If you haven't tried the Viral Chopped Italian Sandwich yet, you're missing out on a viral meal that actually lives up to the hype. This sandwich is delicious and makes plenty of salad for more sandwiches or a snack throughout the week! Don't forget you get a mouthful of all these flavorful ingredients with every bite!
Looking for another delicious Italian sandwich? Try a Peppers and Eggs Sandwich or an Eggplant Caprese Grilled Cheese!
I'm not a huge fan of jumping on the "viral" bandwagon. You don't want to hear my opinion on "butter plates." But this Chopped Italian Sandwich is worth making and if you follow my recipe you can skip some of the trials and tribulations by trying to make it freestyle!
I tested this several times to make sure the combination of mayo, oil, and vinegar was the perfect amount for this salad on a sandwich. Plus, here is an expert tip if you're going to make this a day in advance. If you want to keep the crispness of the iceberg lettuce, just mix in a fresh handful right before you're going to eat it.
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Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- Meat. Hard salami and pepperoni are a great start for the meat component of the chopped Italian sandwich but there are plenty of possibilities for substitutions like capocollo, sopresata, or Italian ham!
- Pepperoncini. The pepperoncini give a hint of spice but I would never call them spicy. I think they add a dynamic flavor blast to this sandwich!
- Cheese. You have to go with a couple Italian cheeses. You can't skip the provolone but I also added some fresh mozzarella chopped up. You can swap it for deli-sliced mozzarella. I have also substituted gorgonzola and fontina and it's just as delicious but with a different flavor!
- Mayo. You can't skip the mayo. It brings the whole mixture together especially when you store it in the fridge for a few hours. Mayo is quite literally the glue to this recipe and allows the flavor to all combine!
- Olive oil and Vinegar. Even though you're adding mayo, you need the oil and vinegar. It's this combination that makes this taste like it came out of a NY deli.
*Please see the recipe card below for more information about the ingredients.
How to make an Italian Chopped Sandwich
Step 1: Roughly chop all the ingredients: pepperoni, salami, provolone, mozzarella, lettuce, red onion, roasted red pepper, and pepperoncini. Combine the ingredients in a large bowl.
Step 2: Combine the chopped ingredients with olive oil, mayo, red wine vinegar, salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning.
Step 3: Once combined, wrap the mixture with plastic wrap and store it in the fridge for preferably 4 hours (but if you're a cafone, go ahead and eat it right away). A little refrigeration helps it all stick together better.
Step 4: Split the salad into four portions and serve on Italian bread or rolls. You can sprinkle a little extra salt and pepper for good measure.
The chopped Italian sandwich is perfect to serve if you have a huge group of people to eat because the "four" sandwiches can easily be cut into eight. You can serve it as small bites along with some Spinach and Artichoke Dip (No Mayo) and Eggplant Caponata.
Or it's great for a soup and sandwich combination. Pair it with our White Bean Lentil Soup or Classic Italian Minestrone!
Pro-Tips
- If you can prepare this ahead of time, the texture is much better when it has been stored in the refrigerator for more than 4 hours.
- You can use as much iceberg lettuce as you want, especially if you want to stretch this out into more sandwiches.
- I used deli-sliced hard salami and pepperoni. You can have them slice it a little thick since you're chopping it up. If you put the meat in the freezer for 5 minutes before chopping, it'll be much easier to cut.
Recipe FAQs
A traditional Italian sandwich has a combination of Italian meats like salami, soppressata, capocollo, prosciutto, or pepperoni. Then for cheese, typically it will have provolone, fresh mozzarella, or burrata. Toppings can include sundried tomatoes, marinated artichokes, roasted red peppers, pepperoncini, and more! The Chopped Italian Sandwich can be any combination of these!
If you let it sit overnight the lettuce will get a little soggy. The best way to spruce it back up is to add a handful of extra iceberg lettuce when you're going to eat it.
You can add sundried tomatoes, olives, artichokes, capers, anchovies, or whatever else you can think of!
More Delicious Italian Sandwiches
Please leave a comment and star rating below in the recipe card! I love to hear what you think of our recipes. Feel free to tag us on Instagram @vindelgiudice.
📖 Recipe
Chopped Italian Sandwich
Equipment
- 1 large bowl
Ingredients
- ⅓ lb Pepperoni
- ⅓ lb Salami
- ¼ lb Provolone
- ¼ lb Fresh Mozzarella
- ½ head Iceberg Lettuce
- ¼ Small Red Onion
- ⅓ cup Roasted Red Pepper About 1 roasted red pepper
- ⅓ cup Pepperoncini
- ½ cup Mayo
- 3 tablespoon Olive Oil
- 2 tablespoon Red Wine Vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 1 teaspoon Black Pepper
- 1 tablespoon Italian Seasoning
- 4 6 in Rolls
Instructions
- Roughly chop all the ingredients: pepperoni, salami, provolone, mozzarella, lettuce, red onion, roasted red pepper, and pepperoncini.
- In a large bowl, combine all the chopped ingredients with olive oil, mayo, red wine vinegar, salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning.
- Split the mixture up into the four rolls and serve.
Notes
- If you can prepare this ahead of time, the texture is much better when it has been stored in the refrigerator for more than 4 hours.
- You can use as much iceberg lettuce as you want, especially if you want to stretch this out into more sandwiches.
- I used deli-sliced hard salami and pepperoni. You can have them slice it a little thick since you're chopping it up. If you put the meat in the freezer for 5 minutes before chopping, it'll be much easier to cut.
Vinny
Every single bite is perfect in this Italian chopped sandwich. Definitely worth trying it this way! Give it a shot and leave a review below!