Rhody Recipe: Chopped Italian Sandwich

Packing a picnic just got a little more fun with this take on the classic Italian sub. Rather than artfully laying the lunch meats, cheeses, and lettuce, this chopped version invites the sandwich maker to assemble with abandon, dicing all the ingredients into bite-sized pieces to stuff in a hoagie roll. It takes less than 10 minutes to make and travels well, making it the perfect savory beach-side snack or on-the-go lunch.

CHOPPED ITALIAN SANDWICH

Yields 4 servings

Ingredients

• ¼ pound sliced pepperoni

• ¼ pound sliced Genoa salami

• ¼ pound sliced ham

• ¼ pound sliced provolone cheese

• ¼ cup thin-sliced red onion

• ¼ cup banana peppers

• 5 slices of medium-sized tomato

• 6 romaine lettuce leaves, well washed

• 4 sub rolls

• 2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

• 1 Tbsp red wine vinegar

• ½ tsp honey

• 1 tsp Dijon mustard

• ⅛ tsp table salt

• Fresh-cracked black pepper

• 1 tsp Italian seasoning

Steps

1. Place all of the sandwich ingredients on a large cutting board.

2. With your sharpest knife, carefully chop up the pile of ingredients by putting pressure on the top of the knife. Once you’ve chopped one way, chop the opposite way, then mix everything up and do it again. Continue to do this until all of the ingredients are cut into tiny pieces and well mixed.

3. To make the dressing, add the extra-virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, dijon, and honey to a cup or bowl and whisk until it is well-combined. Pour the dressing over the top of the chopped ingredients and mix it all together.

4. Carefully scoop out the inside bread on a hoagie roll, and spoon in the chopped sandwich ingredients. Serve immediately – or roll tight in foil – and enjoy!

For more healthy recipes and cooking videos, visit RecipeHippie.com.

Sando Inspo

Before finessing your Italian sub game, take a deli trek around the state to see what other mainstays are doing to make their sandwiches special. Here’s just a handful to try:

401 Deli, Exeter

Albanese’s Delizioso Deli, Cranston

Bottega Bocconi, Portsmouth & Middletown

The Butcher Shop, Providence

Father and Son Deli, Johnston

Italian Corner, East Providence

Mousies Deli, Warwick

Natale’s Deli, East Greenwich

Riccotti’s, Bristol

Ritacco’s Market, Westerly

Sandwich Hut, Providence