Game morning is short, and a sandwich you built last night is one less thing to do in the lot. A muffuletta is made for that. Layer cured meats and provolone between two coats of olive salad on a round loaf, wrap it tight and press it in the fridge overnight. The oil soaks into the bread and the layers set, so it cuts into clean wedges at the tent with no grill and no plates. It was born at Central Grocery on Decatur Street in New Orleans in 1906, so it fits right in at a Saints or Tulane tailgate.
At the lot: It rides wrapped in the cooler at 40°F or below and gets cut into wedges at the tent. Cook ahead: That's the whole recipe: olive salad two days out, sandwich the night before. Homegating: Same sandwich, straight from the fridge to the board.
1 NIGHT
Pressed in the fridge
40°F
In the cooler till you cut it
6 WEDGES
Per loaf, cut at the tent
12
Serves
Ingredients
Olive salad
- 1 cup pimento-stuffed green olives, chopped
- 1 cup pitted Kalamata olives, chopped
- 1 cup jarred giardiniera, drained and chopped
- 2 tbsp capers, drained
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tbsp chopped parsley
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- ¼ tsp red pepper flakes
- 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
- ½ cup olive oil
- (Or 1 jar store-bought muffuletta olive salad, about 32 oz, for both loaves)
Sandwiches
- 2 round Italian loaves, 9 to 10 inches across (sesame-topped if you can find it)
- ½ lb thin-sliced Genoa salami
- ½ lb thin-sliced deli ham
- ½ lb thin-sliced mortadella
- ½ lb thin-sliced provolone
Steps
At home
- Two days before the game, stir together everything for the olive salad. Cover it and chill it overnight so the flavors come together. With a store-bought jar, skip this step.
- The night before the game, split each loaf in half crosswise. Pull out a little of the soft bread from the top half to make room.
- Brush both cut sides of each loaf with oil from the olive salad.
- Spread a quarter of the olive salad on each bottom half, all the way to the edge.
- Layer half the salami, ham, mortadella and provolone on each bottom half, overlapping the slices.
- Spread the rest of the olive salad on the cut side of each top half and set it on.
- Wrap each loaf tight in plastic wrap, then foil. Set them in the fridge under a cast-iron skillet or a sheet pan weighted with a few cans. Press them for 1 hour, then take the weight off and chill them overnight.
At the lot
- Carry them wrapped in the cooler at 40°F or below, with nothing raw above them.
- At the tent, unwrap one loaf at a time and cut it into 6 wedges with a serrated knife.
- Cut wedges sit out no more than 2 hours, or 1 hour above 90°F. Keep the second loaf in the cooler until the first is gone.
Pack for the lot
What is a muffuletta?
A New Orleans sandwich: a round Italian loaf layered with cured meats, provolone and olive salad, cut into wedges. It comes from Central Grocery on Decatur Street, 1906.
What's in muffuletta olive salad?
Green and black olives, pickled vegetables like giardiniera, capers, garlic, herbs, vinegar and olive oil. Make it a day ahead so the flavors come together.
Can you make a muffuletta the night before?
Yes, and it's meant to be made ahead. Wrap it tight, press it in the fridge, and let the olive salad soak in overnight. Keep it at 40°F or below until you cut it.
Is a muffuletta served hot or cold?
Both are common. For a tailgate, serve it cold from the cooler; it needs no grill.
How many people does one muffuletta feed?
A 10-inch loaf cuts into about 6 wedges, so 2 loaves feed about 12.
More New Orleans: red beans and rice, Creole gumbo and jambalaya. Pour from a Bloody Mary bar, and set out Texas caviar as a no-cook side.
