Chopped Italian Sandwich

This Tik Tok chopped Italian sandwich is a delectable combination of cold meats, cheese, banana peppers, and more served on Italian sub rolls. It’s one of the most popular viral recipes because it’s so good! You can make them in as little as 10 minutes, making this a great recipe if you want a tasty lunch in a hurry. You can customize the chopped Italian sandwich however you wish, perhaps toasting the bread first for some added crunch or swapping out some deli meats for others you prefer.

A chopped Italian TikTok sandwich on parchment paper.

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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.

Making a chopped Italian grinder sandwich on a cutting board.
Close view of a TikTok chopped Italian sub.

Why You’ll Love This

Quick and easy:  It will take mere minutes to prepare and assemble your Tik Tok 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 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 flavour 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.

Three chopped Italian sandwiches.

Chopped Italian Sandwich Ingredients

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.

Ingredients to make the TikTok chopped Italian sub.

The filling is two kinds of salami, capacollo, provolone, banana pepper, pepperoncini red onion, olive oil, red wine vinegar, mayo, salt, black pepper, and oregano.

A chopped sub sandwich cut in half.

How to Make a Perfect Italian Grinder Salad 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.

Chopping the ingredients for a chopped Italian grinder sandwich.
A chopped Italian ginder sub cut in half.

Substitutions and Variations

The beauty of this sandwich is that it’s wide open to variation. You can use any kind of meat, any cheese slices, and even use a different spread rather than the mayonnaise mixture. Italian dressing is good. 

An Italian chopped sandwich with lots of filling.

You can make it vegetarian by using more cheese, maybe 2 to 3 types, rather than the meat. Perhaps you want to add black olives, parmesan cheese or cheddar slices, or tomato slices on top of the baked deli meats. You can make this Italian grinder sandwich however you want it. I bet roast beef would be amazing in there too.

Making TikTok Italian chopped subs.

What to Serve with this Italian Hoagie Sub

You don’t really have to serve anything with it because it’s so filling. But something simple like some chips or fries would work or Green Goddess Salad, or you could have any easy side dish you’d enjoy with your new favorite sandwiches.

A handmade Italian hoagie sub with a chopped filling.

How to Store this Sandwich

Store:  I’d recommend refrigerating it for half an hour before serving, so the flavours 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.

A chopped Italian hoagie cut in half.

Italian Sub Sandwich FAQs

How did grinder sandwiches get their name?

There’s no ground meat in there, so why are they called that? Traditionally, a grinder was a sandwich made with hot meat instead of chilled deli cuts. A sub was made with cold cuts and 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.

Can you use a different dressing in the subs?

The dressing in the recipe is a mixture of oil, vinegar, oregano, and mayonnaise, along with a little oregano, but you can use a different kind of dressing if you prefer. Don’t use anything too runny 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.

Close view of a chopped Italian sandwich from Tik Tok.

Chopped Italian Sandwiches Recipe

Chopped Italian Sandwich

5 from 73 votes
Course: Lunch
Cuisine: American, Italian
Keyword: Sandwich, Tik Tok
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes
Servings: 6
Calories: 974kcal
Author: Bella Bucchiotti
This Tik Tok chopped Italian sandwich is a delectable combination of cold meats, cheese, banana peppers, and more served on Italian sub rolls. It's one of the most popular viral recipes because it's so good!
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Ingredients

  • 6 sub rolls Italian
  • 6 Slices Genoa salami
  • 6 Slices capocollo
  • 6 Slices salami Calabrese
  • 6 Slices provolone cheese
  • 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

Calories: 974kcal | Carbohydrates: 37g | Protein: 28g | Fat: 79g | Saturated Fat: 19g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 30g | Monounsaturated Fat: 26g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 120mg | Sodium: 2358mg | Potassium: 385mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 1106IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 176mg | Iron: 11mg
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The nutrition information provided are only estimates based on an online nutritional calculator. I am not a certified nutritionist. Please consult a professional nutritionist or doctor for accurate information and any dietary restrictions and concerns you may have.

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.

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Bella Bucchiotti

Bella Bucchiotti is a storyteller, food lover, dog mom and adventure seeker living on the Pacific coast. She shares her passion for food, dogs, fitness, adventures, travel and philanthropy, in hopes of encouraging followers to run the extra mile, try new recipes, visit unfamiliar places and stand for a cause. Bella lives with Type 1 Diabetes and Celiac Disease.

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Recipe Rating




  1. Tracy wrote:

    5 stars
    So easy and so delicious!

    Posted 5.21.23 Reply