Italian Grinder Sub
It’s almost picnic season, beach season, cold sandwich season. When it’s warm and sunny, I want all the fresh, chilled foods! This recipe for Italian Grinder Sub Sandwiches was everything we could’ve wanted for lunch! These were stacked with turkey, salami, provolone, crispy prosciutto, a bunch of fresh veggies, and I made a chili grinder slaw to smear all over inside. It was creamy, crunchy, tangy, and super fresh. This recipe made a ton of subs too, so it’s the perfect thing to stock your cooler with, then head out to catch some rays. These rocked!
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Where did this idea for an Italian grinder sub come from, anyway?
In the late 1800’s Italian immigrants came to America, bringing all of their hearty sandwich inspiration with them. Communities in the Northeast, especially places like Connecticut, New York, Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island all played a part in shaping the idea for this sub!
A grinder was always built with a long, crusty Italian roll as a base. It was sturdy, which made it super compatible with cured meats, cheese, herbs, oil, and veggies piled high! Theories say that during WWII dockworkers would build up a hefty appetite while working on submarines and they’d get these every day from a local Italian shopkeeper. This is what helped shaped the name “sub.” The Italian roll was so chewy, the workers had to “grind” through it with their teeth! The term “grinder” stuck and this sandwich became a staple in New England.
Did you know?
Americans eat over 300 million sandwiches per day! We just can’t get enough of them. And even though subs are a modern, American invention, people have been eating sandwiches for what feels like forever.
The very first Subway, which at the time was called “Pete’s Super Submarines” was opened in 1965, and subs cost a whopping $0.49-$0.69. Could you imagine that, today? That is wild. I feel like every time I turn around, a new sub shop is opening near me and I’m SO here for it. I love them, especially the Italian subs!
What ingredients do I need to make this?
For the crispy prosciutto:
Prosciutto
For the chili grinder slaw:
Iceberg Lettuce
Red Onion
Mayo
Dijon Mustard
Honey
Gochujang
Red Wine Vinegar
Salt
Dried Oregano
Garlic Powder
Black Pepper
For finishing:
Olive Oil
Red Wine Vinegar
Salt
Dried Oregano
For the subs:
Sub Rolls
Deli Turkey
Hard Salami
Provolone Cheese
Tomato
Banana Peppers
Salt
Freshly Cracked Black Pepper
What equipment do I need?
How do I make it?
To make the crispy prosciutto:
First, preheat the oven to 400 F, then line a baking sheet with parchment paper for easy cleanup. Lay the prosciutto out in a single layer and bake until crispy and deepened in color. When it’s done, remove from the oven and allow to cool completely, then crumble and set aside.
To prep the ingredients:
Wash the lettuce and tomato, then dry them off. Finely shred the lettuce, then thinly slice the red onion and tomato.
To make the chili grinder slaw:
Add all ingredients for the slaw besides the lettuce and onion to a large mixing bowl and whisk to combine. Add the onion and lettuce, toss, then cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
To make the oil and vinegar finish:
Add the olive oil, red wine vinegar, salt, and oregano to a small bowl, then whisk to combine. Now let’s toast the buns and assemble the subs.
To toast the buns:
Slice the sub buns, add to that same baking sheet that we used for the prosciutto, facing up, then broil for a few minutes. Remove from the oven once golden and crispy. Set aside and allow to cool slightly – this keeps them from getting soggy.
To make the Italian grinder subs:
Next, let’s build the subs! Start with turkey, then add the salami and provolone, ripping the slices in half if needed. Then layer on the tomato slices. I ended up halving my tomato slices, but it all depends on what you’re going for and how big your buns are!
Sprinkle a touch of salt and freshly cracked black pepper over the tomatoes then add the banana peppers and the chili grinder slaw. Sprinkle on the crushed crispy prosciutto, then drizzle on the oil and vinegar to finish it off.
To serve:
Slice the Italian grinder sub sandwiches in half if desired and enjoy!
Tips:
- I used “sub buns” for this recipe but you could also use hoagie buns or any Italian roll.
- Don’t feel like you have to assemble the subs right away if you don’t want to. Just keep the fixings in separate Tupperware containers and assemble as needed. We made all of our subs right away and they stored super well! Perfect late-night snack. They did not get soggy at all! Still, these assembled subs will likely only keep for 1-2 days in the fridge, so that gives you the freedom to make them a little bit ahead of time too.
- Even with the Gochujang and banana peppers, these weren’t too spicy, and were still family friendly!
- Cut these up into thirds and serve on a platter for a party! Total Jimmy John’s vibes!
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Italian Grinder Sub
Ingredients
For the crispy prosciutto:
- 6 Slices Prosciutto
For the chili grinder slaw:
- 3 ½ cups Iceberg Lettuce finely shredded
- ¼ cup Red Onion thinly sliced
- ⅓ cup Mayo
- 2 tbsp Red Wine Vinegar
- 1 tbsp Gochujang
- 2 tsp Dijon Mustard
- 1 tsp Honey
- ½ tsp Salt
- ½ tsp Dried Oregano
- ¼ tsp Garlic Powder
- ¼ tsp Black Pepper
For finishing:
- 1 ½ tbsp Olive Oil
- 1 ½ tsp Red Wine Vinegar
- Pinch of Salt
- Pinch of Dried Oregano
For the subs:
- 6 Sub Rolls
- 12 Slices Deli Turkey
- 18 Slices Hard Salami
- 9 Slices Provolone Cheese ripped in half
- 1 Large Tomato thinly sliced
- ½ cup Sliced Banana Peppers
- Pinch of Salt
- Pinch of Freshly Cracked Black Pepper
Instructions
To make the crispy prosciutto:
- First, preheat the oven to 400 ℉, then line a baking sheet with parchment paper for easy cleanup.
- Lay the prosciutto out in a single layer and bake 8-10 minutes, until crispy and deepened in color.
- When it's done, remove from the oven and allow to cool completely, then crumble and set aside.
To make the chili grinder slaw:
- Add all ingredients for the slaw besides the lettuce and onion to a large mixing bowl and whisk to combine.
- Add the onion and lettuce, toss, then cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
To make the oil and vinegar finish:
- Add all ingredients for the oil and vinegar finish to a small bowl, then whisk to combine.
To toast the buns:
- Slice the sub buns, then add to that same baking sheet we used for the prosciutto, opened and facing up.
- Broil on high for 3-4 minutes, until crispy and golden.
- Remove from oven and allow them to cool slightly – this keeps them from getting soggy.
To make the Italian grinder subs:
- Add two thin slices of turkey to the bottom bun, then add 3 slices of salami.
- Layer on the provolone, ripping the slices in half if needed. I used 1 1/2 slices per sub.
- Add 3 tomato slices, then sprinkle a touch of salt and freshly cracked black pepper on them.
- Next, add the banana peppers, chili grinder slaw, crushed crispy prosciutto, and a drizzle of oil and vinegar to finish it off.
To serve:
- Slice the Italian grinder sub sandwiches in half if desired and enjoy!
Nutrition
Please be aware that nutritional values are approximate and intended as a helpful guide
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