Get a taste of the latest hype on TikTok and Instagram and learn how to make the trending Italian Grinder Sandwich! This hearty sandwich, made with thick-crusty bread, Italian meats and tomatoes, topped with a creamy salad, will put all other hoagies to shame, we’re sure of it.
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What is an Italian Grinder?
While there are several origin stories behind this sandwich’s name, it more than likely attributes to its thick, hard crusty bread. In other words, the sandwich can be a mouthful, and the bread itself tends to be tougher to chew, therefore needing you to “grind” your teeth to eat it.
Some also speculate that this term has its roots in New England, where locals interchangeably use the word hoagie (read, a large subway sandwich) too. Of course the foodies on social media have their own take on this sandwich to offer to the internet, and if you have scrolled through Instagram lately, you have probably seen examples of the grinder being made.
In this deliciously “thicc” creation, use crusty bread, sliced cheese of your choice, Italian style meats such as Salami or Prosciutto, topped with an indulgent, creamy grinder salad.
Ingredients
- Any kind of bread you want (a hard, crusty hoagie style sandwich bread works the best)
- Italian cold cuts like Turkey, Salami, Prosciutto and Capocollo
- Sliced cheese of your choice (provolone, spicy pepper jack or colby jack mix)
- Iceberg Lettuce thinly sliced
- Red Onion thinly sliced
- Thick slices of Tomato
- Minced Garlic Cloves
- Sliced Pepperoncini
- Mayonnaise
- Red Wine Vinegar
- Juice from the Pepperoncini jar
- Oregano
- Parmesan
- Chilli Flakes
- Salt & Pepper
- Olive Oil
Method
- Prep the veggies and set aside. You can soak the red onion in cold water for a few minutes to tone down its sharp flavour.
- In a bowl, mix together the mayo, red wine vinegar, parmesan, pepperoncini juice, oregano, chilli flakes, salt, pepper, garlic, pepperoncini and red onion and mix well.
- Next, pour in the shredded iceberg lettuce and using tongs, toss until the salad is thoroughly coated. Set aside until later use.
- While the grinder salad marinates, prep the bread by preheating your toaster oven, oven or air fryer to 220°C. You can shave down internal parts of the bread to make more room for the filling if you want.
- Then, add a little olive oil and generously pile on the cold cut meats and cheese on to the bread. Toast for 8-10 minutes until the cheese is bubbly and the bread is toasted.
- Once it’s done toasting, add the tomato slices and season it with salt and pepper and dump in the salad mixture.
- Now, open your jaw as wide as possible and enjoy this messy but delicious sandwich of your dreams!
