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Cold Italian Sub Sandwich Party Sliders

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Cold Italian Sub Sandwich Party Sliders are the thing to make for picnics, the beach, poolside, tailgating…and, well…parties! They are quick and easy to assemble and always a crowd favorite!

italian sub sandwich sliders on focaccia

Italian Sub Sandwich Sliders to Satisfy Big Sandwich Cravings

Santini’s is a family-owned New York style deli chain near us that serves up the most amazing sandwiches, pizza + desserts. My all-time favorite is a sub called ‘The Godfather’. It is THE BOMB! (Do people still say that?) 

I could drop in and order one or have it delivered anytime, but that could get out of hand real quick…especially because I can’t have one without their amazing curly fries on the side. 

Solution? Recreate it at home with my own little variations to satisfy that craving!

focaccia bread sliced to make Italian sub sandwiches

The Ingredients

This is all about how the individual ingredients come together to create that undeniable Italian sub flavor — the salty bite of Italian deli meat, the briny spice of banana peppers, and the fresh crunch of dressed veggies. 

But the bread…there’s nothing like fresh baked bread for sandwiches (or any reason…let’s be honest).

I went for homemade focaccia to get that little extra flavor it brings to the party. The book, Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day by Jeff Hertzberg, M.D. and Zoë François, is an amazing resource for having fresh baked bread all the time. 

I halved their Olive Oil Dough recipe and using the entire batch, made a rosemary and sea salt focaccia in a 9” x 13” cake pan (following the directions in their Focaccia with Onion and Rosemary recipe). This yielded a nice thick loaf of focaccia that I was able to slice along the equator, then into 12 rectangles.

This takes some planning, so if you don’t have the time or aren’t being called to bake from scratch, the recipe below recommends slider, Hawaiian, or dinner rolls or store-bought focaccia. They’ll still be delicious! 

homemade focaccia bread

The other items you’ll need…

For the Sandwich Dressing:

  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • Red wine vinegar
  • Honey
  • Oregano
  • Paprika
  • Garlic powder
  • Dijon mustard
  • Salt + pepper

For the Sliders:

  • Provolone cheese
  • Roma tomatoes
  • Red onion
  • Iceberg lettuce (trust me)
  • Pickled peppers, like banana or cherry, mild or spicy
  • Italian deli meat

I found a convenient antipasto pack of prosciutto, salami and coppa that suited me just fine. Feel free to mix up the variety of meat based on availability or taste.

a package of Dietz and Watson antipasto deli meat

Assembling the Sliders

There really isn’t a right or wrong way to do this, but I like to finish with the lettuce so it captures all the vinaigrette when you drizzle it on.

adding cheese to sliders
Begin by adding meat and then cheese to the bottom of the slider roll.
sliders with meat, cheese, tomatoes and banana peppers
Next, add sliced tomato, red onion and jarred pickled peppers.
Sliders with lettuce being drizzled with dressing
Add the lettuce, then drizzle the sliders with the sandwich dressing. Add the tops + you’re done!

Stack them on a platter, pack them up for a picnic or add them to a tailgating spread. Your fans friends will love them!

Related video: watch how to assemble these party sliders in this Instagram Reel!

More Party Sandwiches That You Gotta Try!

Italian sub sandwich party sliders
cold italian sub sliders made with focaccia

Cold Italian Sub Sandwich Party Sliders

Sip + Sanity | Linda Feller
Cold Italian Sub Sandwich Party Sliders are the thing to make for picnics, the beach, poolside, tailgating…and, well…parties! They are quick and easy to assemble and always a crowd favorite!
Prep time.10 minutes
Total time.10 minutes
Course.Appetizer, Main Course, Sandwich
Cuisine.Italian
Number of servings.12 sliders
Calories per serving.160 kcal

Ingredients

Sandwich Dressing

  • ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 3 tablespoon red wine vinegar
  • ½ teaspoon dijon mustard
  • ½ teaspoon honey
  • 1 teaspoon fresh oregano, chopped fine (or a heaping 1/4 tsp of dried)
  • teaspoon paprika
  • teaspoon garlic powder
  • fresh cracked pepper + kosher salt, to taste

For the Sliders

  • 12 slider buns, Hawaiian rolls, dinner rolls or sliced focaccia or other Italian bread
  • 6 ounce Italian deli meat, use 3 varieties, like Prosciutto, Capicola, Genoa Salami, etc.
  • 6 ounce provolone cheese, sliced
  • 2 roma tomatoes, sliced
  • ¼ red onion, sliced thin
  • sliced pickled peppers, banana or cherry, to taste
  • 3 cups iceberg lettuce, shredded (by knife or with a box grater)

Instructions

  • In a small bowl, whisk together the ingredients for the sandwich dressing. Set aside.
  • Place your slider buns on a work surface. Remove the tops and set those aside.
  • Add sandwich ingredients as follows:
    – Italian deli meat
    – Provolone cheese
    – Sliced tomatoes
    – Sliced red onion
    – Sliced pickled peppers
    – Shredded iceberg lettuce
  • Drizzle the sandwich dressing all over the sandwiches then replace the tops.

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 160kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 21mg | Sodium: 451mg | Potassium: 166mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 402IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 119mg | Iron: 1mg
Keywords.game day, make ahead
Did You Make This Recipe?Be sure to share a comment below!

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Recipe Rating




16 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Loving the sound of this easy sandwich recipe. What a fun party food. I would serve it as a main dish with a side salad too.

  2. 5 stars
    I made this quick and easy party sliders for my family gathering the other day and it was a huge hit!! I will be making this recipe again!

  3. What a clever way to serve sandwiches fir a party. I’ll be making these when we tailgate gate during football season. Thanks for sharing!!