This Chopped Italian Sandwich is a fun mash-up of a crisp chopped salad and a hearty Italian sub, with creamy, tangy flavor in every bite. Piled into a soft baguette and sliced into portions, it’s perfect for game day, parties, or an easy casual meal.
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
The concept of a Chopped Italian Sandwich went nuts on TikTok a while back, but it wasn’t until I came across something similar on Taste of Home that it really entered my radar. The basic idea is the same: a chopped mixture of cold cuts and cheese with lettuce, tomato, pickles, and banana peppers, all tossed in a creamy, vinegar-spiked dressing. I’ve made a few adjustments that I think add even more irresistible flavor to this crave-worthy sandwich.
There’s something about all these ingredients chopped together and stuffed inside a sub sandwich that just works on every level.
- Big flavor in every bite: Chopping and tossing everything together means you get cold cuts, cheese, crisp veggies, and tangy dressing in every bite.
- Perfect for game day: Slice it into portions and serve it with chips and pickles for an easy party spread.
- Quick and easy: There’s no cooking required, and the whole sandwich comes together in about 20 minutes.
- Great texture: Crisp lettuce, juicy tomato, briny pickles and banana peppers, creamy dressing, and a soft baguette make every bite interesting.
- Easy to customize: You can switch up the meats, cheeses, veggies, or dressing to suit your taste.
Pin this now to find it later
Pin ItTable of Contents
Ingredient Notes
- French bread baguette: Look for a soft baguette rather than one with an extra-crusty exterior. It should be sturdy enough to hold the filling but still easy to bite through.
- Romaine lettuce: Adds plenty of fresh crunch and holds up well once tossed with the dressing.
- Tomato: Use a firm, meaty tomato, such as Roma or tomatoes on the vine, and remove the seeds so the filling doesn’t become watery.
- Deli meats: A combination of turkey, ham, and salami gives the sandwich a nice balance of mild and savory flavors.
- Cheese: Provolone adds classic deli flavor while sharp cheddar brings a little extra richness. If you can’t find a block of provolone to shred, look for a bagged shredded Italian cheese blend that includes provolone.
- Banana peppers: These jarred peppers add tang and a mild peppery bite. A little of the brine also goes into the dressing mixture for extra flavor.
- Dill pickles: Add another layer of tangy, crunchy flavor that works especially well with the creamy dressing.
- Ranch dressing: Adds creamy, tangy flavor that ties all of the chopped sandwich ingredients together. My favorite store-bought brand is Litehouse Homestyle Ranch (in the refrigerated dressings section).
How to Make Chopped Italian Sandwiches
- Combine the filling ingredients. Add the romaine, tomato, turkey, ham, salami, provolone, cheddar, banana peppers, pickles, ranch dressing, and banana pepper brine to a large bowl. Season with black pepper.
- Toss to coat. Gently toss until all of the chopped ingredients are evenly coated with the ranch dressing. Taste and season with salt, only if needed (it most likely won’t need any).
- Prepare the baguette. Slice the baguette lengthwise, stopping just before cutting all the way through so the bottom remains intact (this helps the filling stay put). Gently open it like a book and remove some of the soft bread from the center of each half to create a shallow well.
- Fill the sandwich. Spoon the chopped filling evenly into the hollowed baguette, spreading it from end to end.
- Close and slice. Carefully fold the top half of the baguette over the filling and press down lightly. Use a serrated knife to cut the sandwich into portions.
Variations and Swaps
Cold cuts: Swap in pepperoni, capicola, mortadella, roast beef, or your favorite combination of deli meats.
Cheese: Mozzarella, Swiss, or an Italian cheese blend can be used in place of the provolone or cheddar.
Lettuce: Iceberg is a great along with or in place of the romaine lettuce.
Peppers: Pepperoncini can stand in for the banana peppers.
Add red onion: A little thinly sliced or finely chopped red onion would fit right in.
Change the dressing: Instead of ranch, use a combination of mayonnaise and Italian dressing for a creamy dressing with lots of tangy flavor.
Bread: Use hoagie rolls or sub rolls instead of one large baguette for individual sandwiches.
Make-Ahead Tips
You can chop the lettuce, tomato, cold cuts, cheeses, pickles, and banana peppers a few hours ahead and refrigerate them in an airtight container. Wait to add the ranch dressing and banana pepper brine until just before assembling the sandwich so the lettuce stays crisp and the bread doesn’t get soggy.
You can also slice and hollow out the baguette ahead of time, then wrap it tightly and keep it at room temperature until you’re ready to fill it. I would not recommend fully assembling it too far ahead, especially with the dressed filling. That’s where soggy bread becomes a real possibility.
Depending on the size of your baguette and how much room you hollow out, you may have a little filling left over. Refrigerate it for up to 2 days. It’s delicious cold and honestly makes a pretty great chopped Italian sub salad on its own.
Sign up for my free newsletter and join me on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest for for all the latest recipes and more cooking inspiration!
Chopped Italian Sandwich
Ingredients
- 1 soft French bread baguette, about 8 ounces to 10 ounces
- 2 cups finely chopped romaine lettuce, lightly packed
- 1 medium tomato, seeded and diced (tomatoes on the vine or Roma)
- 4 ounces deli turkey, chopped
- 2 ounces deli ham, chopped
- 2 ounces sliced salami, chopped
- ½ cup shredded provolone cheese
- ¼ cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- ¼ cup chopped banana peppers
- ¼ cup chopped dill pickles
- ¼ to ⅓ cup ranch dressing, Litehouse Homestyle Ranch is great
- 1 to 2 teaspoons banana pepper brine
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- Salt, to taste
Instructions
- Slice the baguette lengthwise, stopping just before cutting all the way through so the bottom remains intact. Gently open it like a book and remove some of the soft bread from the center of each half to create a shallow well. Discard the bread or save it for another use.
- In a large bowl, combine the romaine, tomato, turkey, ham, salami, cheese, banana peppers, and pickles. Add the ranch dressing and banana pepper brine. Season lightly with several cracks of black pepper and a little salt, to taste. Toss until everything is evenly coated.
- Divide the chopped salad mixture evenly between the hollowed-out baguette halves. Carefully tip the top half of the baguette to close the sandwich. Press down lightly and, using a serrated knife, slice it into portions. Serve immediately or wrap each sandwich tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to serve.
- If you have leftover filling, depending on the size of your baguette and how much room there is inside, you can refrigerate it for up to two days. Leftover filling tastes even better cold!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated using generic ingredients, and is an estimate not a guarantee. For more accurate results, please refer to the labels on your ingredients at home.
Like this? Please rate & comment below!
Adapted from Taste of Home
Can these be made into sliders using soft rolls?
I think the chopped filling would be a little too messy for individual slider rolls. That’s actually why I keep the baguette intact at the bottom when I slice it. It helps hold all that chopped filling in place.