Muffuletta

To prevent a "soggy bottom" and reduce spillage, don't hollow out the top - spread olive salad on the bottom slice, place the loaf top on the bottom slice and invert, then press! Turn right side up, open the loaf and complete the assembly process. Excess juiciness and loose olive salad in the lower slice is absorbed by the now well-seasoned upper slice, allowing the top layer of salad (applied last) to percolate through the main ingredients.

Feel free to use tapenade or bruschetta as a substitute for the olive salad (big time saver and still delicious). The olive salad is totally worth the effort, if you have the time. Any sliced lunch meats work and/or sliced cheeses work in a pinch, if you don't have mortadella and fancy salamis laying around. Softer bread works better- I tried a sourdough loaf, which was delicious, but we worried about teeth coming out as we pulled on the tough bread.

This was a HUGE hit. I highly recommend heating the sandwiches, as it takes the flavor to greater heights! I heated them at 350 for at least 30 minutes. I should say I first wrapped the sandwiches in parchment paper, then wrapped that in aluminum foil. I then left the sandwiches in the oven for at least 30 minutes. Then, since my partner was still not ready for dinner, I just turned off the heat in the oven and left the sandwiches in the warm oven for another 30 minutes perfection!

This was a very big hit at our house!! It's the best subway sandwich you could every imagine. Heating it in the oven makes it so much better. I'm still trying to find the correct length of time to leave the sandwich in the 350 F (180 C) oven - 20 minutes was not long enough for all the meat in the center to be hot. I'm going to try 25 minutes next. The olive salad is genius. And, as others have said, you can leave the prepared sandwich in the refrigerator and bake it the next day.

I use arugula instead of parsley. I also love the idea of making individual sandwiches on ciabatta rolls!

What takes the Central Gricery nuffaletta over the top is that - right in the middle - there is a layer of really superb imported Emmentaler Swiss. That delicious nutty imported Swiss is what sets the Crntral Grocery version apart. No sopprasetta - mortadella instead. And two layers of salami (top and bottom). Central Grocery is still closed but the shop next door sells them as well as at least some Rouse's supermarkets and other spots. No other muffaletta comes close.

My grandmother used to make a muff with crumbled italian sausage and ricotta, toasted in the oven. Yumm!!!!

This obviously needed to be pressed more than lightly - should not be falling all over the place like that.

My mom in law gave me her recipe, which is very similar and delicious. But, after she’s wrapped it tightly, she will press it down, with a constant weight for at least a few hours. (When she’s made this for a picnic, she will make it about 8 hrs (or overnight) beforehand.) This causes all of the ingredients to meld together. And, it packs SO easily as an entire loaf of bread, that it’s practically indestructible. Simply slice, and serve. Yum!!!

Made this because I was inspired by Queer Eye's Lambda Chi Alpha episode. Made half the recipe using an oblong loaf covered with sesame seeds. Before cutting I toasted it on a cookie sheet in a 400-degree oven for 10 minutes -- would do that again. Next time I'll try adding red pepper flakes to the olive mixture and/or use spicier meat. What a treat.

Central Grocery is STILL closed due to damage from Hurricane Ida. They are working on repairs and rebuilding. Wonder how it will look -- and smell -- when it finally reopens? Central Grocery is selling its muffulettas at several locations around New Orleans.

Native New Orleanian here. Note that eliminating the meat still produces a spectacular sandwich!

While serviceable, not sure why this recipe has you make the olive salad from scratch when premade and delicious options exist in the jar at most delis.

If you love olives..youll love this! But I use premade olive salad.. I prefer Solestado brand Muffelatta Oilve Salad becuse if the ingredients

This is spectacular. Made it share at our annual July 4th James Taylor concert at Tanglewood (venue in the Berkshires of MA, where lawn seats are ALL about the picnic spread). I followed ingredients to a T, although I opted to use two rectangular ciabatta loaves for ease of cutting and reducing the spillage potential. This will be my contribution of choice going forward. It’s perfect.