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This chopped Italian sandwich recipe, aka the viral TikTok Italian hoagie, is a delicious combination of savory cured meats, sharp provolone, and zesty pepperoncini, all conveniently chopped and served in Italian sub rolls in as little as 10 minutes. This quick and easy recipe will give you a classic Italian sub, and the best part is that it’s completely customizable!
A chopped Italian sub is sure to satisfy even the strongest hunger pangs. This Italian bread sub with deli meats, cheese, pepperoncini peppers, red onion, and more make a great lunch.
If you enjoy this recipe, you’ll also love the other Italian sandwich recipes. Try your hand at making pressed Italian picnic sandwiches, hot Italian sliders, or an epic muffaletta sandwich. And carb lovers might like to whip up some crispy stacked potatoes!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Quick and Easy: It will take mere minutes to prepare and assemble your TikTok chopped Italian sandwich, and there’s no cooking required. Sometimes, the best recipes are the simplest ones, and this easy chopped Italian cold-cut hoagie is really straightforward to put together.
Authentic Italian Fare: One of the best things about Italy is its incredible cuisine, which is known and loved worldwide. Any Italian or Italian food fan is sure to enjoy this Italian grinder salad sandwich with Italian meats, cheese, and more.
Delicious: This chopped Italian sandwich ticks all the boxes in terms of flavor, and if you want to use different ingredients in the fillings, you can vary anything you want, plus any Italian seasonings to complement them. This is a hearty chopped Italian cold-cut hoagie which is more of a meal than a snack.
Chopped Italian Sandwich Ingredients
A complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
Sub rolls: Italian sub rolls are perfect for making an Italian Grinder salad sandwich. However, feel free to use any buns you prefer. Any crusty bread sturdy enough to hold the ingredients without falling apart will work. I love French bread too, and that works well.
Genoa salami, capocollo, salami Calabrese: These cured meats add a variety of rich, robust Italian flavors to your sandwich.
Provolone cheese: The sharp, tangy flavor of provolone adds a delicious contrast to the salty meats.
Banana pepper rings, pepperoncinis, red onion, green lettuce: These ingredients are used to add a zesty, refreshing crunch to your chopped Italian sandwich.
Red wine vinegar, extra virgin olive oil: These ingredients will be used to make a simple and tasty vinaigrette to dress your sandwich filling.
Mayonnaise: This will be mixed with the other ingredients to make a creamy base for your sandwich filling.
Oregano (dried): The final touch, this herb will be used to garnish your sandwich and add a fragrant, aromatic note.
How to Make a Chopped Italian Sandwich
For more detailed instructions with weights and measurements, jump to the printable recipe card.
Prepare the vegetables: De-seed the pepperoncini and then chop them along with the banana peppers, red onion, and lettuce.
Prepare the meats and cheese: Chop the variety of meats and cheese and add to a large bowl, along with the prepped veggies.
Make the dressing: Combine the remaining ingredients in a small bowl, then toss with the ingredients in the large bowl to make the filling.
Assemble the sandwiches: Divide the meat and cheese between the subs, add the chopped salad on top, and finish with a sprinkling of oregano.
Substitutions and Variations
Different ingredients: Don’t be afraid to mix it up – try different kinds of meat, such as turkey or roast beef, and different cheeses, like Swiss or cheddar.
Spicier: If you like things hot, try adding some hot sauce or swapping the mayonnaise for a spicy Italian dressing.
Vegetarian: You can easily make this sandwich vegetarian by omitting the meat and adding some other tasty ingredients like black olives or roasted red peppers.
Other additions: For a different twist, you can also add some other Italian favorites like Parmesan cheese or some thick, juicy tomato slices.
Gluten-free bread: You can also easily switch out the Italian sub for some gluten-free bread instead to make this Italian sandwich gluten-free.
Serving Suggestions
Main: This hearty sandwich can be a meal in itself, but if you’re particularly hungry, you might want to add a side of some chips or fries.
Side: For a healthier option, a Green Goddess Salad or any easy side dish would work well. I’d recommend trying it with a side of Giardiniera or pasta salad – the contrasting textures and flavors really complement each other.
