Fully Loaded Grinder on a Bun

Have you tried a grinder sandwich? A hoagie bun loaded with sliced Turkey, ham, salami, pepperoni, cheese and cooked till it’s a cheesy delight. Top with our favorite grinder salad which is a lettuce and banana pepper mix, with a quick dressing. A sub sandwich that is loaded with deli meat, veggies, and more. Bon appétit!

This Italian grinder sandwich is a loaded sandwich recipe you can pair with chips, salad, etc. Don’t wait, learn how to make this grinder sandwich recipe. Try our sub sandwich for another easy sandwich recipe.

. One of our favorite sandwich recipes to make at home. Cold cuts, iceberg lettuce, and a sauce that blows us away in the flavor department. Great food at home that takes minutes to make.

Hoagie hero, submarine sandwich, spuckies, or even a loaded Italian sandwich. This recipe has many names.

What is a Grinder Sandwich

A grinder is a long sandwich generally made on Italian bread, hoagie roll, etc. Depending on the area you live, the name for this large fully loaded sandwich can vary.

This Grinder Sandwich Recipe Is…

• Jumbo Sandwich
• Loaded with toppings
• Stellar Dressing Salad
• Takes Minutes to make
• Serve hot or cold
• Skip fast food or favorite sandwich shop and stay at home.
• Great lunch or dinner idea

Lunch meat – Thin sliced salami, pepperoni, ham and Turkey are heat we used. Feel free to change up what deli meats you use.

Grinder Salad – Mayonnaise, Italian dressing, banana peppers, salt and pepper are what we used for the creamy topping.

Cheese – We used pepper Jack and mozzarella cheese. Some grinders use grated Parmesan cheese. That is up to you on varieties of cheese used. Provolone cheese is another great cheese to use. That is up to you on varieties of cheese used.

Rolls – we used a long roll that was Italian bread. Feel free to use any bread or large roll you have. You can also use a French bread or any submarine sandwiches style bread.

Toppings – Extra banana peppers, tomatoes, and any other toppers can be used. Some love a red onion sliced and served on top of the grinders.

How To Make

Full directions and measurements are in the printable recipe card for how to make a grinder sandwich recipe.

Step 1: Make Grinder Salad

The first thing we do is make the grinder salad. Add in your lettuce, mayonnaise, Italian dressing, salt, pepper, and banana peppers with a little juice.

Step 2: Slice Rolls

Mix it up well and set it aside. Then slice your long rolls, and place sliced cheese on one side.

Step 3: Assemble Sandwich

Top with ham, salami, pepperoni, and on the other side add turkey. Then add shredded cheese on top of the turkey.

Step 4: Heat Sandwich in Oven

Place in oven to heat it up and melt the cheese. Remove from oven.

Step 5: Top with Toppings and Serve

Add on sliced tomatoes, grinder salad, and more banana peppers if you want. Fold together, and serve!

Helpful Tips and Modifications

Here are a few swaps and tips for making this Italian grinder sandwiches. This is such an easy sandwich to make with tons of ways to change it up.

Feel free to use any style of rolls you want. We used a hoagie roll but any will work. Just look for what your store has on hand.

Instead of banana peppers swap with Pepperoncini peppers. Our store just had banana peppers so that is what we used.

So we used mozzarella cheese and pepper jack cheese. Traditional Italian grinders use parmesan cheese. Freshly grate and sprinkle on top if you want.

Change up the types of meat used. Feel free to pile on the meats of your choice. We do recommend using 2-3 different varieties, as it adds tons of flavor.

A drizzle of olive oil, red onions, green bell peppers, and other toppers can be used for this grinder roll sandwich. Feel free to pile on any toppings you want.

Practical notes

Common questions for this recipe for grinder sandwiches.

Where is a sandwich called a grinder?

New Englanders tend to call their large sandwiches grinders. Delaware, Western Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Vermont and parts of Connecticut and Rhode Island are all common to say grinders.

What makes a hero sandwich?

Hero sandwiches are a large long loaf of bread that is then piled full with lettuce, tomatoes, meats, cheese, etc.

What’s the difference between a sandwich and a grinder?

Grinders tend to have a hot filling, where you heat up the meat and cheese. A sandwich is when you use cold meats and cheese.

Printable Recipe Card

Ingredients

Makes 4 sandwiches

• 4 long hoagie rolls
• 4 slices of deli pepper jack cheese
• 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese
• 12 slices of deli ham
• 12 slices of thin salami
• 8 sliced deli turkey lunch meat
• 20 pepperoni slices
• 8 ounces shredded lettuce
• 1/2 cup Olive Garden Italian Dressing
• 1/3 cup Mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup banana peppers
• 1 tablespoon banana pepper juice
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• Sliced tomatoes

Equipment

• Baking Sheet

Method

1. Start by preheating the oven to 425 degrees.
2. In a medium size mixing bowl add your chopped lettuce, Italian dressing, mayonnaise, banana peppers, banana pepper juice, and salt and pepper. Toss well to mix.
3. Set the grinder salad to the side to let it soak in all the flavors.
4. Slice your rolls in half lengthwise and open them up. Add sliced pepper jack cheese on one side of the bun.
5. Top with slices of ham, pepperoni, and salami. Then on the other half of the bun add your sliced turkey, and top with mozzarella cheese.
6. Toss the grinder sandwiches in the oven and cook for around 5 minutes to melt the cheese.
7. Remove from oven when cheese is melted. Add on sliced tomatoes, and grinder lettuce salad, and fold sandwich together and serve immediately.

Kitchen notes

Grinder Salad

– we used pre-cut lettuce but you can chop up your own lettuce if you prefer. Lunch Meat – All of our meat was deli meat. Feel free to use any lunch meats you like, we just preferred the blend of all of these. Bread – Any long bread works, or you could even make slider sandwiches if you would prefer.