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Grinder salad sandwiches are a viral TikTok recipe that live up to the hype. Thick, fluffy hoagie rolls full of your choice of meats and topped with a creamy, tangy salad full of all the best grinder toppings make a flavor bonanza you’ll love!
TikTok.
I have a love hate relationship with it.
My boys tease me and say I am too old for it.
But I say to them, “Look at all the delicious things I find on it!”
Things likeTikTok Oreo Tower Cake orTikTok Boat Dip Recipe.
And now this grinder salad.
We’re talking all the best toppings for a hoagie tossed in one delicious creamy salad mixture.
You can eat it as is or use it as a topping for the best sandwich ever.
What is grinder salad?
This sandwich isn’t something TikTok came up with on it’s own.
The grinder sandwich has been around for ages and is a type of sandwich on an Italian style hoagie roll with a thick crust.
On the inside, the sandwich is filled with a variety of meats, cheese, and veggies.
They are similar to hoagies, heroes, or subs with the main difference being the thick, crusty bread that can be tough to chew, which is where it gets the name grinder.
Ingredients
For the salad itself, you’ll need:
- Mayo– Use real mayo not mayonnaise style dressing.
- Vinegar– Red wine vinegar gives this the most authentic grinder flavor.
- Spices– Salt, pepper, minced garlic, crushed red pepper flakes, and oregano
- Veggies– Sliced pickled banana peppers, iceberg or romaine lettuce with the core removed and sliced, and a slice red onion
- Parmesan cheese– Freshly grated
For the sandwiches you’ll need:
- Hoagie rolls– Quality rolls are a must for this. I suggest thick but soft and fluffy hoagie rolls.
- Meats– We used a mixture of sliced hard salami, ham, and large pepperoni but you can mix and match and make it with your own preferred meats.
- Cheeses– We used a combination of provolone and havarti, but just like with the meats you can use whatever cheeses you’ll enjoy.
- Toppings–Thinly sliced tomatoes and any additional toppings you enjoy like extra onion, sliced green peppers, and thinly sliced black olives would all be good options.
How to Make
Let’s break this into two parts: making the grinder salad and assembling the sandwiches.
How to Make the Grinder Salad
To make the salad, add all of the ingredients except banana peppers, onion, and lettuce to large mixing bowl.
Then, whisk everything together until smooth and creamy.
Add the remaining salad ingredients to the mixing bowl and stir until everything is evenly combined.
Chill in the refrigerator while preparing the subs.
To Make the Sandwiches
Use a serrated bread knife to cut your hoagie rolls evenly in half lengthwise.
Then, lay the cut rolls out on a large sheet pan.
Layer on your cheeses on the top half of the bun, and layer your chosen meats on the bottom half.
Bake the prepared sandwiches at 350° for roughly 5 minutes, just until the cheeses have melted and the meat’s begun to crisp on the edges.
Carefully remove the pan from the oven, and let the sandwiches cool.
Top the meat with grinder salad, spreading it out evenly to coat.
Add the top half to close the sandwich.
Slice in half, and serve immediately.
Repeat until all sandwiches have been served.
Serve any additional grinder salad on the side.
Enjoy!
Can I make this ahead of time?
I don’t recommend making this ahead of time.
It will turn into a soggy mess.
If you’re making for a party or potluck and want to expedite the process, you can prepare the veggies ahead of time and store them separately. Same with the dressing/sauce. Mix together just before you’re ready to serve.
Tips and Tricks
- This salad is ultra creamy, and also very runny. Serve these with plenty of napkins because they’re very likely to make a mess. If you want a fluffier, less juicy mix- use another head of lettuce, adding and mixing until it fits your desired mixture.
- You may be tempted to skip the baking step, especially if you’re overly hungry but I highly recommend you go through with it. The melted cheese and lightly toasted meats are delicious and also create the perfect barrier for the grinder salad so you can enjoy your entire sub without the buns getting soggy.