How to Store Italian Grinder Salad Sandwich
Store: I’d recommend refrigerating it for half an hour before serving, so the flavors can meld and intensify. Or you can eat the sandwich as soon as it’s made or even make it a couple of hours ahead if you prefer and keep it refrigerated until serving.
Freeze: This sandwich isn’t suitable for freezing, as it can affect the texture and overall quality of the bread and filling.
Top Tips
Choose the right rolls: To make sure that your chopped Italian sandwich holds up to the hearty filling, choose sturdy, crusty bread.
Chop your ingredients finely: For easy and comfortable eating, as well as even distribution of flavors, make sure to chop your banana peppers, pepperoncinis, red onion, and lettuce as well as your salami, capocollo, and provolone cheese into small, bite-sized pieces.
Mix thoroughly: The key to a delicious chopped Italian sandwich is ensuring that all the ingredients are well combined. Take the time to thoroughly mix the chopped sandwich ingredients with the mayo, vinegar, olive oil, and seasonings using a wooden spoon.
Italian Sub Sandwich FAQs
There’s no ground meat in there, so why are they called that? Traditionally, grinders featured hot meats, distinguishing them from subs, which comprised cold cuts with Italian dressing. Hot Italian sliders are a delicious example of grinder rolls if you want to make a hot sandwich.
However, the word “grinder” is more popular in New England (especially New Hampshire, Vermont, and Massachusetts) than in other states, so it’s partly a regional thing. A grinder is basically an Italian bread bun with meats, cheeses and a creamy grinder salad or pickles and mayo, or another dressing or spread. The most famous grinder of all, the Philly cheesesteak, is typically just called a Philly cheesesteak and not a grinder.
Absolutely! Feel free to experiment with different dressings to suit your personal preferences; however, don’t use anything too runny, or else your grinder will come out soggy. It’s better to use a thick, creamy one, especially if you aren’t toasting the cut sides of the bread first.
The best way to make sure that all your sandwich ingredients are well combined is to take your time and mix them thoroughly. Use a sturdy wooden spoon to mix the chopped ingredients with the mayo, vinegar, olive oil, and seasonings until everything is evenly coated.
Chopped Italian Sandwiches Recipe
Chopped Italian Sandwich
Ingredients
- 6 sub rolls, Italian
- 6 Slices Genoa salami
- 6 Slices capocollo
- 6 Slices salami, Calabrese
- 6 Slices provolone cheese
- ⅓ Cup banana pepper rings, from jar
- 3 Pepperoncinis, from jar
- 1 red onion
- 2 Cups green lettuce, chopped
- 2 Tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 2 Tablespoon extra virgin Olive oil
- 1 ½ Cups mayonnaise
- ½ Teaspoon salt
- 1 Teaspoon black pepper, coarse
- 2 Teaspoon oregano, dried, plus more for garnish
Instructions
- Remove seeds from pepperoncinis and discard. Finely chop banana peppers, pepperoncinis, red onion, and lettuce. Add to a large mixing bowl.
- Next, chop calabrese salami, Genoa salami, capocollo, and provolone cheese into small pieces. Add to the mixing bowl.
- Add Mayo, red wine vinegar, olive oil, salt, pepper, and oregano to the bowl.
- Use a wooden spoon and thoroughly mix chopped sandwich ingredients until well combined.
- Scoop into the sub rolls and top with a pinch of oregano.
Nutrition
This is a hugely popular viral recipe. The Tik Tok chopped Italian sandwich, is a chopped Italian sub loaded with Italian meats, cheese, pepperoncini, and more. It is perfect for picnics, game day, or lunch.
Other Recipes to Try
Bella Bucchiotti
Bella Bucchiotti is a Canadian-based syndicated food, travel, and lifestyle writer, photographer, and creator at xoxoBella. She founded xoxoBella in 2015, where she shares her love for food, dogs, sustainability, fitness, crafts, outdoor adventures, travel, and philanthropy to encourage others to run the extra mile, try new recipes, visit unfamiliar places, and stand for a cause. Bella creates stress-free and family-friendly recipes for weeknight dinners and festive feasts.
This was absolutely fabulous!! Fun to make too with my new chopper!