This Grinder Sandwich recipe went viral on TikTok last year, and for good reason. It’s loaded with various meats and cheeses and packed with flavor thanks to its signature creamy Grinder salad. This hearty sandwich is assembled atop a sliced Italian sandwich loaf with a spread of Calabrian chili paste and dressed up with slices of tomato, extra onion, and lots of freshly grated parmesan to take it over the top. Though it’s been popular for a while now, this Grinder Sandwich is still my obsession.
WHAT IS A GRINDER SANDWICH?
In essence, a grinder sandwich is a New England style of hero, which is a large sandwich that can be either hot or cold. My recipe for the grinder is hot. Every grinder has a lot of meat, cheese, and a crispy, tangy, and creamy salad. The TikTok Grinder salad sandwich usually has this tangy salad, along with a large amount of freshly grated parmesan as well as juicy slices of tomato and extra onion.
WHERE DOES THE NAME COME FROM?
The origins of the Grinder sandwich name are unclear but most say that it is due to the grinding your teeth and jaw need to do to consume such a large and loaded sandwich. However, others speculate that it was named after the Italian-American slang term for dockworkers who were grinding and sanding hulls of boats, aka grinders. Whatever the origin is, there is no doubt this is a deliciously large and loaded sandwich.
WHAT DOES THE SANDWICH CONSIST OF:Â
While there are different recipes for the Grinder Sandwich floating around, the key components remain the same. Every Grinder sandwich has:
- A mix of meats, usually Italian
- Cheese, oftentimes more than one type
- Creamy Grinder Salad
The sandwich usually also has sliced tomato and onion and a mountain of freshly grated parmesan cheese.
My Grinder Sandwich also has a generous spread of Calabrian chili paste for a nice kick.
HOW TO MAKE A GRINDER SANDWICH
- Make the Salad: Start by soaking the onions in water. This removes some of the bitterness from the onions.
- Toss sliced Iceberg lettuce with a creamy dressing of mayonnaise, red wine vinegar, oregano, crushed red pepper, minced garlic, and salt and pepper to taste.
- Add in sliced pepperoncini and sliced red onions.
- To Assemble the Sandwich: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Start with a sliced Italian sandwich loaf and add some Calabrian chili paste to both sides for a nice kick.
- Next, layer salami, spicy pepperoni, and prosciutto on the top half and the Colby jack and Havarti cheeses on the other half.
- Bake for 5 minutes or until the meats are warm and the cheese is melty.
- Add the salad with the slices of tomato, more onion, and parmesan, slice it up, and enjoy your life.
TIPS AND TRICKS
- You might be asking yourself if you can make this ahead. And I say yes and no. You can assemble the sandwich and keep it in the fridge before hand. Then just pop it in the oven when you’re ready to serve it. The salad, however, gets pretty soggy if it sits for too long. I say that’s best fresh.
- Can you make this without pork? Yes! Find salami made from beef. Skip the prosciutto and replace it with turkey.
- I love the grinder salad itself. And I have actually made the salad by itself, a piece of protein (like chicken) and served them together. Bliss! Does it take the sandwich out of the equation all together? Yes, but it’s still good.
If you make this Grinder Sandwich, let me know on Instagram!
Looking for more recipes? Here are a few that I love:
Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
Grinder Sandwich
Ingredients
SALAD:
- 1/4 thinly sliced red onion
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon ground oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 3 minced garlic cloves
- 1/2 head of iceberg lettuce
- 3 pepperoncinis sliced
- Kosher salt and pepper to taste
SANDWICH:
- Italian loaves (or you could use hoagie loaves)
- Calabrian paste
- 2 slices Havarti cheese
- 2 slices Colby jack
- 3 slices salami
- 3 slices prosciutto
- 3 slices spicy pepperoni
- Fresh parmesan
- 1 tomato
- 1 white onion
- Kosher salt and black pepper
- Freshly grated parmesan to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Add the red onion to a bowl, pour some cold water over it, and let it sit. This will take away some of the bitterness. Whisk the mayonnaise, red wine vinegar, oregano, red pepper, and garlic cloves. Add in the lettuce, onion, and pepperoncini, and give it a taste. Adjust the salt and pepper to taste.
- Slice the bread in half and add Calabrian chili paste to both sides of the bread. Add the cheese to one of the halves. Add the meats to the other half. Transfer to the oven to bake for about 5 minutes, until the cheese is melted and the meat is warmed. Add the salad on top of the meat, along with a few slices of tomato, fresh onion, and parmesan cheese.
- Slice in half and enjoy. #grindersandwich
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