Is TikTok’s Viral Italian Grinder Sandwich Worth the Hype?

TikTok’s viral Italian grinder sandwich took over our “for you page,” so we had to recreate it at home. Upgrade your deli sandwich with lots of flavor using these key ingredients.

Ingredients

• Large loaf of soft French bread
• 4 Tablespoons melted butter
• 2 Tablespoons Parmesan cheese
• 1 Tablespoon cilantro or parsley
• 1 cup shredded lettuce
• 2 Tablespoons mayo
• 1/2 teaspoon whole grain mustard
• 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup red onion
• 3-4 hot banana peppers
• 1/4 lb salami
• 1/4 lb prosciutto
• 1/4 lb pepperoni
• 1/4 lb deli turkey
• 1/4 lb sliced provolone cheese
• 1 cup mozzarella cheese
• 1 tomato sliced thin
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

STEP 1:

First, cut your large loaf of bread in half and press down the center dough to make room for the many toppings

STEP 2:

Brush the bread on the inside and outside with butter, Parmesan cheese, and herbs

STEP 3:

Toast the buttered bread in the oven for about two minutes

STEP 4:

Mix together the lettuce, red onion, mayo, mustard, vinegar, salt, and pepper to create a salad or slaw that you’ll put to the side for now

STEP 5:

Begin assembling the sandwich by adding the deli meats and cheeses evenly across the bread

STEP 6:

Place the sandwich back in the oven to melt the cheese for about one minute

STEP 7:

Add your salad slaw mixture, banana peppers, and the sliced tomatoes

STEP 8:

Close your sandwich and slice into 2-4 sandwiches depending on serving needs

This viral Italian grinder sandwich lived on my “for you page” on TikTok for weeks. It makes sense because just looking at this sandwich makes my mouth water. It’s full of color, flavor, and texture. Even though there are many ingredients, a lot of them are pretty standard for making an Italian grinder sandwich and easy to find. Plus, it doesn’t take long to assemble.

Trust me, all of the preparation required makes this lunch or dinner well worth it. We absolutely recommend making the lettuce slaw, melted cheese, and garlic bread to get the full experience. However, if you’re short on time you can skip the oven factor.

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Assembly Tips for Making the Viral Italian Grinder Sandwich

Yum

When making this grinder, be sure to start with your bread. Not only should you slice your bread evenly, but be sure to push down on the soft part of the bread on the inside. This will flatten thick breads, so that you can fit more ingredients on your sandwich. It’s also important that you toast the bread in the garlic butter mixture before you assemble anything else.

Be sure to toast your meat and cheeses, too, before you add any of your fresh vegetables. It’s important to distinguish between the warm meat, cheese, and bread and the cool vegetables.

One step we found helpful was to mix the lettuce with the mayo and vinegar dressing before adding the red onions and banana peppers. You want to make sure your lettuce has a consistency that resembles coleslaw. This creamy, crunchy, and chilled ingredient will really balance out the salty and warm parts of the sandwich.

If you do not love the acidity or bite of red onion, you can add the slices to an ice bath with water to chill before you make your sandwich. This will tame some of the flavor without completely taking it out of the ingredients list.

Lastly, once everything is added, it can be helpful to wrap the entire sandwich in tinfoil before you cut it. This way, all of your amazing ingredients stay firmly on the sandwich without worry. Plus, you can transport the sandwich easily to football games, class, or even parties. You have to try this viral Italian grinder sandwich, you will love it.