Baked Italian Grinder Recipe (2024)

This baked Italian Grinder Sandwich recipe is the perfect crowd-pleasing main dish. Packed with capicola hot ham, salami, melty cheese, and banana peppers stuffed in a hoagie roll and dipped in Italian dressing- game day never tasted so good!

Why You'll Love This Italian Hoagie Recipe

Around here, a popular type of submarine sandwich is an Italian Sub Sandwich. It's typically made with salami, capicola hot ham, and sometimes regular deliham. This popular sandwich — also called a hero, a hoagie sandwich, or most recently on TikTok, a grinder sandwich — is a mainstay on the menu of every local sub shop.

I've grown up loving these sandwiches and wanted to make them toasted, because melty cheese is always a good idea! So I got rid of all the items that can become soggy when heated (like lettuce and tomatoes!) and stuck with the basics. These are seriously quick and easy to throw together and would be a total hit at any game day or casual social gathering. If you love sandwiches as much as I do, make a day of it and start with is Bodega-Style Breakfast Sandwiches!

Here's why I love this Italian Sub Recipe:

• Perfect for crowds
• Can easily be customized
• Warm sandwich that doesn't wear you down
• Flavorful
• Quick to make

Ingredient Information and Substitutions

• Meat- The Italian grinder meats I prefer for this are Capicola hot ham for a nice kick and salami. Both Genoa or hard salami work great for this. I personally enjoy the bit of spiciness the Capicola adds, but if you don't love spicy foods, deli ham also works great.
• Peppers- In keeping with adding a spicy kick to this recipe, I used sliced banana peppers. If you want a milder option, roasted red pepper strips or sweet peppers also work.
• Cheese- This recipe calls for sliced Provolone cheese, but you can also use mozzarella cheese.
• Rolls- You favorite 6 inch roll works great and should fit sandwiches perfectly in a 9" x 13" baking pan.

How To Make An Italian Grinder Sandwich

Step 1: Prep the rolls

Place the rolls in a preheated oven for 5 minutes to toast them slightly.

Step 2: Add the fillings

Layer the capicola hot ham, salami, banana peppers, and cheese into each of the hoagie bread rolls.

Step 3: Bake

Place the Italian sub sandwiches back in the oven and bake for 20 minutes. Serve with Italian dressing and devour!

Frequently Asked Questions

Tips For Making An Italian Sub

• Don't slice all the way through. Slice 6 hero rolls length-wise but don't slice all the way through. You want the halves intact so they can cradle the sandwich ingredients.
• Don't skip pre-baking the hoagie buns. Before filling the buns, bake them for 5 minutes to very lightly toast the buns. This helps avoid sogginess.
• Customize as desired. Feel free to add regular ham, veggies, or other meats to this hoagie recipe. Just be sure to add after baking to keep your sandwich from getting soggy.
• Leftovers and Storage- these will last up to 4 day covered in the refrigerator.

What To Serve With Italian Subs

A few great recipes to round out and complete this meal would be:

• Baked French Fries
• Sriracha Chex Mix
• 7 Layer Taco Salad
• Sour Cream Cookies

Try These Other Delicious Sandwich Recipes

Love this recipe? Please leave a 5 star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating in the recipe card below ⬇️ and/or a review in the comment section further down. Check out my Amazon Store for all my favorite tools, including those used in this recipe. And follow @thelifejolie onInstagramandTikTok!