Loaded Pizza Sandwiches

Loaded Pizza Sandwich with all the toppings! Load it up, toast it, and slice it for an easy dinner or party snack. All it takes is some bread, some classic pizza toppings, sauce, and plenty of cheese to serve up your favorite pizza in sandwich form.

Pizza Sandwich

Since the Earl of Sandwich first asked for some meat nestled in between two slices of bread (although there is evidence that his idea was not completely original) it’s safe to say that sandwiches have won the hearts of many.

I mean, do you know anyone who hates sandwiches? If you do, I don’t think they’re worthy of your trust.

And while my choice of sandwich mostly runs the simple roast-beef-on-wheat-with-mayo-and-mustard variety with some crisp lettuce and a juicy tomato slice, sometimes I crave something a little more fun like a big o’ pizza sandwich.

This pizza sandwich is meant for sharing – think of it as a mini party sub for four. It’s toasty hot with lots of toppings and, of course, plenty of melted cheese.

Ingredients

• 12-inch loaf of soft bread, sliced horizontally in half
• Olive oil
• Provolone cheese
• Genoa salami slices
• Pepperoni slices
• Fresh herbs (thyme, parsley, basil, or combination)
• Sliced kalamata olives
• Sliced green pepper
• Marinara sauce or pizza sauce
• Sliced fresh mozzarella or low-moisture shredded mozzarella cheese

Using plain old sandwich bread is fine, but I prefer a big loaf of soft white bread when sandwich special-ness is in order. You know the totally generic kind found in the specialty bread section at the store? I prefer it to the crustier artisan-style bread which can be a little difficult to eat as a sandwich.

How to Make It

Anyway, using a large loaf of bread means building pizza sandwiches for four takes no time at all. I like to start with a generous drizzle of olive oil followed by slices of provolone cheese. Next, layer on Genoa salami followed by plenty of pepperonis.

And there’s more! Briny Kalamata olives, fresh parsley, thyme and green peppers are favorite toppings, but think about what you love on a pizza and add whatever makes your heart sing – maybe some banana peppers, artichoke hearts, or diced tomatoes?Your sandwich is your canvas. Don’t hold back.

What makes this a true pizza sandwich is the sauce. I like to spoon just enough sauce over the toppings so that it barely oozes out over the sides when it’s sliced. Any more and it turns into a mess, so about 1/3 cup of your favorite marinara sauce will do.

Lastly, some cheese. Sliced fresh mozzarella tops it all off.

Pop it under the broiler to melt the cheese and toast the bread. You may need to rotate the baking sheet to ensure that everything toasts evenly and keep an eye on it! The sandwich can go from perfectly toasted to burned in a heartbeat.

Slice the pizza sandwich into four pieces and, if you want a little easier eating situation, slice each again in half. It really is like your favorite pizza pie in sandwich form. 

Variations

• Love pepperoni pizza? Skip all the other stuff and load it up with pepperoni, cheese, and sauce.
• Meat lover? Add some cooked Italian sausage crumbles, crumbled cooked bacon, sliced Canadian ham. Just don’t load it up too much unless you want to wear your pizza sandwich.
• Want some heat? Sprinkle some red pepper flakes over the sauce before you add the cheese on top.
• Friend of the veggies? Skip the meat and add more favorite vegetables like mushrooms, peppers, onions, and olives.

I hope you give this easy sandwich a try!

Happy sandwiching,

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More Sandwich Recipes

• Hot Roast Beef Sandwiches with Cheddar Cheese Sauce
• Short Rib Sliders
• Slow Cooker Shredded BBQ Chicken Sandwiches
• Mushroom Grilled Cheese Sliders
• Italian Sandwich Sliders

📣 Do you love this recipe? I would love to know! Leave a comment below the recipe along with your recipe star rating.

The nutrition is an estimate only. It was calculated using Nutrifox, an online nutrition calculator.

Post updated from the archives. First published in August of 2016.