Chopped Italian Sandwich Recipe & Soggy Bun Hack
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Ready! Set! Wow! This Chopped Italian Sandwich recipe crushes! Mouthwatering bite-sized classic Italian sub ingredients tossed in tangy dressing and nestled in a chewy hoagie roll. Tremendous taste in ten minutes!
Table of Contents
What is a chopped sandwich?
A chopped sandwich recipe is a super time-saver and a unique take on the classic submarine sandwich that went around TikTok in a firestorm and for good reason! Instead of layering ingredients, everything gets chopped and mixed with a creamy dressing for a fantastic melding of flavors.
Besides being a life-saver on a busy day (or throwing together a last-minute wow-worthy sandwich), the creative way this Italian grinder is prepared gives you a mouthful of flavor in every bite!!
Why You’ll Love Chopped Italian Sandwiches
Besides being a life-saver on a busy day (or throwing together a last-minute wow-worthy sandwich), the creative way this Italian grinder is prepared gives you a mouthful of flavor in every bite!!
- Assembles in minutes
- Simple to make
- Customizable to your liking
- Great for using up leftover deli meats and cheeses
- Includes veggies for a hearty, satisfying, well-balanced meal
- Zesty homemade Italian dressing adds a yummy finishing touch
Ingredients For Chopped Subs & Homemade Italian Dressing
This chopped grinder sandwich is packed with savory Italian flavors, from the cold cuts to the tangy homemade Italian dressing!
Chopped Sandwich Ingredients:
- Hoagie Rolls – (6 Inch) or your preferred sub roll.
- Iceberg Lettuce – shredded. (For a longer-lasting crunch, swap lettuce for thinly sliced cabbage.)
- Large Tomato – Sliced, seeded and well drained (if needed).
- Pepperoni, Salami, and Ham Slices – Or any of your fav Italian meats like mortadella, pancetta or prosciutto.
- Provolone Cheese and American Cheese Slices – Sub in any sliced cheese you prefer or have on hand.
- Banana Peppers Rings – well drained.
- Red Onions – or sweet onions, sliced.
- Black Olives – sliced and drained.
- Pickle Spears
Italian Dressing Ingredients
- Mayonnaise
- Olive Oil
- Red Wine Vinegar
- Italian Seasoning
- Dijon Mustard
- Seasonings: Dried oregano, garlic powder, coarse kosher salt, &
- black pepper
Making Italian Chopped Sandwiches
Grab a cutting board, knife, bowl, and measuring spoons …….we’re making this chopped Italian grinder recipe!
- Layer all the grinder ingredients on a large cutting board, chop them into uniform pieces, and put them in a large bowl.
- Stir in all the dressing ingredients,* mixing until everything is well coated.
- Spoon the chopped sandwich ingredients into each hoagie roll and enjoy!
Tip
I like mixing the Italian sub dressing first to develop the flavors. Pre-mixing the dressing ingredients also assists in evenly distributing them throughout the sandwich ingredients.
Three Soggy Hoagie Hacks
It happens to the best of us when your creation has to sit a bit for various reasons. A delicious sub sandwich packed with fixings that looks and smells fantastic, but when you take a bite,…squishes. Yeah, uh, no, as in no, thank you!
- Fat is your friend! A thin layer of fat-based spread helps form a barrier, such as butter, mayo, mashed avocado, or olive oil.
- The need for cheese! Layer thin slices of your favorite cheese (or meat) between the bread and the chopped mix. (Shh…cream cheese!)
- Toast not to boast! Lightly toast your sub rolls, with or without butter, for an added barrier and extra crunch.
NOTE
No worries. This chopped sandwich recipe uses a mayonnaise-based homemade Italian dressing mix that provides a sog barrier. Be sure your banana peppers or pepperoncini are fully drained before chopping with the rest of the ingredients!
Recipe Notes And Tips
- Layer all ingredients on the cutting board and chop them together for time-saving efficiency and uniformity.
- Ensure your chop is made of even-sized pieces so each bite has a balanced blend of delicious flavors and textures.
- Roasted red peppers, sun-dried tomatoes, artichoke hearts, seared jalapenos, or giardiniera are a tasty addition to a chopped Italian sandwich.
- Mix the homemade Italian dressing ingredients in a small bowl or Mason Jar, then pour over the chopped ingredients in the bowl.
- For an extra kick, add a pinch of red pepper flakes to the dressing or include spicy peppers like pepperoncini or jalapenos.
- Opt for fresh hoagie rolls with crusty exteriors and soft, tight, crumbed interiors to hold fillings and inhibit soggy sandwiches.
- Assemble chopped grinders right before serving to ensure optimal freshness, as the dressing can wilt the lettuce if it sits too long.
