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This mini Muffuletta is a smaller take on the classic New Orleans sandwich, packed with layers of flavorful meats, cheese, and a tangy homemade olive salad. It’s easy to make and delivers all the bold flavors of the original in a perfectly portioned size.
For a taste of New Orleans, try our single serving Louisiana recipes. Enjoy the bold flavors of Jambalaya, Shrimp Creole, and Seafood Gumbo. Finish with Bread Pudding with Whiskey Sauce or Pecan Pralines for a classic sweet treat.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Authentic Flavor: A true taste of New Orleans, made right at home.
- Perfectly Portioned: Great for one or two servings with no waste.
- Easy to Make: As simple as assembling a sandwich.
- Customizable: Swap meats and cheeses to match your preferences.
A Muffuletta is a classic New Orleans deli sandwich, layered with ham, pastrami, pepperoni or salami, and creamy provolone cheese. What truly sets it apart is the olive salad—a tangy, briny mix that gives the sandwich its signature flavor.
The name Muffuletta actually refers to the bread, a soft, sesame-covered loaf that originated in Sicily. The spelling varies across Sicilian regions—sometimes seen as muffeletta or muffaletta—but they all point to the same traditional bread. While its roots are Italian, the Muffuletta sandwich itself was created in New Orleans by Sicilian immigrant Salvatore Lupo in the early 1900s. At his Central Grocery store, he combined the ingredients his customers were already buying—bread, cold cuts, olives, and cheese—into one hearty, convenient sandwich.
Growing up in New Orleans, I have fond memories of visiting Central Grocery with my family and enjoying their famous Muffuletta. This single serving version is my take on the beloved sandwich, bringing a taste of home to your table.
Ingredients
If you have any ingredients leftover from this authentic New Orleans muffuletta recipe, check out our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder.
Muffuletta Bread
Traditional Muffuletta sandwiches are made with a Sicilian sesame loaf—large, round, and covered in sesame seeds—but it’s hard to find outside of New Orleans. If you can’t get one, Italian or French bread bread works well. For a mini Muffuletta, sturdy options like ciabatta rolls, focaccia, or sourdough are great choices.
In this recipe, I use two small ciabatta rolls, each about 4 inches by 2 inches. If you find larger ones, you can use just one, but for smaller rolls, simply divide the ingredients between two.
The Olive Salad
A Muffuletta isn’t complete without olive salad. This version is inspired by Central Grocery’s famous mix, scaled down for one. It includes pitted green and black olives, a medium carrot, grated Parmesan, and olive oil, all blended in a food processor. If you want extra for later, just double or triple the ingredients. This olive salad brings the signature tangy, briny flavor that makes a Muffuletta unique.
Meat & Cheese
A classic Muffuletta features a mix of deli meats and cheese. Here, I use ham, pastrami, pepperoni, and provolone for bold, balanced flavors. Feel free to swap in salami, mortadella, prosciutto, capicola, or coppa. If provolone isn’t your favorite, mozzarella or Swiss are great alternatives.
To Heat or Not to Heat
Muffulettas can be enjoyed warm or at room temperature. To heat, brush the top of the bread with melted butter, wrap the sandwich in foil, and bake at 350°F for about 30 minutes. This warms the sandwich through and slightly toasts the bread. Either way, it’s packed with flavor.
How To Make A Muffuletta
These step-by-step photos and instructions help you visualize how to make a small Muffuletta. See the recipe box below for ingredient amounts and full recipe instructions.
- Preheat the Oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F (177°C).
- Make the Olive Salad: In a food processor, pulse the green olives, black olives, and chopped carrot until finely chopped. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the olive oil and Parmesan cheese. Set aside.
- Assemble the Sandwich: Slice the ciabatta rolls in half. On the bottom half, layer the meats, followed by the cheese, then top with the olive salad. Place the top half of the bread over the fillings.
- Prepare for Baking: Set the sandwich on a sheet of aluminum foil and lightly brush the top with melted butter.
- Wrap and Bake: Wrap the sandwich tightly in foil and place it on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake for about 30 minutes, until the cheese melts and the sandwich is warmed through.
- Press and Serve: Remove from the oven and gently press down on the top of the sandwich to help distribute the fillings. Unwrap and serve warm.
