Loaded Grilled Italian Sandwich

The BEST Loaded Grilled Italian Sandwich is filled with mouthwatering cured meats, marinated veggies, olive tapanade, fresh greens, and melty cheese!

This post was originally created in September 2016 and has been updated with more cooking tips and information for your reading pleasure. Don’t worry – I didn’t change the recipe!

Why this recipe works:

Whether you’re hosting a party, having friends over to watch the game, or are just craving something delicious, this warm Italian sandwich has everything your taste buds desire!

If there’s one thing my husband loves, it’s a good sandwich. Now, show him a sandwich like this that’s full of the things he loves – namely cured Italian meats like salami and prosciutto – and he’s one happy man.

This sandwich is amazing because so many different flavors and textures come together in between two pieces of crusty bread. And if you love this combination of flavors, you will certainly love my Antipasto Pasta Salad.

Here’s how to make it:

• You must scoop the inside of the loaf out to make room for all the fillings. This way you have this wonderful void in which you can properly layer your filling ingredients without risk of dislocating your jaw while attempting to eat such a massive sandwich. Creative, right?
• Load up the inside of the sandwich with as many cured meats as you desire, provolone, olive tapenade, marinated artichokes, roasted red peppers, and arugula.
• The final step is to grill it up so the cheese gets all nice and melty and all of the other ingredients are heated through. To do this, wrap it up tight in aluminum foil and bake until your Italian sandwich is hot and wonderful.

Cooking Tips:

• After you scoop the center out of the bread, don’t waste it. Just let it dry out and then run it through the blender or the food processor to turn it into bread crumbs.
• Be sure to use a heavy duty aluminum foil so that it doesn’t easily rip.
• You can easily grill this sandwich on the BBQ or use the oven as indicated in the recipe. Either works perfectly.

What is the best kind of bread to use?

One of my pet peeves when it comes to sandwiches, though, is either a sandwich that’s too big to bite (or if you’re successful, it’s not pretty) or a sandwich that has too much bread. One really must have the right bread to filling ratio.

I recommend you plan on using a nice crusty Italian loaf like I did.

Now keep in mind you have to choose a bread with a pretty tough outside to hold up to the large amount of tasty ingredients, but once you do the end result is so incredibly worth it.

Favorite Italian recipes:

I love anything Italian. If you love the flavors in this sandwich recipe, you’ll surely love these. I have a TON of recipes on my site, but here are a few of my favorites.

• Easy Bolognese Sauce
• The BEST Classic Homemade Lasagna Recipe
• Homemade Pasta
• Meat and Cheese Ravioli
• Easy Italian Stromboli

Did you make this sandwich? Be sure to leave me a comment below to let me know what you think!