This was written by Andrea, a Formato Family person.

Ok, so Mardi Gras is just around the corner, February 21st, and if you know me, you know I’m preparing for the feast day commonly known as Fat Tuesday!  You might also know that Mardi Gras is also known as Fat Tuesday, but, did you also know that one of the great delicacies of Mardi Gras is the Muffuletta Sandwich?  And, you guessed it, the greatest American city to celebrate Mardi Gras is home to this deliciousness:  New Orleans!

And, if you’re like me, you’re brave enough to visit Naw’Leans, but not brave enough to actually visit during Mardi Gras.

Thanks to Formato Brothers, I don’t need to travel farther than my kitchen cupboard to enjoy the taste of Mardi Gras all year long!  So according to legend, the Muffuletta sandiwch originated at the Central Grocery in New Orleans back on Decatur Street in early 1906.  The true sandwich starts with a 10″ round loaf of Italian bread filled with all the Italian fillings you can imagine:  salami, cheese, ham, and most importantly, olive salad — and, oh, by the way, NEVER heat or toast the sandwich!!!  It must be served at room temp or you’ll be disowned by the family.

And, this is the easiest recipe ever:  just all all ingredients til your heart’s content!

Here’s how I would create my Formato Brothers Muffuletta (layer each item):

1 – 10″ round Italian bread (if you can’t find round bread, just use regular Italian), cut into the top and bottom
6 oz sliced provolone cheese
6 oz sliced salami
6 oz sliced Italian ham
4 Tablespoons of Formato Brothers Muffuletta Spread (regular or Hot will work)

Cut sandwich into quarters, serve, enjoy!

Ok, so one more thing:  I’m actually going to New Orleasn in a few months (like I said, not brave enough to actually go during Mardi Gras), but, I’m going to track down and visit the original Central Grocery on Decatur Street and post the pics on Facebook (formatobrothers.com).

If you “like” the picture, then go ahead and  “like” the Facebook page (formatobrothers.com).  Look for the $5.00 discount code available there.

Click on Recipes for Chicken Muffuletta Sandwich, Crispy Mufuletta Raviolis, Meatless Eggplant Meatballs made with Muffuletta Olive Salad.  Come back to our Blog page for a New Orleans update once Andrea returns from her trip there.