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Chicago-style muffuletta half on a white plate showing layers of provolone, meats and giardiniera olive salad
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Chicago-Style Muffuletta in a Loaf Pan

A pressed muffuletta with hot giardiniera olive salad, four meats and provolone, built in a parchment-lined loaf pan so it slices into perfect layers.
Course Lunch, Sandwich
Cuisine American, Italian
Keyword chicago muffuletta, giardiniera olive salad, muffuletta sandwich, pressed sandwich
Prep Time 20 minutes
Press 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 20 minutes
Servings 4 servings

Ingredients

Olive salad

  • 1/2 cup pimento-stuffed Spanish olives chopped
  • 1/4 cup roasted red peppers chopped
  • 1 tbsp capers
  • 1/2 cup hot giardiniera chopped, plus 1 tbsp of its oil
  • 1 tsp minced garlic
  • 1/2 tsp dried oregano
  • 2 tbsp olive oil

Sandwich

  • 4 slices sourdough pan loaf about 3/4 inch thick
  • 8 slices provolone
  • 4 oz sliced turkey
  • 3 oz beef salami
  • 3 oz pastrami
  • 3 oz beef bologna

Instructions

  • Make the olive salad. Combine the olives, roasted peppers, capers, giardiniera and its oil, garlic, oregano and olive oil in a bowl. Stir and let it sit while you set up. Make it a day ahead and it gets even better.
  • Line the pan. Line a glass 9x5 loaf pan with a strip of parchment, leaving long tabs hanging over both ends so you can lift the sandwich out later.
  • Lay the base. Fit 2 slices of bread into the bottom of the pan, edge to edge.
  • Build the layers. Cover the bread with provolone, then layer the turkey, salami, pastrami and bologna. Spoon the olive salad evenly over the meat, then cover it with more provolone.
  • Close it up. Lay the last 2 slices of bread on top and press down gently with your hands.
  • Press it. Cover with plastic wrap, then set a heavy pan on top and weigh it down with a couple of cans. Refrigerate at least 2 hours, or overnight.
  • Lift, cut and serve. Lift the sandwich out by the parchment tabs and cut it between the slices into 2 tall halves. Cut each half again to serve 4.

Notes

  • Make ahead: it holds wrapped in the fridge for up to 2 days. The bread softens a little more each day, which is the point.
  • Serve warm? Toast slabs in a 400°F oven for 8 to 10 minutes until the cheese softens.
  • Dip it: spoon some giardiniera oil into a small bowl for dipping. It's very Chicago.
  • No glass loaf pan? A metal one works the same way. Just line it well with parchment.
  • Gluten-free: use a sturdy gluten-free sandwich loaf and check that your giardiniera and meats are GF.