- Don’t want a sandwich? This grinder salad can absolutely be made into a meal salad. Chop your meats & cheeses of choice into pieces and simply add them to the mixing bowl. You may want to double the lettuce so that it’s less juicy. Serve in bowls and dig in.
- The end result won’t look particularly pretty, in fact, my youngest son said it resembled lettuce soup- but it is so so good & 100 % worth it. Trust me!
Other Viral TikTok Recipes
These grinder salad sandwiches are the yummiest sandwich to come out of TikTok ever. Make them today and enjoy!
Looking for other viral TikTok recipes to try? Here are a few favorites:
- Loaded Buffalo Cheese Fries
- Ranch Seasoned Pickles
- Folded Quesadillas
- Smoked Cream Cheese
- Air Fryer Pasta Chips
- Dalgona Coffee co*cktail
If you’ve tried these GRINDER SALAD SANDWICHES, or any other recipe on the site, let me know in the comment section how it turned out, we love hearing from our readers! You can also follow along with me onPINTEREST,FACEBOOK, andINSTAGRAMto see more amazing recipes and whatever else we’ve got going on!
Grinder Salad Sandwiches
Grinder salad sandwiches are a viral TikTok recipe that live up to the hype. Thick, fluffy hoagie rolls full of your choice of meats and topped with a creamy, tangy salad full of all the best grinder toppings make a flavor bonanza you'll love!
4.84 from 25 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Appetizer, Dinner, Lunch
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes minutes
Servings: 6
Calories: 287kcal
Author: Meaghan @ 4 Sons R Us
Ingredients
For The Salad
- 1 cup mayo
- 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1 tsp (each) salt & pepper
- 1 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 2 tbsp minced garlic
- 1/2 cup sliced pickled banana peppers diced + 1 tsp juice
- pinch crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 small red onion thinly sliced
- 1 head iceberg or romaine lettuce cored & thinly sliced
- freshly grated Parmesan cheese optional
For The Sandwiches
- hoagie/sub rolls
- meats
- cheeses
- sliced tomatoes
US Customary - Metric
Instructions
To Make The Grinder Salad
Add all of the ingredients except banana peppers, onion, and lettuce to large mixing bowl. Whisk together until smooth & creamy.
Add the remaining salad ingredients to the mixing bowl. Stir until evenly combined. Chill in the refrigerator while preparing the subs.
To Make The Sandwiches
Using a serrated bread knife, cut your hoagie rolls evenly in half (lengthwise). Lay them out on a large sheet pan. To the tops of the hoagie buns, layer on your cheeses- we tore our slices in half to ensure better coverage. To the bottom side, arrange/layer on your chosen meats.
Bake the prepared sandwiches at 350° for roughly 5 minutes, just until the cheeses have melted and the meat's begun to crisp on the edges. Carefully remove the pan from the oven, and let the sandwiches cool.
Top the meat with grinder salad, spreading it out evenly to coat. Add the top half to close the sandwich. Slice in half, and serve immediately.
Repeat until all sandwiches have been served. Serve any additional grinder salad on the side.
Notes
- This salad is ultra creamy, and also very runny. Serve these with plenty of napkins because they're very likely to make a mess. If you want a fluffier, less juicy mix- use another head of lettuce, adding and mixing until it fits your desired mixture.
- You may be tempted to skip the baking step, especially if you're overly hungry but I highly recommend you go through with it. The melted cheese and lightly toasted meats are delicious and also create the perfect barrier for the grinder salad so you can enjoy your entire sub without the buns getting soggy.
- Don't want a sandwich? This grinder salad can absolutely be made into a meal salad. Chop your meats & cheeses of choice into pieces and simply add them to the mixing bowl. You may want to double the lettuce so that it's less juicy. Serve in bowls and dig in.
- The end result won't look particularly pretty, in fact, my youngest son said it resembled lettuce soup- but it is so so good & 100 % worth it. Trust me!
Nutrition
Calories: 287kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 28g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 17g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 16mg | Sodium: 570mg | Potassium: 246mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 662IU | Vitamin C: 14mg | Calcium: 43mg | Iron: 1mg
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