Looking for a delicious summer sandwich for kids that’s bursting with flavor? Look no further than the muffuletta! This classic sandwich hails from New Orleans and features a combination of cured meats, cheese, and tangy olive salad all piled high onto bread. Perfect for a picnic or a lazy day at the beach, this sandwich is easy to make and is always a crowd-pleaser.
You will learn everything from what is on a muffuletta sandwich to how to store at home or your next travel adventure. Plus, serving suggestions and recipe variations to customize to your liking. As an added bonus, we share our top travel recommendations that are kid-approved and family friendly!
You can’t go wrong serving summer sandwiches. From this epic sandwich to Chicken Cutlet Sandwich, Gluten-Free French Dip Sandwiches (Instant Pot or Crock Pot) and Gluten Free Breakfast Sandwich, you’ll find both hot and chilled sandwich ideas to feature this year!
Muffuletta Sandwiches
What is a muffuletta sandwich? Only one of the best chilled sandwiches you could create this summer! You can also warm and enjoy in colder months.
Assembled in under 20 minutes, it’ll quickly be the recipe you prep and serve multiple times throughout the year.
You can always make your own muffuletta salad recipe, but for time savings, we grab a jar of pre-made salad.
Even if you aren’t an olive fan, we promise the muffuletta salad in a light layer on this summer sandwich will change your mind. You can’t pass up the opportunity to give it a try. For the vegetable layer, pick your family’s favorite leafy green and put as much or as little as your kiddos would like. We encourage you to let them make the sandwich!
To get started, gather the equipment and ingredients then follow the written instructions or printable recipe card. Enjoy!
Ingredients
- 6 gluten-free ciabatta rolls
- 1/4 cup muffuletta salad ✅
- 1/2 cup spinach
- 6 slices Provolone ✅
- 6 slices turkey sandwich meat ✅
- 6 slices sharp cheddar cheese slices ✅
- 6 slices ham sandwich meat ✅
- 6 slices Havarti cheese ✅
- 6 slices salami ✅
Gluten-Free Guide: If you’re new to eating gluten-free we understand it’s overwhelming trying to figure out which foods may contain gluten and which ones don’t. All of our gluten-free recipes marked with this symbol ✅ represent foods that need to be checked for gluten.
How To Make
Open the rolls and spread Muffuletta salad onto the bottom of the rolls.
Place 1/2 of the spinach on top. Layer with provolone, turkey, sharp cheddar, ham, Havarti, salami, and remaining spinach.
Wrap the sandwiches and refrigerate
Place top of buns on the sandwiches. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap.
Refrigerate and place something heavy on top of the sandwiches. Let sit for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.
Serving Suggestions
This hearty sandwich is a complete meal with multiple layers of meat, cheese and veggies. Summer salads such as pasta or potato salad are great options if looking to offer a large spread or feed a crowd.
Guests also always appreciate the crunchiness of potato chips or the sweetness of fruit salad to accompany their sandwich.
And what is a picnic or summer day without a refreshing dessert! Our Apple Fruit Salad with Cool Whip, Pineapple Pretzel Salad, Summer Fruit Kabobs, Lemon Poppy Seed Pound Cake and Gluten Free Snickerdoodles never disappoint.
Storing Summer Sandwiches
Place the sandwich into the refrigerator (or cooler if camping) and top with something heavy. Let sit overnight so the olive salad can soak into the bread.
Voila! A delicious summer sandwich filled with all the good stuff.
Muffulettas are best served the next day; however, can be stored up to 3 days. The longer the sandwiches sit in the fridge, the more the bread will soak up the olive salad. Let this be a deciding factor on how long you store summer sandwiches.
Freezing Muffuletta Sandwiches
Cold sandwich recipes can be frozen if looking to meal prep. We personally enjoy our sandwiches made with fresh bread, but freezing is always an option.
Wrap individual sandwiches in plastic wrap then place in a large container or Ziploc bag to freeze up to 3 months. When desired, thaw in the fridge overnight.
Frozen sandwiches are great to thaw then reheat in a skillet or by baking in a preheated oven until heated through.
How To Take Camping
Place sandwiches in a cooler to keep chilled. When ready to serve, unwrap to enjoy chilled or heat for a fun twist on one the best summer sandwiches.
We recommend wrapping the sandwiches in tin foil, then placing them above the campfire for a little while to get the cheese melty and the meat warmed.
Substitutions & Variations
- Stack on your favorite cheeses. We enjoy provolone, cheddar, or mozzarella.
- We love the addition of sharp cheese. Did you know you can use less of sharp cheddar in recipes because the flavor is stronger than a milder cheese saving calories and fat? It’s a win-win!
- Use one cheese at a time and save the others for another layer after another layer of meat has been added.
- We use turkey, ham, and salami, which can be swapped for soppressata, mortadella, prosciutto if desired.
- To upgrade the flavor further, add a layer of giardiniera.
- Add additional veggies to the spinach layer like thinly sliced bell peppers, mushrooms, tomatoes or avocado.
- Aim for very thin sliced cold cuts.
- Make a homemade olive salad or choose a premade option for ease.
- Warm sandwiches for a delicious spin on this summer sandwich!
Frequently Asked Questions
You’ll find anywhere from 1-2 pounds per sandwich. The best part (other than the flavor!) of this sandwich is you have complete control on the number of layers you add.
