You can’t go wrong with a classic Italian Grinder Sandwich when lunch time rolls around! A creamy, zesty dressing coats a mixture of crisp veggies, savory deli meats and lots of cheese! Mix it together, then pile it high on a warm, freshly baked hoagie roll. Once you try this viral method of making a Grinder Sandwich, you will never make it any other way again!
Why You’ll Love Italian Grinder Sandwich
Easy to Make – If you only have 30 minutes for lunch, you can make this Italian Grinder Sandwich in less than 15 minutes!
Salad Sandwich – You can enjoy this as a sandwich like intended, or skip the bread and eat the contents of the sandwich as a Grinder Salad!
Viral Recipe – This method of making a Grinder Sandwich was popularized online, and makes it so you can get a little bit of everything in every bite.
Customizable – Add or remove any ingredients to your liking!
What is a Grinder Sandwich you ask? This highly popular Italian sub sandwich is a combination of salami, turkey, lettuce, tomato, onion, pepperoncinis and a creamy Italian dressing. I always order this at my local deli, but I also love making it at home, because it’s so simple to assemble!
Ingredient Info
This is a discussion about the ingredients. For the actual recipe with amounts, please see the recipe below.
- Mayo – Regular or light mayo will work.
- Vinegar – I like red wine vinegar, but apple cider vinegar or even rice wine vinegar can be substituted.
- Garlic – I prefer fresh garlic, but you can use a jar of minced garlic or even garlic powder.
- Parmesan – Freshly grated parmesan is ideal. I even like to grate a little extra on my sandwich before serving!
- Lettuce – Iceberg lettuce is the classic choice but I like to use romaine or even a leafy green like spinach or spring mix from time to time.
- Tomato – Dice this up, but I like to slice a few extra and layer it into the sandwich.
- Provolone Cheese – This will go into the salad mixture, but a few extra slices on the sandwich never hurts. You can also use mozzarella, or even pepper jack for some spice.
- Salami – Pepperoni is a good substitute if you don’t have salami.
- Turkey – You can also use deli ham or deli chicken in place of deli turkey.
- Bread – I like to get a bag of freshly baked hoagies from the bakery, but any sort of sub-like bread works.
How To Make An Italian Grinder Sandwich
This is a discussion about the recipe. For the actual recipe with amounts, please see the recipe below.
- Whisk the dressing ingredients in a large bowl.
- Add the salad ingredients and toss.
- Toast your bread and top with the salad mixture.
- Add any extra toppings you desire. Serve and enjoy!
Tips & Advice
Storage – This sandwich won’t last in the fridge for longer than a few hours, so I recommend storing the bread, sandwich ingredients, and dressing all separately, and only assemble what you’re going to eat when you want to eat it.
Extra Toppings – I like to layer extra slices of tomato, onion, cheese and deli meat on top of the stuff that’s already in the salad mixture. You definitely don’t have to do this, but I find it adds more depth to the sandwich.
Equipment
For this recipe, you’ll need a large mixing bowl and tongs or something to toss the ingredients with.
FAQs
Using the specific ingredients like salami, provolone, turkey along with a zesty Italian dressing would earn the label of a grinder sandwich. It’s also important that the bread is warmed up or toasted.
For this recipe, I suppose it’s a bit of both. I like to warm the bread up, but the rest of the sandwich is cold.
Serves Well With
As much as I enjoy this Italian Grinder Sandwich on its own, I love to serve this with a warm cup of soup, or even a side salad. Check out some of these recipes you can make alongside this grinder sandwich. Enjoy!
More Recipes You’ll Love!
Italian Grinder Sandwich
Ingredients
Dressing Ingredients
- 3/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1/8 cup parmesan cheese (grated)
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper (freshly ground)
- 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional )
Salad Ingredients
- 1 head iceberg lettuce (chopped)
- 1/4 cup red onion (sliced)
- 1 cup tomato (diced)
- 1/2 cup pepperoncinis
- 1/2 cup provolone cheese (diced)
- 1/2 cup salami (chopped)
- 1/2 cup deli turkey (chopped )
Sandwich Ingredients
- 4 hoagie rolls (toasted)
- extra tomato (sliced (optional))
- extra red onion (sliced (optional))
- extra provolone cheese (sliced( optional))
- extra deli turkey (sliced (optional))
- extra salami (sliced (optional))
Notes
Nutrition
The nutrition facts provided are calculated using a third-party tool and are estimates only. Actual nutritional content may vary based on the ingredients and brands you use, as well as portion sizes. For accurate results, please consult a registered dietitian or nutritionist.
Meet Christi, Love From The Oven
I’m Christi I love sharing easy & delicious recipes that your family & friends will love. I’m a mom, baker, cookbook author and lover of sprinkles.
