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This viral pickle sandwich replaces bread with crispy cheese-crusted pickles in this low-carb food hack. Add your favorite sandwich toppings, or opt for my version with an Italian Grinder-style pickle sandwich.
If you love Italian Grinder flavors as much as I do, you have to check out my recipe for Viral Italian Grinder Grilled Cheese Sandwich or for a lower carb take, try out my Italian Grinder Chicken Salad.
When you melt your favorite cheese with thinly sliced sandwich pickles and bake it in the oven, you essentially make a pickle “bread” to envelope your sandwich in. Since we adore pickles, we knew this viral recipe would be right up our alley.
I decided to amp up the tangy flavor by creating an Italian Grinder version—a variety of cold cuts topped with a tangy, creamy salad featuring red onions and banana peppers.
Why You’ll Love This Pickle “Bread” Sandwich
- Customizable – you can use this pickle-cheese method to make your favorite sandwich, from turkey to chicken salad, tuna, and more. You can make this your own.
- Keeps Well – when I made this sandwich, half was plenty. I wrapped up the other half, and since it’s not sitting on a tortilla or bread, it kept well for over 2 days in the fridge.
- Low-Carb – even if I’m not on a keto diet, I think we all love the opportunity to enjoy an indulgent sandwich and skip the extra carbs.
- Easy to Make – it doesn’t get much easier than throwing shredded cheese on a pan and topping it with pickles and baking it. This doesn’t require cooking beyond that, just some easy assembly.
Key Ingredients
Pickles – be sure to use the sandwich stacker pickles, which are thinly sliced.
Cheese – I used a combination of Colby Jack and cheddar. I recommend a medium cheddar unless you like sharp cheese. You can also use flavored cheeses like dill havarti (often found in the specialty cheese section near the deli).
Toppings – for the Italian Grinder version, I used Genoa salami, pepperoni, and turkey. I also used tomatoes in addition to the salad toppings.
Grinder Salad – a creamy, tangy homemade dressing with red wine vinegar, mayo, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Iceberg lettuce, red onion, and banana peppers are then tossed in the dressing along with parmesan cheese.
How to Make a Viral Pickle Sandwich
- Lay shredded cheddar in two rectangles side by side in a parchment paper-lined pan, mimicking the size of a bread slice. Place 3-4 pickle slices side by side on top of the cheese. Sprinkle a little more cheese on top.
- Bake in a preheated oven at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes. Check on it halfway through to ensure the pickles haven’t slid around – if so, gently scoot them back into place. They are done with edges are browned and crispy.
- While they are baking, prep the grinder salad. Mix all the dressing ingredients in a medium bowl. Add in the shredded lettuce, red onion, and banana peppers. Mix well until the veggies are evenly coated.
- Remove the cheese-crusted pickles from the oven and allow them to cool for 5 minutes.
- If desired, lay the layers of meat on a pan and broil for 1-2 minutes to warm through. Optionally, you can add another slice of cheese on top before broiling.
- Assemble the sandwich by adding the meats on top of one pickle layer. Then, top with the grinder salad, add slices of tomatoes, and finish with the second pickle layer. Slice and enjoy!
Looking for More Recipes?
Viral Grinder Grilled Cheese Sandwich
Italian Grinder Chicken Salad
Jalapeno Popper Chicken Salad
Chicken Caesar Salad Sandwich
Dill Pickle Chicken Salad
I hope you enjoyed this viral pickle sandwich recipe. I look forward to your questions and feedback below.
Please be sure to tag me @BadBatchBaking using hashtag #badbatchbaking if you made this recipe, and I will feature you on my story! Plus, I LOVE to see your baking accomplishments.
Viral Pickle Sandwich
Ingredients
- 6-8 sandwich slice pickles like Vlasic sandwich stackers
- 1 cup medium cheddar cheese* shredded
- 8 slices genoa salami
- 8 slices pepperoni
- 4 slices turkey
- 1/2 head iceberg lettuce finely shredded
- 1/4 red onion thinly sliced
- 1/3 cup banana peppers chopped
- 1/2 tomato sliced
Italian Grinder Salad Dressing
- 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 1-2 tablespoons red wine vinegar depending on how tangy you prefer
- 1/4 cup parmesan cheese divided and freshly grated
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder divided
- 3/4 tsp italian seasoning
- 1/2 tsp freshly cracked pepper
Instructions
- Lay shredded cheddar in two rectangles side by side in a parchment paper-lined pan, mimicking the size of a bread slice. Place 3-4 pickle slices side by side on top of the cheese. Sprinkle a little more cheese on top.
- Bake in a preheated oven at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes. Check on it halfway through to ensure the pickles haven’t slid around – if so, gently scoot them back into place. They are done with edges are browned and crispy.
- While they are baking, prep the grinder salad. Mix all the dressing ingredients in a medium bowl. Add in the shredded lettuce, red onion, and banana peppers. Mix well until the veggies are evenly coated.
- Remove the cheese-crusted pickles from the oven and allow them to cool for 5 minutes.
- If desired, lay the layers of meat on a pan and broil for 1-2 minutes to warm through.
- Assemble the sandwich by adding the meats on top of one pickle layer. Then, top with the grinder salad, add slices of tomatoes, and finish with the second pickle layer. Slice and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
