Muffuletta

This is one of the best sandwiches in the USA.  We only have it once a year, around Mardi Gras, as it's a classic New Orleans dish.  SO, what is a muffuletta?  Its a large pressed sandwich, loaded with olive spread, deli meats and provolone.  A traditional muffuletta contains salami, and mortadella.  I say, why stop there?  I load the sandwich with other deli meats like proschuitto, pastrami,
There are several reasons why I love this dish

1.  It's a NO COOK main dish
2.  It's a makeahead dish
3.  You have creative control over what you choose to put in the sandwich
4.  It's a showstopper
5.  It's delicious!
Happy Mardi Gras!

Muffuletta

Olive Salad

1 cup green olives, pitted and chopped coarse

1 cup black olives, pitted and chopped coarse

¾ cup extra virgin olive oil

4 ounces oil packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and chopped (1/2 cup)

¼ cup fresh minced parsley

2 T fresh lemon juice

1 tsp. dried oregano

1 garlic clove

Sandwich

1 large (9-inch) round Italian or French Bread

8 ounces thinly sliced Mortadella

8 ounces thinly sliced provolone

8 ounces smoked turkey breast

8 ounces hard salami OR Pastrami

1.  For the olive salad.  Combine all of the ingredients together, cover, and refrigerate for 8 or up to 24 hours.

2.  Assemble Sandwich:  Cut the round loaf in half horizontally and remove most of the inside bread, leaving the crust and ½ inch of bread. Place each half next to each other. Take 1/2 of the olive salad and spread on the inside of the bottom half of bread.  Layer mortadella, provolone, turkey and salami or pastrami on each half of the bread.  The meat and cheese should cover the entire surface area of the sandwich.  Spread remaining half of olive salad on top of meat and cheese.  Carefully pick up the top half of the sandwich on top of the bottom half.  Press down lightly.  With plastic wrap, or foil, tightly wrap sandwich and set between two plates, weighted with several heavy cans.  Refrigerate sandwich for at least 30 minutes, or up to 6 hours.

TO SERVE:  Unwrap sandwich and slice into wedges.