This hot baked Italian Sub is for those of you who like lots of flavor with just the right amount of spicy! It’s made with all the great Italian flavors like capicola ham, smoked ham, salami, pepperoni, fontina cheese, marinated roasted peppers, and pepperoncini peppers.
If you’re loving this, be sure to check out my recipes for Meatball Subs and Italian Garlic Bread Grilled Cheese!
Table of Contents
This classic Italian sub is made with all the ingredients you’re craving. It’s loaded with salami, capicola ham, smoked ham, pepperoni, banana peppers and lots of Fontina cheese. Great for when you’re dreaming of classic Italian deli flavors or binge watching The Sopranos! (It’s loaded with gabagool, after all).
This sandwich is very easy to make and you can whip it up in 15 minutes for lunch or even dinner. It’s hot, it’s spicy, it holds a lot of great flavors and it will rock your world! It’s one of those subs that will fill you up after one serving, but is so tasty you’ll want another one anyways.
While you technically don’t have to pop it in the oven to melt the cheese, trust me… You’re going to want to. The bread toasts up so perfectly to give you the best crunch when you bite into it, all while the melty cheese holds everything together in the best warm and welcoming way!
Ingredient Notes
Bread – For the best flavor to compliment your ingredients, use Italian loaf bread from the bakery section of the grocery store.
Marinated Roasted Peppers – I love using homemade Roasted Red Peppers when I can.
Italian Dressing – I always have some homemade Italian Dressing on hand for recipes like this!
Crushed Red Pepper Flakes – Add more or less to control the amount of spice in this sub recipe. A little goes a long way!
Meats – A mix of ham, hard salami, pepperoni and capicola create the best combination of salty Italian flavors. If you have any leftover meats left, make some of these fabulous Italian Sub Pinwheels!
PRO TIP: For the best results, get your meats freshly sliced from the deli section of your grocery store and get freshly baked sub rolls from the bakery section.
See recipe card for complete information on ingredients and quantities.
How to Make an Italian Sub
Prepare. Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Note that you can cut the 12-inch sub loaf into two 6-inch ones to make it easier to work with.
Prepare the bread. Slice Italian sub loaves in half, widthwise, to butterfly it but don’t cut all the way through. Pull the halves apart like butterfly wings and brush the Italian dressing over both halves (1).
Add peppers. Spread the sliced pepperoncini peppers and marinated roasted peppers over the halves evenly (2).
Add the meats. Layer capicola, ham, salami and pepperoni on the prepared bread (3, 4).
Make it cheesy and spicy. Add the fontina cheese on top of the meat and however much crushed red pepper flakes you desire (5).
Toast it in the oven. Place them carefully on a baking sheet and bake for 10-13 minutes (6).
Recipe FAQs
Absolutely! If you like your sub to have a fresh, juicy bite of vegetables you can add a little lettuce, tomatoes, onion, and/or fresh bell peppers.
You will want to use either Italian Dressing or a combination of olive oil and balsamic vinegar. If you want a little stronger balsamic or vinegar flavor, you can also use Balsamic Vinaigrette or a Balsamic Reduction instead of just vinegar.
Absolutely! You can simply combine the subs and then wrap them tight and refrigerate for about a day. When ready to bake, unwrap the subs, open them, and bake as instructed.
Yes, of course. Typical meats in an Italian sub are cured meats that are Italian in origin. So you can use your favorite combination of salami, prosciutto, capicola, mortadella, pepperoni, soppressata, and others you may love.
Storing and Reheating
You can store baked or unbaked Italian subs in the refrigerator. Just make sure to wrap it airtight in your favorite food storage wrap. I would recommend that you eat them within a day or two at most.
To reheat the subs, it’s best to do so in the oven. Unwrap the sub first and open it back up to reheat faster. Place it on the parchment paper covered baking sheet and reheat it at 350°F just until heated through, 7-10 minutes.
Try More Sandwich Recipes
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Baked Italian Sub Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 12-inch Italian sub loaf get it from the deli, it’s better
- 3-4 tbsp Italian dressing
- 1/4 cup pepperoncini peppers sliced
- 1/4 cup marinated roasted red peppers sliced thin
- 1/4 lb capicola ham thinly sliced
- 1/4 lb ham thinly sliced
- 1/4 lb salami thinly sliced
- 1/8 lb pepperoni thinly sliced
- 1/4 lb Fontina cheese thinly sliced
- Red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- (You can cut the 12-inch sub loaf into two 6-inch ones to make it easier to work with.) Slice Italian sub loaves in half, widthwise, to butterfly it but don't cut all the way through. Pull the halves apart like butterfly wings and brush the Italian dressing over both halves.
- Spread the sliced pepperoncini peppers and marinated roasted peppers over the halves evenly.
- Layer capicola, ham, salami, pepperoni, and Fontina cheese evenly over the two halves.
- Sprinkle some red pepper flakes on top (amount depends on how spicy you want it). Place them carefully on a baking sheet and bake for 10-13 minutes.
- Take them out of the oven. Close the two halves back up once it's done. Cut each in half if you wish and enjoy!
Notes
- For the BEST results: get your meats freshly sliced from the deli section of your grocery store and get freshly baked sub rolls from the bakery section.
- Make Ahead: You can simply combine the subs and then wrap them tight and refrigerate for about a day. When ready to bake, unwrap the subs, open them, and bake as instructed.
- Storing: you can store baked or unbaked Italian subs in the refrigerator. Just make sure to wrap it airtight in your favorite food storage wrap. I would recommend that you eat them within a day or two at most.
- To reheat the subs: it’s best to do so in the oven. Unwrap the sub first and open it back up to reheat faster. Place it on the parchment paper covered baking sheet and reheat it at 350°F just until heated through, 7-10 minutes.
Nutrition
Originally published on Will Cook For Smiles in July 2014.
