New Orleans Muffuletta Sliders with Olive Salad

Muffuletta Sliders are a perfect choice for game day, casual entertaining, or any time you want a comforting, crowd-pleasing sandwich. The marriage of salty, thinly sliced cured meats, gooey provolone, and a tangy, briny olive salad tucked into soft, buttery Hawaiian rolls delivers a satisfying mix of flavors and textures. These sliders are easy to assemble and slice into individual portions, making them ideal for sharing.

A full muffuletta turned into sliders keeps everything familiar but more shareable. I split a package of Hawaiian rolls in half, layer provolone, capicola, Genoa salami, and mortadella, then spoon a generous amount of olive salad over the meats. The olive salad is optional if you prefer a store-bought version, but homemade is simple to prepare and adds bright, briny flavor that elevates the sliders.

Ingredients

• Pimento-stuffed green olives
• Mild Italian giardiniera
• Pitted Kalamata olives
• Pepperoncini
• Capers
• Garlic cloves
• Dried oregano
• Extra-virgin olive oil
• Red wine vinegar
• Cooking spray
• Hawaiian rolls (12-count)
• Provolone cheese
• Capicola
• Genoa salami
• Mortadella
• Unsalted butter
• Sesame seeds

Step-by-Step

Step One: Make the Quick Olive Salad (optional)

Combine the pimento-stuffed green olives, giardiniera, Kalamata olives, pepperoncini, capers, garlic, dried oregano, extra-virgin olive oil, and red wine vinegar in a food processor. Pulse until the mix is finely chopped and evenly combined. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed. Set aside while you prepare the sliders. This olive salad keeps well in the refrigerator for several days, making it a great component to prepare ahead.

Step Two: Preheat the Oven and Prep the Baking Dish

Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with cooking spray or grease it so the rolls won’t stick. Set the dish aside while you assemble the sliders.

Step Three: Prep the Slider Rolls

Keep the rolls intact and slice the entire package in half horizontally so you have a single bottom sheet and a top sheet of rolls. Place the bottom half into the prepared baking dish with the cut sides facing up.

Step Four: Layer the Fillings

Place provolone slices in an even layer across the bottoms of the rolls. Top the cheese with the capicola, Genoa salami, and mortadella, arranging the meat so each slider will have a balanced portion. Use a slotted spoon to drain excess liquid from the olive salad before spooning it over the meats, distributing it evenly across the tray.

Step Five: Assemble the Sliders

Place the top half of the rolls over the filling, pressing gently so everything sits together. Brush the tops with melted unsalted butter and sprinkle evenly with sesame seeds for a golden, slightly nutty finish.

Step Six: Bake

Cover the baking dish loosely with foil and bake for 15 minutes. Remove the foil and continue baking for an additional 8–10 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown and slightly crisp. Baking melts the cheese and warms the meats while keeping the rolls soft and buttery.

Step Seven: Slice and Serve

Allow the sliders to cool for a few minutes so they hold together, then transfer the entire tray to a cutting board and slice between the rolls to separate individual sliders. Serve warm so the cheese is melty and the flavors are at their best.

Recipe FAQs

Muffuletta Sliders — Recipe Details

Servings: 12 sliders

Prep time: about 20 minutes | Cook time: about 25 minutes | Total time: about 45 minutes

Ingredients (condensed)

• 3/4 cup pimento-stuffed green olives, drained
• 1/2 cup mild Italian giardiniera, drained
• 1/4 cup pitted Kalamata olives, drained
• 1/4 cup pepperoncini, drained
• 1 tbsp capers, drained
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tsp red wine vinegar
• 1 package Hawaiian rolls (12-count)
• 8 slices provolone cheese
• 8 slices capicola
• 10 slices Genoa salami
• 8 slices mortadella
• 1 cup olive salad (homemade or store-bought)
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
• 2 tsp sesame seeds

Instructions (condensed)

1. Pulse the olive salad ingredients in a food processor until finely chopped; set aside.
2. Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
3. Slice the rolls horizontally and place the bottom halves in the prepared dish.
4. Layer provolone, then capicola, salami, and mortadella. Spoon drained olive salad over the meats.
5. Top with the roll tops, brush with melted butter, and sprinkle sesame seeds on top.
6. Cover loosely with foil and bake 15 minutes. Remove foil and bake 8–10 minutes more until golden.
7. Let cool slightly, then slice into individual sliders and serve warm.

Nutrition (per slider, approximate)

• Calories: 297 kcal
• Carbohydrates: 13 g
• Protein: 11 g
• Fat: 26 g (Saturated Fat: 9 g)
• Sodium: 1,166 mg
• Fiber: 1 g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated and should be used as an approximation.

Tips & Notes

• Drain the olive salad well before spooning it onto the meats to avoid soggy rolls.
• Assemble ahead for easy entertaining; store tightly covered and bake when guests arrive.
• Swap deli meats to suit your tastes—combining mild and robust flavors works best.