Italian Sub Sandwich

Looking for a sandwich to make for a quick weeknight dinner, take to your next backyard BBQ or simply divide, wrap, and eat for lunch throughout the week? Well, this Italian Super Sub Sandwich is the answer. It’s loaded with salami, turkey breast, pepperoni, and, of course, banana peppers.

By
Nick Evans
Nick Evans
Nick Evans
Nick has been creating recipes for home cooks for almost 12 years. He is the author of Love Your Leftovers and has contributed to Simply Recipes since 2017.
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Updated October 23, 2022
Nick Evans
Italian sandwich for a crowd with the meat, cheese and toppings visible.
Nick Evans

Whether you're making finger food for a party, dinner for a hungry family, or just trying to prep a few days of easy lunches, this big Italian sandwich is a surefire win!

It's loaded with some of my favorite flavors and textures — soft Italian bread, salty cured meats, and crunchy pickled veggies. The best part is you make one huge loaf, slice it and serve it. Dinner is done! Or lunch! Or party snacks! Why did I ever make individual sandwiches?!

What Is an Italian Sandwich?

Generally, an Italian sandwich has a combination of cured meats – I like salami and pepperoni, but other options include mortadella and capicola. I like to add roast turkey to mine also, but that’s not completely traditional.

For cheeses, provolone is standard and what I like best, but Swiss is nice too!

Besides loads of meats and cheese on an Italian sandwich, it usually has a chopped mix of pickled and crunchy vegetables to round out the sandwich.

Whether you call it an Italian sub, a hoagie, or just a party sandwich, this is something that should definitely be in your recipe arsenal!

Side view of an italian sandwich on a platter that is cut into slices. Meat, cheese and toppings are layered on the sandwich.
Nick Evans

Why Italian Subs Make Great Party Sandwiches

This is such a great party sandwich option because you just make one huge sandwich and chop it up into the portions you need. It can be a centerpiece meal with larger portions, or you can slice smaller slivers of sandwich for more of an appetizer portion.

If you aren’t planning any parties anytime soon, this makes great fast lunches or a quick and easy dinner for a house of hungry people!

The Best Bread for Italian Sandwiches

I like a soft Italian loaf for my sandwich. The key to making this loaf work is to cut it in half and remove some of the inner breading from the top half of the loaf. This will give you more room for the fillings!

Italian sandwich for a crowd on a platter and cut into slices. Meat, cheese and toppings are layered on the sandwich.
Nick Evans

Suggestions and Substitutions

One of the most fun things to do for a sandwich like this is to go to your favorite deli and just pick a few cured meats to add to your sandwich.

Don’t feel like you need to stick to a specific recipe, but do try to keep the proportions in line. For a whole sandwich, I try to shoot for 12-16 ounces of meat and 6-7 ounces of cheese. Could you use more? Sure. But that’s a good guideline.

When it comes to vegetables, you can definitely get creative. Any pickled olive or vegetable can work. Look for giardiniera (hot or mild) or banana peppers. You can also buy a pre-mixed olive tapenade spread and use that!

Tips and Tricks for Packing This Sandwich

If you are packing this up for a party on the go, I’d recommend wrapping the sandwich whole and chopping it when you get to where you are going. That will help the sandwich from falling apart. You can also use toothpicks or small skewers to secure the sandwich portions.

On the other hand, if you are keeping the sandwich in your fridge for fast lunches, go ahead and chop it up completely and wrap the sandwiches individually so you can grab and go!

A hand holding a slice of a picnic sandwich layered with meat, cheese and toppings.
Nick Evans

Make Ahead Italian Sandwich

This sandwich is absolutely fine to make a few days in advance. My wife and I ate this sandwich for three days straight, and it was great even on the third day.

That said, I wouldn’t take it much further than that. After that, the bread starts to get really soggy and the vegetables lose their luster!

You Need a Sandwich, We’ve Got Recipes!

Video: How to Make an Italian Sub Sandwich

0:59

How to Make an Italian Sub Sandwich

Italian Sub Sandwich

Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 5 mins
Total Time 15 mins
Servings 6 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 large loaf Italian bread

  • 1/3 cup mayonnaise

  • 4 ounces Genoa salami

  • 4 ounces pepperoni

  • 8 ounces roasted turkey breast

  • 6 ounces Provolone cheese

  • 2 cups chopped iceberg lettuce

  • 1/2 cup chopped tomatoes

  • 1/4 cup pickled sliced banana peppers (pepperoncini)

  • 1/4 cup chopped Kalamata olives

  • 3 to 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

  • 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

  • 2 teaspoons dried Italian seasoning

Method

  1. Prepare the bread:

    Cut Italian loaf in half longwise with a serrated knife. Scoop out some of the bread in the top half of the loaf. This will give you more room for toppings and make sure the sandwich doesn’t fall apart. Just don’t go too deep. You still need it to hold together. (Use the leftover bread to make breadcrumbs!)

    Easy italian sub sandwich loaf cut in half horizontally and with the top scooped out.
    Nick Evans
  2. Layer the meats and cheese:

    Spread mayonnaise on the bottom half of the loaf. Layer the meats and cheese on the bottom portion of the loaf in any order you like. I prefer to the do the cured meats on the bottom, then turkey, and then cheese, but there is no science to it.

    Showing how to make an italian sub sandwich by layering the bottom half with meat and cheese and scooping out the top of the bread.
    Nick Evans
  3. Finish the sandwich:

    Chop the iceberg lettuce, tomatoes, banana peppers, and olives. Add a bed of lettuce to the top half of the loaf (that has been hollowed slightly).

    Top with chopped tomatoes, peppers, and olives. Drizzle the vegetables liberally with extra virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, and Italian seasoning. Bring the two halves of the loaf together and press slightly.

    Italian club sandwich with meat and cheese layered on one half and lettuce, tomato, peppercinis and olives layered on the other half.
    Nick Evans
  4. Cutting and serving the sandwich:

    Cut the large sandwich into six evenly sized pieces. Serve immediately or wrap and store for later.

    Leftovers! If you aren’t serving immediately, cut the sandwich into portions, and wrap each portion tightly with plastic wrap. Sandwiches will keep well in the fridge for 2-3 days.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
718 Calories
46g Fat
42g Carbs
34g Protein
Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6
Amount per serving
Calories 718
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 46g 59%
Saturated Fat 14g 68%
Cholesterol 88mg 29%
Sodium 1731mg 75%
Total Carbohydrate 42g 15%
Dietary Fiber 3g 12%
Total Sugars 4g
Protein 34g
Vitamin C 18mg 89%
Calcium 297mg 23%
Iron 4mg 21%
Potassium 430mg 9%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.