Don't skip sandwiches for dinner! This Hot Salami Sandwich recipe is full of flavor and is total comfort food. It's a great meal idea for busy weeknights with just a few minutes of prep.
With salty salami, creamy provolone and tangy pepperoncini, this easy recipe will get a tasty dinner on the table in no time!
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This is a salami sandwich panini recipe my grandmother used to make for my sister and I when we'd visit her. And it's what I've based several of my other recipes off of.
While I don't typically turn to sandwiches for dinner (I'm not a fan of cold sandwiches), this one is delicious! And leftovers are yummy too.
Why this recipe works
There are nights when cooking a full dinner just won't work out. And serving a hot sandwich just makes sense. They're easy, flavorful and don't require a ton of hands-on time in the kitchen.
And then there are nights when I'm craving the rich flavor of this Hot Salami sandwich recipe. And even if I have the time, I make these because of the outrageous, savory, buttery taste.
With just about 10 minutes of prep time, you can get these tasty salami and cheese sandwiches into the oven to become melty and crusty while you put the rest of dinner together.
The salty salami and provolone cheese are paired with tangy pepperoncini and red onions on a simple sandwich roll to create a sandwich you'll crave.
The real star of the show is the butter! When you spread butter on the roll before baking, it gives the bread an amazing crunchy texture and makes the flavor absolutely soul-satisfying.
Serve it with my easy Caprese Gnocchi Bake or even just potato chips to get an easy dinner on the table that your family will love.
Do these flavors sound delicious to you? Try them out in my Salami Pizza. Or make Baked Salami Chips for a salty snack! Or browse this list of easy Sheet Pan Dinner Recipes to find something else that is super easy to make.
Ingredient Notes
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
While I make these hot sandwiches with just salami, you can turn them into hot Italian sandwiches by adding even more types of meats and cold cuts, like pepperoni and ham.
I typically grab Italian dry salame, since this is what my grandmother used. But you can use any type of salami.
I like to use pre-sliced provolone (not smoked) on these sandwiches. You could also use mozzarella or another mild Italian cheese if you prefer.
Whether you like red onion or not, it adds so much flavor to the sandwiches. I suggest not skipping it, but removing it from the sandwich after baking if you don't want to leave them on. I wouldn't substitute another type of onion.
Pepperoncinis aren't spicy but they are full of tangy flavor. Again, leave them on for baking and remove them if you don't like the idea of them on your finished sandwich. You can buy them sliced or whole and chop them up yourself.
Any kind of store-bought roll will work. If you are adding more meat to the sandwich, you may want to bulk up the bread you use. These simple store-bought rolls work well with the number of toppings I include on my sandwiches.
Butter. You'll need butter. Softened butter will be easier to work with. Don't skip it! Try it this way first to get the full experience.
If you're really worried about calories, etc. maybe have a salad instead. The butter is magical! If you're worried about the sodium in this Hot Salami Sandwich recipe, you can choose unsalted (but it's not going to help much - salami is salty).
Step-by-Step Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Open up your sandwich roll and spread it with softened butter on both sides.
Add sliced provolone cheese to one side of the roll. I used one slice and broke it in half to fit the bread better.
If you like your hot sandwiches really cheesy, add an extra slice.
Add salami (around 6 slices per sandwich) to the same side as the cheese. I do this so that if someone in my family wants to remove the onion or pepperoncini from the sandwich after it's baked, it is easier and not stuck in the melty cheese.
If you like lots of meat, you can add more. If you were adding ham and pepperoni, you would add it to the same side as the salami.
To the other side of the roll, add slices of red onion and sliced pepperoncini. Add as much or as little as you'd like.
Continue the process for all of the sandwiches you are making.
Place each sandwich on a large enough piece of aluminum foil to completely wrap up the sandwich.
Wrap all the sandwiches and place them on a sheet pan. Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes.
The cheese should be melted completely, but since there is nothing raw on this sandwich (except for the onion), so you're really just heating them up.
Serve them immediately.
The melted butter makes the rolls crispy and full of rich flavor. The salami gets slightly crispy on some of the edges. The onions soften and the flavor mellows out a bit.
THIS HOT SALAMI SANDWICH RECIPE IS SO GOOD!
