This party sub is one of my favorite easy dinners as well as a great way to feed a crowd! You could even fake a 6′ sub by cutting off the ends of the french bread and assembling several of these onto one long sandwich board. Because it’s so simple, be sure and use the highest quality meats, cheeses, and fresh vegetables. These are perfect for dinner on a summer evening or wrap it up in foil and bring it with you to the beach or to go watch the fireworks or for feeding any kind of hungry crowd. The real secret in making it extra delicious is making the secret sauce as well as a loaf of homemade French bread but if you don’t have time or don’t want to, don’t stress it–fresh French bread from the grocery store still works beautifully.
Party Sub
Ingredients
- 1 loaf fresh French bread either homemade or from the bakery section of the grocery store
- Secret Sandwich Spread see recipe below
- 5-6 slices deli sliced cheese I liked smoked provolone
- 8-10 ounces high quality sliced deli meat I like a combination of ham and turkey, but your favorite will work!
- 5-6 crisp lettuce leaves Romaine works well
- 1 large tomato sliced
- 1/2 small red onion thinly sliced
- Oregano optional, but delicious
Instructions
- Slice the loaf of bread in half lengthwise. Using a spatula or a squeezy dressing bottle, spread the dressing on both sides of the bread. Place the cheese on the bottom half, then top with a layer of lettuce, tomatoes, and onions. Top with layers of deli meat, and, if desired, lightly sprinkle with oregano. Place the top of the loaf of bread on top of everything.
- Cover or wrap in foil, parchment, or plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to serve. Before serving, slice the sandwich into 2-3” slices. Serve with chips and fresh fruit.
Notes
Easy Sandwich Dressing
½ cup mayonnaise (light mayo is fine)½ cup sour cream (light sour cream is fine)
2 tablespoons yellow mustard Whisk to combine and store in a covered container or a dressing bottle. You will not use the entire recipe for 1 party sub, but it is great to have on hand for future sandwiches; you can store it for 1-2 weeks.
If you want to mix things up a little, try these variations!
- Load bread with Philly Cheesesteak filling, top with cheese, and broil until cheese is melted.
- Top bread with French Dip roast beef and cheese. When cheese is melted, dip slices in the au jus.
- Two words: Meatball. Subs.
- Top with smokey pulled pork, ham, melted Swiss cheese, yellow mustard, and pickles for a Cuban sandwich
- Get fancy with Sara’s Garlic-Herb Sandwich Spread or her Roasted Garlic and Sun-Dried Tomato Spread with some leftover fauxtisserie chicken, artichoke hearts, and some melty Swiss cheese.
- Make a giant BLT and cut it into slices.
Questions & Reviews
thanks for the inspiration — now i’m improvising a vegan version with olive oil & olive tapenade, smoked tofu, on sourdough baguette from a small family bakery nearby
I got a shout out!! Wow, this is the most exciting day of my LIFE!!!! Yes, you made that sandwich and it was the PERFECT going away present. I still think about it sometimes … so so yummy. And WAY better than any store or restaurant bought sandwich I've ever tasted. Seriously. And I did try to re-create it a few weeks back, but you're right the secret is your home made loaf (which I didn't end up making) so it wasn't nearly as good. But still, it was good enough to remind me of the original. Sigh … it really was a good sandwich.
I'm sorry I couldn't get your email link to work…but would you mind if I did a post on your "fauxtisserie" chicken on my Old School site? I'd give you credit and links, of course. What do you think? Email me at mhovley at gmail dot com. Thanks so much.
Your french loaf is so pretty! I've never made a loaf with that recipe, only buns. That looks awesome. I need to remember this idea for summer get togethers. It's so easy and could feed a lot of people.
Okay I am going to attempt my own loaf of french bread this week. I am excited. I am also excited for a quick (minus making the bread) dinner that doesn't require a ton of time in front of the stove.
This post is right on time. I've just been thinking of what to pack for lunch at the beach. A big sammy would be great for the adults. I love making these with salmon cakes or other hot sandiwches and didn't think to do it for cold ones.
This post is right on time. I've just been thinking of what to pack for lunch at the beach. A big sammy would be great for the adults. I love making these with salmon cakes or other hot sandiwches and didn't think to do it for cold ones.
What a great alternative to making a whole load of sandwiches! Love this idea and it looks so good. Limitless possibilities with this one!
Oh yum. If you don't want to make your own bread, Pepperidge Farms makes excellant bread for subs, get it in the bread aisle, it is DELICIOUS!
I love sandwiches.
Yum! This looks super good. My mom makes something similar with an olive tapenade instead of mustard or mayo and it is delish.
I think the post is GREAT!!! I'm definitely up for trying some homemade french bread too. And oregano…I'll give that a shot too.
Oh yum! Sandwiches are definitely one way to this girl's heart… I live off of sandwiches (or at least at lunch-time I do). I'd never thought of adding the oregano though – will have to try that.
– Jennifer
This looks SO good. I love a good sandwich!
Yum! This looks really good, and super easy to whip up a couple for lunch on the 4th! We also make big sandwiches like this, but we use the big round loaf of Kings Hawaiian Bread, cut it open horizontally, top it with whatever, then cut into wedge-shaped sandwiches. So yummy, and you can use lots of different toppings just like this. The little bit of sweetness in the bread is especially good with some honey ham!
We make these all the time! I always make individual sandwiches on Thomas Rounds though, so I'm excited to just make one big one! The thought never occurred to me either.
I love that you included banana peppers in your photo. They make the sandwich, in my opinion. We also use oregano along with salt and pepper. I never use mustard or mayo though. A good sprinkling of red wine vinegar adds the best flavor with none of the fat and calories.