A classic muffuletta is made with a sesame-seeded or unseeded round bread loaf. For a gluten-free version, you want to aim to use a soft bread that is also sturdy, so the sandwich doesn’t fall apart when the ingredients are layered on. Gluten-free Schar ciabatta rolls meet all of our expectations.
This is an option even though we strongly recommend you practice your patience and wait at least 4 hours. Trust us when we say that it is worth every second. When you take your first bite, you will know what we mean! The saltiness of the olive oil will have seeped into the bread to create an irresistible flavorrrrr.
Kids In The Kitchen
Cooking tips and suggestions for kids making this recipe.
- Take control and ask to assemble the sandwiches at home by layering the different ingredients until the sandwich is stacked with all your favorites.
- Swap the spinach with kale or add both for another variation.
- Place something heavy on the sandwiches like a cast iron pan, Dutch oven pot or skillet filled with jars/cans.
Summer Sandwich Recipes
We have compiled even more easy summer sandwich recipes that are sure to please your family. Easily make them gluten-free by swapping out the bread or tortillas for alternative options like our Homemade Gluten-Free Tortillas, Gluten Free Artisan Bread Recipe and Gluten-Free Bread.
- Tomato Sandwich
- Cucumber Sandwich
- Chicken Caprese Sandwich
- Sandwich Pinwheels
- Rainbow Veggie Wrap
- Marinated Tomato BLT
- Chicken Pinwheels
Summer Travel Ideas
- Memorial Day Travel Ideas
- How To Plan The BEST Yellowstone RV Vacation
- Horseback Riding Vacation at Sundance Trail Guest Ranch
- Horseback Riding Vacation at Sundance Trail Guest Ranch
- Things To Do In Galena, Illinois
- Evergreen Campsites & Resort
CKC Features both Gluten-Free Guidance and Kids Cooking Instructions: If you’re new to eating gluten-free we understand it’s overwhelming trying to figure out which foods may contain gluten and which ones don’t. All of our gluten-free recipes marked with this symbol ✅ represent foods that need to be checked for gluten or cross-contamination.
The ⭐️ symbol in the recipe below denotes the steps in which kid cooks may need a helper (depending on age). If there is no ⭐️ symbol, that step (or recipe) doesn’t require a helper.
Muffuletta Sandwich Recipe
Ingredients
- 6 gluten-free ciabatta rolls
- 1/4 cup muffuletta salad ✅
- 1/2 cup spinach
- 6 slices Provolone ✅
- 6 slices turkey sandwich meat ✅
- 6 slices sharp cheddar cheese slices ✅
- 6 slices ham sandwich meat ✅
- 6 slices Havarti cheese ✅
- 6 slices salami ✅
Instructions
- Assemble the sandwiches. Open the rolls and spread Muffuletta salad onto the bottom of the rolls. Place 1/2 of the spinach on top. Layer with provolone, turkey, sharp cheddar, ham, Havarti, salami, and remaining spinach.6 gluten-free ciabatta rolls, 1/4 cup muffuletta salad, 1/2 cup spinach, 6 slices Provolone, 6 slices turkey sandwich meat, 6 slices sharp cheddar cheese slices, 6 slices ham sandwich meat, 6 slices Havarti cheese, 6 slices salami
- ⭐️Wrap the sandwiches and refrigerate. Place top of buns on the sandwiches. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap. Refrigerate and place something heavy on top of the sandwiches. Let sit for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.
Notes
- Stack on your favorite cheeses. We enjoy provolone, cheddar, or mozzarella.
- We love the addition of sharp cheese. Did you know you can use less of sharp cheddar in recipes because the flavor is stronger than a milder cheese saving calories and fat? It’s a win-win!
- Use one cheese at a time and save the others for another layer after another layer of meat has been added.
- We use turkey, ham, and salami, which can be swapped for soppressata, mortadella, prosciutto if desired.
- To upgrade the flavor further, add a layer of giardiniera.
- Add additional veggies to the spinach layer like thinly sliced bell peppers, mushrooms, tomatoes or avocado.
- Aim for very thin sliced cold cuts.
- Make a homemade olive salad or choose a premade option for ease.
- Warm sandwich for a delicious spin on this summer sandwich!
- For Camping: After cutting the sandwich, wrap it individually in tin foil. Place over a campfire to warm the sandwich!
Nutrition
If you enjoyed these recipes make sure to leave a comment and a star rating below!
Then follow us on social media and tag #createkidsclub if you make the recipe. We love seeing what you come up with!
Deanna Segrave-Daly (@tspbasil) says
I missed getting a muffuletta sandwich on my last NOLA trip so this will do just nicely 🙂
Create Kids Club says
It is so easy to make with the pre-made Muffuletta Salad. And the left over salad works great in lots of other recipes too 🙂
Danielle says
I love “better when smooshed”… my kind of sandwich. And two cheers for extra spinach. 🙂
Create Kids Club says
Right?! I love seeing kids choose extra veggies!
thespicyrd says
My kids and I are headed to Yosemite this Friday, and there will be lots of picnics by the river that my kids love to rock jump and swim in. These sandwiches look perfect!!
Create Kids Club says
That sounds like a wonderful trip, EA! These sandwiches held up amazingly for days! Have a great time!
Judy says
This was perfect for our last camping trip! We even had enough for lunch the next day!