Beautiful and Impressive Grilled Vegetable Muffuletta Sandwich in Round Bread Loaf

Grilled Vegetable Muffuletta made in round bread loaf

I found this recipe for Grilled Vegetable Muffuletta several years ago on Rachael Ray’s website, and finally got around to trying it.  This makes a huge and impressive looking sandwich, made in an 8- to 9-inch round bread, and cut into 6 to 8 wedges. 

I cut mine into 6 wedges, which made pretty huge servings.  In hindsight, this would have been best made for entertaining, with a party of 6 to 8!  But it was only my brother and me.  I would not like cold grilled vegetables, and the prospects of heating the sandwich seemed a little tricky.  Take the vegetables out of the bread, heat the vegetables, then carefully try to get them back into the bread?  So we delivered the leftovers to a friend! 

I think it would be fabulous to find 3- to 4-inch round bread loaves and make smaller sandwiches that serve one to two people.  It could probably be done by placing one layer of each vegetable instead of two.  Either way, the Grilled Vegetable Muffuletta is a very flavorful sandwich, which, as an added bonus, is impressive to look at. 

Constructing the Muffuletta is quite labor-intensive, but below are step-by-step pictures to walk you through it.  At the bottom you will find my modifications to Rachael Ray’s recipe. 

 Slice vegetables into 1/4" to 1/2" thick slices

Grill onion and eggplant slices 

Scrape out gills and grill portabella mushroom caps

 Grill zucchini slices

Slice top off of round bread loaf, and scoop bread out, 

leaving about 1/2" thickness of bread. 

Spread basil, kale, spinach or other favorite pesto inside bread,

 coating bottom and sides.    

Place eggplant slices inside bread bowl.  

Place grilled onions on top of eggplant.  

Place zucchini slices on top of onions. 

Layer roasted red peppers on top of zucchini.  You can use jarred 

roasted red peppers, but I roasted these on the Foreman grill and 

removed most of the skin. 

 Cover vegetables with provolone cheese.  

Layer portabella mushrooms on top of provolone.  I sliced 

my mushrooms because the fit was awkward with the whole caps.  

Add a layer of sliced olives and chopped giardiniera vegetables.  I was

able to find a jarred muffuletta mix that already had olives and the chopped

vegetables.  Rachael's recipe placed the olive and vegetable mix in the 

top of the bread.  I couldn't figure out how to place the top onto the sandwich without making

a mess and losing some of the mixture.  So I chose to put my muffuletta mix in the middle. 

Place another layer of zucchini on top of muffuletta mix. 

Add another layer of grilled onions, on top of the zucchini.   

Top onions with final layer of grilled sliced eggplant. 

Top vegetables with a final layer of provolone cheese.   

 Cover the inside of the bread bowl top with another spreading 

of pesto.  The recipe calls for two layers of basil pesto, but I used 

jarred tomato-basil pesto for this layer.  

 Place bread top back onto the completed sandwich.  

Slice sandwich into two halves, then cut 3 wedges from each half.   

Beautiful and impressive slice of 

Grilled Vegetable Muffuletta Sandwich. 

This is a pretty messy sandwich.  I wrapped it in press and seal wrap to 

contain it and make it easier and less messy to eat. 

Ingredients

1 medium eggplant, sliced into ¼”- to ½” rounds

2 medium zucchini, sliced lengthwise into ¼” slices

1 large red bell pepper, quartered lengthwise

2 large portabella mushroom caps

1 red onion, sliced ~3/8” thick

½ cup olive oil or coconut oil

Salt and pepper

Basil pesto

Sun-dried tomato pesto

Muffuletta salad

6 slices provolone cheese

Instructions

1- Slice eggplant, zucchini, and onion.  I used my mandolin, which would not cut any thicker than about ¼” to 3/8”, which was fine for the zucchini and onion.  The eggplant slices fell apart, so ½” slices would be better. 

2- Brush vegetables with oil, and season with salt and pepper.  Grill or fry 2 to 4 minutes each side. 

3- Remove gills from portabellas, and grill for about 4 to 5 minutes per side. 

4- Cut top off of bread.  Scoop bread out, including from top. 

5- Spread basil pesto on bottom and sides of bread.  I used jarred basil pesto, but you can make your own with basil, kale, or spinach, chopped in the food processor with olive oil, cheese, and nuts.  You can find a recipe and instructions in my pasta post. 

6-Spread sun-dried tomato pesto inside top. 

7- Layer in half of the eggplant, zucchini, and onion. 

8- Top with grilled or roasted red pepper pieces. 

9- Layer in 2 to 3 slices of provolone cheese. 

10- Add portabella mushrooms.  Slice as needed to fit. 

11- Add a layer of muffuletta salad.  If you cannot find muffuletta salad, use sliced green or mixed olives, and chopped giardiniera vegetables. 

12- Layer in remaining eggplant, zucchini, and onions. 

13- Top with 2-3 slices of provolone. 

14- Place top on bread.  Slice into 6 to 8 slices.