Kicked Up New Orleans Muffuletta Recipes

Steps:

• To Make Olive Salad: In a medium bowl, combine the green olives, kalamata olives, garlic, cauliflower, capers, celery, carrot, pepperoncini, cocktail onions, celery seed, oregano, basil, black pepper, vinegar, olive oil and canola oil. Mix together and transfer mixture into a glass jar (or other nonreactive container). If needed, pour in more oil to cover. Cover jar or container and refrigerate at least overnight.
• To Make Sandwiches: Cut loaves of bread in half horizontally; hollow out some of the excess bread to make room for filling. Spread each piece of bread with equal amounts olive salad, including oil. Layer 'bottom half' of each loaf with 1/2 of the salami, ham, mortadella, mozzarella and Provolone. Replace 'top half' on each loaf and cut sandwich into quarters.
• Serve immediately, or wrap tightly and refrigerate for a few hours; this will allow for the flavors to mingle and the olive salad to soak into the bread.

Steps:

• Make the olive salad by combining all ingredients in a large bowl. Set aside to marinate.
• Assemble the muffuletta by slicing the loaf of bread horizontally into 2 large pieces, with the top piece 2/3 the size of the bottom piece. Hollow out the top piece by removing the soft bread inside, leaving 1/2 inch of bread near the crust. Spread half of the olive salad on the bottom piece. Begin layering the meats, starting with the soppressata and adding 1/4 of the provolone cheese between each layer of meat except for the last.
• Spread the remaining olive salad on the last layer of meat and top with the hollowed bread. Press down lightly and let sit at least 10 minutes. To serve, slice into 6 or 8 wedges. It will keep for several hours in the refrigerator wrapped in plastic.

Steps:

• Chop pepper salad or giardiniera in a food processor with olives. Split bread and drizzle bread with extra-virgin olive oil and sprinkle with chopped rosemary. Spread the olive salad on the bottom of the bread very liberally. Pile the meats on top of the olive salad, then layer cheese over meat and cover the giant sandwich with the bread top. Press down to set the sandwich, then cut into 4 wedges.