Tips and Tricks
- You can make these sandwiches ahead of time and leave them wrapped and ready to go in the fridge. Bake them off when needed!
- I try to only bake the sandwiches that I need and keep any leftovers unbaked in the fridge. But you can keep baked sandwiches in the fridge for later also. They're still tasty.
- To make these even more Italian inspired, you could use a jarred Giardiniera. Use a hot giardiniera to add some heat!
- Don't want to bake these Hot Salami Sandwiches? You could easily make this in a pan like a grilled cheese sandwich! Or toss these in a panini maker which won't even heat up your kitchen.
Fequently Asked Questions
You can keep things super easy and serve a side salad or potato chips. If you want to cook, you can make some yummy Parmesan Zucchini or Apple Juice Braised Brussels Sprouts. Caprese Gnocchi Bake is a little more work but the flavors pair really nicely with these Italian-inspired sandwiches.
Yes, my youngest and husband always add mustard to a salami sandwich. But I don't recommend it for this hot sandwich recipe. Because of the butter and all the other flavors, I would bake these as-is and taste them. If you want to add mustard after, of course, you can.
Since salami is a cured meat, it doesn't need to be refrigerated. Sometimes you will see the salami hanging in an unrefrigerated section of the market. And unless the color is off, it's fine. I like to keep it in the fridge in my deli drawer. And I always refrigerate salami once the package is open.
This Hot Salami Sandwich recipe is a quick and easy weeknight dinner idea that is perfect for busy families. If you want something delicious but don't have much time, these sandwiches are for you!
Related Recipes
Hot Salami Sandwiches with Pepperoncini
Ingredients
- 6 sandwich rolls
- 6 slices provolone cheese
- 36 slices salami
- 1 cup sliced pepperoncini (divided)
- ½ cup sliced red onion (divided)
- 3 tablespoon butter, softened
Instructions
- Open up your sandwich roll and spread it with softened butter on both sides.
- Add sliced provolone cheese to one side of the roll.
- Add salami (around 6 slices per sandwich) to the same side as the cheese.
- To the other side of the roll, add slices of red onion and sliced pepperoncini.
- Continue the process for all of the sandwiches you are making.
- Place each sandwich on a large enough piece of aluminum foil to completely wrap up the sandwich.
- Place the rolled sandwiches on a sheet pan.
- Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
- You can make these sandwiches ahead of time and leave them wrapped and ready to go in the fridge. Bake them off when needed!
- I try to only bake the sandwiches that I need and keep any leftovers unbaked in the fridge. But you can keep baked sandwiches in the fridge for later also. They're still tasty.
- To make these even more Italian-inspired, you could use a jarred Giardiniera. Use a hot giardiniera to add some heat!
- Don't want to bake these? You could easily make this in a pan like a grilled cheese sandwich! Or toss these in a panini maker which won't even heat up your kitchen.
Michelle says
What would be the oven temperature?
Carolyn M Osborne says
I made these last night, and this combination is great! I keep chopped pepperoncini around but don't use it often, so this was an eye-opener. I didn't have rolls so used sliced Italian bread and cooked them easy grilled-cheese style*. I also didn't have red onions, but I thin-sliced yellow cooking onions and they worked just fine. Next time, I'll use red onions, as they'd look so nice, and add their special flavor. The sandwiches were a great success.
By the way, I wanted a quick-to-make veggie side. I diced Roma tomatoes, roughly chopped canned quartered artichoke hearts (not marinated), and mixed them with a bit of oil and vinegar dressing, mayonnaise, and ground pepper. My husband(!), who will eat salad but doesn't enjoy it, said several times that this was perfect with the sandwiches. I thought it was a good combination, too.
*Easy grilled-cheese style: Place two facing slices of bread (the sandwich) on a griddle with melted butter and let toast for a few minutes. Meanwhile, butter the outside, which is facing up. Turn the slices over so the newly toasted bread faces up, and place provolone on both slices, then place the salami, onion strips, and pepperoncini on one side only. The cheese should be starting to soften by then. Close the sandwich, press it down with the bottom of a pan or comal and let it cook until the edges of the salami are slightly crisp and the sandwich holds together. So yummy.