Chopped Italian Sandwich
Whether you need a quick, casual dinner idea, a crowd-pleasing recipe for a potluck, or the perfect tailgate snack, this chopped Italian sandwich is always a hit.
It’s fast and easy to make with Italian bread or sub rolls and your favorite meats, cheese, and marinated vegetables. Chopping your ingredients means you’ll get a major flavor explosion in every bite.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It’s a healthier version of an Italian sub (or grinder if you’re from New England) with no mayo and lots of vegetables marinated in a pesto vinaigrette. And it’s a sandwich version of my pesto tortellini pasta salad with vegetables.
- It’s fast and easy to make and tastes even better if you make it a few hours in advance.
- It’s easy to make vegetarian or tailor any of the ingredients to your group’s taste.
Recipe Ingredients
Here are the main ingredients you’ll need to make a chopped Italian sandwich. I’ve listed a few substitutions and variations in the section below.
Be sure to check out the recipe card below for the complete list of ingredients with measurements.
Bread. I like to make this using a loaf of soft Italian or whole-grain bread. You can also use smaller sub-rolls for individual portions.
Vegetables. I recommend jarred vegetables because they have extra flavor from marinade. They also hold up better than lettuce and tomato, which tend to wilt quickly. My favorites are artichoke hearts, roasted red peppers, olives, pickled peppers, and sundried tomatoes.
Meats and cheese. I use a small amount of good-quality salami, plus turkey breast and sliced Provolone cheese.
Pesto: Use a prepared pesto (I love the Kirkland brand from Costco) or make homemade if you have lots of basil in your garden. Mix it with a little bit of red wine vinegar for an easy and super-flavorful dressing instead of mayo.
Substitutions and Variations
- Instead of making this sandwich in a loaf of bread, spoon the filling into individual sub or sandwich rolls.
- For a flavor variation, add some creamy homemade hummus to each side of the bread.
- Use chopped grilled vegetables instead of or in addition to the ones I’ve recommended. Try grilled zucchini, red onion, Portobello mushrooms, and eggplant.
- Skip the meat if you prefer vegetarian sandwiches.
- Make it extra-spicy with hot banana peppers, or keep it mild and sweet with peppadew peppers.
Step-By-Step Instructions
1. Prep your bread. Cut your loaf in half crosswise so you have a top and bottom. Using a fork, hollow out each side of the bread. Be careful not to remove too much, or you’ll cut into the crust.
2. Prep the sandwich filling ingredients. Chop your meats, cheese, and drained vegetables into small bite-sized pieces. Add the ingredients to a mixing bowl.
3. Add the pesto dressing. Stir everything to combine. Taste the mixture and add extra pesto, red wine vinegar, or salt as needed.
4. Fill the sandwich. Fill the bottom half very full, it can be overflowing. Only fill the top to cover the hollowed-out section. If you add too much filling to the top, you’ll have a hard time joining the two pieces. Add the top half to the bottom, press it down, and wrap it in foil if making this sandwich in advance.
Expert Tips!
For the best results, use a loaf of bread that’s not too hard and not too soft. A very crisp loaf of bread is hard to bite into, and the filling will fall out as you eat it. A very soft loaf will become soggy if it sits too long.
This recipe doubles or triples easily, and you can make it several hours in advance. If your bread is very soft, don’t fill it until you’re ready to serve because it may get soggy.
If you like a Pressed Italian Sandwich, wrap it in foil, weigh it down with a heavy pan containing a few tomato cans, and refrigerate it for about two hours.
What to Eat with a Chopped Italian Sandwich
Other tasty potluck or game-day sides to serve with this sandwich include:
- 5 Bean salad
- Crock pot baked beans
- Chicken and corn chowder
- 3 Bean chicken chili
- Raspberry oatmeal bars for dessert
Recipe FAQs
You can serve it immediately or wrap it and store it in the refrigerator for about three to four hours. If you prep it too far in advance, the bread tends to get too soft. You can also chop your ingredients and keep them in a covered bowl overnight. Fill your sandwich when you’re ready to serve it.
Yes, as above, the bread will soften over time but this chopped Italian sandwich is still delicious for about two days. Wrap it tightly in foil and store it in the refrigerator.
If you have extra chopped sandwich filling, save it and add it to chopped lettuce for a delicious salad.
Other Tasty Sandwich Recipes
Love this recipe? Please leave a 5-star rating on the recipe card below & a review in the comments section further down the page.
Chopped Italian Sandwich
Ingredients
- 16 ounce soft loaf of whole grain Italian bakery bread round or long loaf
- 14 ounces marinated artichoke hearts drained
- 12 ounces roasted red peppers drained
- 1/4 cup pitted olives drained
- 1/4 cup pickled peppers sweet or hot, drained
- 1/4 cup thin sliced red onion
- 2 tablespoons juilienne sundried tomatoes in olive oil and herbs, drained
- 2 ounces Italian salami
- 4 ounces deli turkey breast
- 4 ounces Provolone cheese
- 2 tablespoons prepared pesto or more to taste
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar or more to taste
Instructions
- Slice the loaf of bread in half lengthwise, and with a fork scoop out part of the bread from each half to make 2 cavities for the filling. Be careful not to cut through to the bread crust. Reserve the breadcrumbs for later use. Set the bread aside.
- Pile the artichoke hearts, red peppers, olives, pickled peppers, onion, sundried tomatoes, meat, and cheese onto a large cutting board. Roughly chop everything into small pieces (bite-sized). Put the chopped sandwich filling ingredients into a large mixing bowl.
- Combine the pesto and red wine vinegar in a cup of bowl. Pour the dressing over the salad ingredients. Toss everything to combine well.
- Let the sandwich filling mixture sit for about 10 minutes to allow the flavors to combine.
- Fill the bottom half of the bread with about 2/3 of the ingredients. Fill the top of the bread with the remaining sandwich filling. Try to contain it within the hollowed-out portion to make it easier to join the two pieces.
- Place both halves of the sandwich together and wrap tightly in foil. Refrigerate for up to 3 hours or until ready to slice and serve.
