Grinder Salad Sandwiches

grinder salad on meat and cheese stuffed toasted hoagie rolls

4.84 from 25 votes

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!

Prep Time10

Total Time10

Course: Appetizer, Dinner, Lunch

Cuisine: American

Servings:

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