New Orleans Muffuletta

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The New Orleans Muffuletta is the quintessential Italian-American sandwich. Created at Central Grocery, 923 Decatur St, New Orleans by Sicilian immigrant Salvatore Lupo in what was then known as the 'Little Palermo' section of New Orleans' famed French Quarter. Central Grocery catered to the Sicilian immigrant population in the French Quarter by selling imported olives, cheese, pasta, and other delicacies from the Sicilian immigrant population's homeland. One particular group the store catered to were the Sicilian laborers who worked the docks as stevedores unloading the cargo ships at the Port of New Orleans. One day in 1906 Salvatore had a brilliant idea, he'd stuff the Italian antipasta (meats and cheese) between a loaf of round Sicilian bread and fill it with Sicilian Scaciati (marinated olives and vegetables). Lupo's sandwich became a hit and thus the Muffuletta sandwich was born. Lupo named his sandwich the 'Muffuletta' after a particular type of bread that originated in his native Sicily. More than 100 years have passed since Lupo created the Muffuletta but it remains a favorite of local New Orleanians and tourists alike.

Recipe as follows:

Ingredients:

• 1 loaf of round Sicilian bread or other seeded Italian loaf, cut in half

• 1 16 oz jar Muffuletta Olive Salad Mix, drain oilve oil and save https://www.goombahgear.com/product-page/muffuletta-olive-salad-16-ounce

• 1/4 pound mortadella

• 1/4 pound ham

• 1/4 pound Genoa salame

• 1/4 pound capicola

• 3 slices Swiss cheese

• 3 slices Provolone cheese

Preparation

Brush both sides of the bread with a generous amount of the olive oil drained from the muffuletta olive mix, layer one side of the bread with the meats and the other side with the cheeses, I like to put the meat on the bottom layer and the cheese on the top layer. Heat in the oven on the broiler setting until cheese melts. Spread the olive salad on the bottom layer, put the top layer on and cut into equal quarters.