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Have you noticed the buzz around the Chopped Grinder Sandwich on social media? It’s a delightful mix of deli meats and toppings, all chopped together with zesty dressing, then scooped into a perfectly soft hoagie roll.
In this recipe, we are using sweet Hawaiian rolls, crusted in melted cheese under the broiler before the filling is added. This sandwich is tangy, crunchy, and sweet with plenty of stretchy, warm cheese. It just may be your family’s favorite new way to serve sandwiches.
While I wouldn’t typically call myself an Italian sandwich enthusiast, I usually opt for a classic turkey sandwich with the basic fixings at the deli. However, after tasting the incredibly flavorful viral Grinder Sandwich, I discovered that you don’t have to be an Italian sandwich fan to dive in.
What Is A Chopped Italian Grinder Sandwich?
Big Eric’s BBQ originally created the chopped Italian sandwich on TikTok in March 2023. The sandwich includes ham, pepperoni, salami, and provolone, topped with lettuce, tomato, red onion, and banana peppers. The idea of chopping all the sandwich ingredients together (much like a chopped salad) quickly gained popularity on social media. When you serve a sandwich this way, all of the flavors meld together, and you get a little bit of everything in one bite. That’s what truly makes these special.
If you would love to eat this as a chicken salad, be sure to check out my Grinder Chicken Salad recipe.
You’ll Love These Chopped Sandwiches Because They’re:
- Easy to prepare, whether you are serving one or four, the prep effort stays the same.
- Versatile and easy to customize to your liking
- The bread is pillowy soft with the right amount of sweetness to complement the tang.
- Crunchy, crisp, and lots of texture.
- The perfect way to serve a sandwich because you get all the flavors in one bite.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Grab all the grinder sandwich essentials, chop them up with the dressing and serve. It’s that easy. Here is what to use (be sure to review my recipe card at the bottom of the page for the ingredients):
Deli meats: turkey or ham, Genoa salami, and pepperoni. You can use your preferred meats here, which is nice because if you aren’t a ham person, you can easily substitute turkey or sliced chicken.
Veggies: shredded iceberg lettuce, tomato, red onion, and banana peppers.
Dressing: a combination of mayonnaise, red wine vinegar, a splash of juice from the banana pepper jar, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper.
Cheese: provolone cheese or Swiss cheese. When you get it sliced at the deli, it usually has a more potent flavor than the pre-sliced ones in the bags.
Bread: Hawaiian rolls are left connected in rows of three, then sliced horizontally to open them up for filling.
The Best Way to Chop
Use a large, clean cutting board and grab a sharp chopping knife. Start with a bed of shredded iceberg lettuce and pile on the meat and veggies (no particular order). Then you’ll add the dressing ingredients right on top.
Use a large knife to slice it multiple times in one direction, then repeat in the opposite direction. Continue to chop at different angles to ensure the toppings mince together. Then, once they are diced into small pieces, fold over the ingredients and continue to chop until you get the texture of a chopped salad. Then divide it into portions and scoop and fill the toasted cheesy garlic bread with the filling.
Prefer Less Messy Preparation?
Rather than piling and chopping together with the dressing on a cutting board, instead you can dice the ingredients separately and combine them in a large mixing bowl. Then add your dressing ingredients into the bowl, stir and toss until combined.
Looking for More Sandwich Recipes?
- Italian Grinder Grilled Cheese
- Alabama White Chicken Sliders
- Viral Pickle Sandwich
- Hawaiian Roll Cheeseburger Sliders
- Candied Bacon BLT Sliders
- Spicy Chick-fil-A Sandwich (air fryer recipe)
I hope you enjoy this air fryer Chopped Grinder Sandwich Recipe. Be sure to comment below with any questions or feedback!
If you make these or any other recipes, don’t forget to tag me on IG @BadBatchBaking to be featured on my story. Seeing your recreations makes my day!
Chopped Grinder Sandwich Recipe
Ingredients
For the Sandwich Filling:
- 2-3 slices deli turkey
- 3 slices genoa salami
- 6 slices deli pepperoni
- 1 cup shredded iceberg lettuce
- 5 slices red onion
- 1 roma tomato sliced
- ¼ cup banana peppers plus a few splashes of jarred brine
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
- ½ tsp Italian seasoning
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar or a splash of oil and vinegar
- Salt and black pepper to taste
For the Cheesy Garlic Buns:
- 6 Hawaiian-style sweet rolls sliced into two 3-roll buns
- 4 tablespoons softened butter
- ½ tsp garlic powder or 2 garlic cloves pressed/grated
- 1 tsp dried parsley
- 4-6 slices provolone or swiss cheese
Optional Topping:
- Crushed Nacho Doritos optional, but highly recommended for crunch and flavor
Instructions
Prepare the Chopped Sub Filling
- On a large cutting board, start by spreading out a base of shredded lettuce.
- Layer the slices of turkey, salami, and pepperoni on top of the lettuce. Follow with the slices of red onion, tomato, and banana peppers.
- Dollop the mayonnaise over the layered ingredients. Sprinkle generously with grated Parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning, red wine vinegar and a few splashes of the brine from the banana peppers. Season with salt and pepper.
- Using a large, sharp knife, begin chopping the entire pile of ingredients. Continue chopping and mixing until all the ingredients are finely diced and evenly combined with the dressing to form a cohesive sub salad mixture. Taste and adjust if needed.
Prepare the Cheesy Garlic Rolls
- Preheat oven to broil and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Slice the block of Hawaiian rolls into sets of three attached rolls to create a bun the size of a hoagie roll. Then slice horizontally most of the way through so the top and bottom are still attached on one side.
- In a small bowl, mix the softened butter with garlic and parsley.
- Generously spread the garlic butter mixture on the cut side of both the top and bottom halves of the rolls. Place the rolls open, face up on the prepared baking sheet and toast them for 1-2 minutes until golden brown. Monitor to prevent burning.
- Remove the rolls from the oven. Layer slices of cheese (2-3 slices per sandwich) or enough to cover the surface area of the entire inside of the roll.
- Return the rolls under the broiler for 1-2 minutes until the cheese is completely melted and starts to bubble.
Assemble and Serve
- Once the cheese is melted, divide the chopped sub filling between the two sandwiches.
- Generously sprinkle or press crushed Doritos onto the sub filling if using.
- Serve immediately while the bread is warm and the cheese is melted.
Notes
The bottom of the rolls will remain very soft. If you prefer a firmer toasted bun:
• Before buttering, place the rolls face-down under the broiler and toast. Then proceed with adding butter on the inside and toasting, then continue with adding and toasting the cheese. This will keep the bread a bit firmer if that’s your desired texture.