Storage Tips
For the tastiest experience, enjoy your Italian chopped sandwiches right away. Make only the sandwiches you will eat, and keep the chopped mix in an airtight container refrigerated separately from the rolls to avoid soggy bread. Keep in mind that the lettuce can go limp quite quickly.
How To Store Make-Ahead Italian Chopped Grinder Sandwiches
If you want to make the sandwiches beforehand, cover the bowl of chopped sub-ingredients, combine the dressing ingredients in a wide-mouth jar, and refrigerate both. When it’s time to dig in, add the dressing to the sandwich mix, toss it well, and fill up those hoagie rolls.
FAQs
Rolls for submarine sandwiches can vary based on your preference and what’s available. Options for hoagie rolls include brioche hotdog rolls, baguettes, ciabatta rolls, and French or Italian bread, to name a few.
In the recent past, chopped sandwich videos went viral, and just about every “sandwich” became a fair game! In theory (and practicality), this chopped sandwich trend is a fantastic way to enjoy a totally loaded submarine sandwich without the time-consuming and painstaking layering on a sub roll.
Our chopped sandwich recipe doesn’t go as far as the aggressive chopping in many video recipes. They feature mangled ingredients that are just short of a soupy paste. (Bite-sized is best!)
The difference between a grinder and a hoagie pretty much depends on the location or region where you are ordering. Both are hefty sandwiches made on long rolls packed with meats, cheeses, veggies, layered or chopped, and condiments. These sandwiches might also be called a hero or a submarine sandwich.
Serving Suggestions
If you haven’t enjoyed an Italian chopped sandwich filled with its creamy, flavorful medley of meats and cheeses, you’re in for a treat! This hearty sandwich pairs up well for multiple occasions:
Lunch: Quick and easy with chips, red raspberry iced tea, and delicious cosmic brownie cookies.
Picnic: A welcomed addition to pineapple cole slaw, classic 4 bean salad, and crustless fresh strawberry pie. Don’t forget the Beergarita or Sparkling Cucumber Gimlets!
Dinner: A satisfying nosh with homemade quickles, crispy sweet potato wedges with spicy mayo dipping sauce, avocado deviled eggs, and easy lemon brownies with cake mix or yummy Hello Dolly bars! Sit back and relax with a watermelon wine slushie or refreshing peach sangria.
Chopped Italian Sandwich With Homemade Italian Dressing
Treat yourself to our Chopped Italian Sandwich! Bursting with flavor and featuring bite-sized classic Italian sub ingredients tossed in tangy homemade dressing and nestled in a chewy hoagie roll.
Ingredients
Sandwich Ingredients
- 6 hoagie rolls (6 inch)
- 2 cups iceberg lettuce, shredded
- 1 large tomato, sliced
- 6 pepperoni slices
- 6 salami slices
- 6 ham slices
- 4 provolone cheese slices
- 4 American cheese slices
- ½ cup banana peppers, sliced / rings
- ¼ cup red onions, sliced
- ⅛ cup black olives, sliced
- 2 pickle spears
Dressing Ingredients
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon coarse kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Layer the lettuce, tomato, pepperoni, salami, ham, cheese, banana peppers, red onions, black olives, and pickles on a large cutting board and chop everything together. (This will ensure everything is chopped the same size)
- Place the chopped ingredients in a large bowl.
- Add all of the dressing ingredients to the bowl and mix well until everything is coated with the dressing. (you can also mix the dressing ingredients in a small bowl and pour over the chopped ingredients in the bowl)
- Evenly distribute the sandwich ingredients onto each hoagie roll and enjoy!
Notes
For the rolls you can use hoagie rolls / brioche hotdog buns / French bread / Italian bread
STORAGE:
The sandwiches are best served fresh. If you want to make the sandwiches ahead of time, cover the bowl of chopped ingredients and combine the dressing ingredients in a wide-mouth jar and refrigerate both. Add dressing to the sandwich ingredients and mix well and distribute into each hoagie roll before serving.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 537Total Fat: 40gSaturated Fat: 11gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 26gCholesterol: 95mgSodium: 1709mgCarbohydrates: 16gFiber: 2gSugar: 5gProtein: 29g
Nutrition information is estimated based on the ingredients and cooking instructions as described in each recipe and is intended to be used for informational purposes only. Please note that nutrition details may vary based on methods of preparation, origin, and freshness of ingredients used and are just estimates. We encourage, especially if these numbers are important to you, to calculate these on your own for most accurate results.
Hi there, I'm Cheryl!
As a wife, mom, and caffeine enthusiast, my journey has taken me from bustling mornings with my family to sharing delicious recipes, home care tips, and heartfelt decorating insights with wonderful readers like you. My love for baking, photography, and tidiness shines through every post I craft. Dive into my world and discover the art of homemaking, one tidy moment at a time. Read more...
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