Muffuletta Grilled Cheese Recipe

By
J. Kenji López-Alt
Kenji Lopez Alt
J. Kenji López-Alt
Culinary Consultant
Kenji is the former culinary director for Serious Eats and a current culinary consultant for the site. He is also a New York Times food columnist and the author of The Food Lab: Better Home Cooking Through Science.
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Updated March 28, 2025
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Photographs: J. Kenji Lopez-Alt

Note: Giardiniera is a pickled vegetable mix that can be found in Italian delis or jarred in supermarkets. If unavailable, it can be omitted. Substitute 2 to 3 seeded and stemmed pepperoncini in its place. This recipe will produce far more olive salad than you need for one sandwich. Extra salad can be stored in the refrigerator for up to a month. Use it in more sandwiches, classic muffulettas, to top pizzas or burgers, or to stir into pasta sauces.

Recipe Details

Muffuletta Grilled Cheese Recipe

Prep 5 mins
Cook 20 mins
Active 15 mins
Total 25 mins
Makes 1 sandwich
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Ingredients

For the Olive Salad:

  • 3/4 cup pitted mixed oil-packed olives

  • 1 tablespoon capers

  • 1/4 cup chopped roasted red peppers

  • 2 tablespoons parsley leaves

  • 1/2 cup giardiniera (Italian-style pickled vegetable salad, see note)

  • 1 medium garlic clove, minced (about 1 teaspoon)

  • 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

  • 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

For the Sandwich:

  • 2 tablespoons butter, cut into 3 even pieces

  • 2 slices hearty white bread, such as Pepperidge Farm or Arnold, or 2 slices hearty French or Italian bread

  • 2 slices mild provolone cheese

  • 3 slices sweet soppressata

  • 3 slices mortadella

  • 3 slices hot capicola

  • Kosher salt

Directions

  1. For the Olive Salad: Combine olives, capers, peppers, parsley, giardiniera, and garlic in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse to chop until no pieces larger than 1/2-inch remain. Transfer to a bowl. Add vineger and olive oil and stir to combine. For best results, let olive salad rest overnight before continuing to step 2.

  2. For the Sandwich: Melt one third of butter in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat until foaming subsides. Add both bread slices and cook, swirling occasionally, until pale golden brown on bottom side, about 2 minutes.

  3. Transfer to a cutting board toasted-side-up. Place one cheese slice on top of one slice of bread. Spread a layer of olive salad across bread with a spoon, then top with soppressata, mortadella, and capicola, followed by second cheese slice. Close sandwich, with both toasted sides facing inwards.

  4. Melt one more piece of butter in the skillet and reduce heat to medium low. Add sandwich and cook, swirling occasionally, until deep, even golden brown, about 5 minutes. Remove sandwich using a flexible metal spatula. Add the remaining butter. Return sandwich to skillet cooked-side up. Season with salt. Cook, swirling occasionally, until second side is deep, even golden brown and cheese is thoroughly melted, about 5 minutes. Serve immediately.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
1521 Calories
123g Fat
58g Carbs
48g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Amount per serving
Calories 1521
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 123g 158%
Saturated Fat 43g 215%
Cholesterol 191mg 64%
Sodium 4127mg 179%
Total Carbohydrate 58g 21%
Dietary Fiber 10g 36%
Total Sugars 9g
Protein 48g
Vitamin C 76mg 382%
Calcium 681mg 52%
Iron 10mg 54%
Potassium 792mg 17%
*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.)

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