Expert Tips
- Make the Olive Salad Ahead: The olive salad can be made up to 5 days in advance and stored in the refrigerator, saving time when assembling the sandwich.
- Assemble in Advance: You can build the sandwich up to 2 days ahead and refrigerate it until ready to eat.
- Press After Heating: Lightly press the sandwich after baking to help the olive salad soak into the bread for better flavor.
- Adjust for Roll Size: This recipe uses two small ciabatta rolls (4×2 inches each). If using larger rolls (over 4×4 inches), increase the filling to keep the sandwich well-balanced.
What To Serve With A Muffuletta
Pair your mini Muffuletta with these great sides:
- Sweet Potato Fries: Their natural sweetness pairs well with the bold flavors of the sandwich.
- Parmesan Crisps: Crunchy and cheesy, they add a nice contrast to the soft sandwich.
- Potato Salad: A creamy, flavorful side that complements the Muffuletta.
- King Cake: A classic New Orleans dessert to complete the meal.
Frequently Asked Questions
For parties or tailgating, I recommend making a full-sized muffuletta using a traditional recipe like Isabel’s Famous New Orleans Muffuletta Recipe. It’s perfect for feeding a crowd and captures the authentic flavors of this classic sandwich.
You can assemble it up to 2 days ahead and store it wrapped in the refrigerator.
Yes, you can finely chop the olives and carrot by hand and mix them with olive oil and Parmesan.
Ways To Use Leftover Ingredients
If you have any ingredients leftover from this recipe, check out our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder or you might like to consider using them in any of these single serving and small batch recipes:
If you’ve tried this small muffuletta recipe or any recipe on One Dish Kitchen please let me know how you liked it by rating the recipe and telling me about it in the comment section below.
Also, if you take a picture please tag us on Instagram (@onedishkitchen) we’d love to see it!
Mini Muffuletta
Ingredients
For the Olive Salad
- 8 pitted green olives
- 6 pitted black olives
- 1 medium carrot -peeled and rough chopped
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
For the Muffuletta
- 1 (4×4-inch) ciabatta roll or use 2 smaller rolls
- 2 slices ham (2-ounces/48 grams)
- 2 slices pastrami (2-ounces/48 grams)
- 5 slices pepperoni (.5-ounce/15 grams)
- 2 slices provolone cheese (1.5-ounce/40 grams)
- ½ tablespoon butter -melted
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (177°C).
- Make the Olive Salad: In a food processor, pulse the green olives, black olives, and chopped carrot until finely chopped. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the olive oil and Parmesan cheese. Set aside.
- Assemble the Sandwich: Slice the ciabatta rolls in half. On the bottom half, layer the meats, followed by the cheese, then top with the olive salad. Place the top half of the bread over the fillings.
- Prepare for Baking: Set the sandwich on a sheet of aluminum foil and lightly brush the top with melted butter.
- Wrap and Bake: Wrap the sandwich tightly in foil and place it on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake for about 30 minutes, until the cheese melts and the sandwich is warmed through.
- Press and Serve: Remove from the oven and gently press down on the top of the sandwich to help distribute the fillings. Unwrap and serve warm.
Notes
- Make the Olive Salad Ahead: The olive salad can be made up to 5 days in advance and stored in the refrigerator, saving time when assembling the sandwich.
- Assemble in Advance: You can build the sandwich up to 2 days ahead and refrigerate it until ready to eat.
- Press After Heating: Lightly press the sandwich after baking to help the olive salad soak into the bread for better flavor.
- Adjust for Roll Size: This recipe uses two small ciabatta rolls (4×2 inches each). If using larger rolls (over 4×4 inches), increase the filling to keep the sandwich well-balanced.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
This was easy and delicious! I also added a few banana peppers to the olive salad too. This will become one of my top dishes.
I’m so happy you enjoyed it!
Joanie, I am so grateful to you for developing all these wonderful single serve recipes. It is so hard to cook for one without having tons of leftovers, or eating the same thing for a week. Simply delicious!! Thank you so much.
Are the green olives the ones with pimento in the middle?
I don’t use olives with pimento in this recipe but you can definitely use them if those are the ones you have on hand.
I have always loved and made this. I get the genuine New Orleans bottled spread on Amazon. I have only made it cold which I prefer. I weight the sandwich down on a tray in the fridge with heavy cans. Nice to read your version.
Good recipe.