dill pickles, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 16 oz bottle Italian dressing

Directions (Salad):

• Mix together and let sit for at least 20 minutes.