Stuffed Sub Salad Sandwich

While I love the classic sandwiches, it’s always exciting to come across a creative idea or method. The newest sandwich concept I’ve discovered is a stuffed sub salad sandwich, but I like it for even more than its novelty. Stuffed sub sandwiches are inspired by the sandwiches at the Texas chain Bread Zeppelin. There, customers watch as their choices of cool, fresh chopped salads are assembled and then stuffed inside crusty, chewy, hollowed-out baguettes.

The baguettes baked at Bread Zeppelin are more than four inches across and twice that in length, which means they hold a lot of chopped salad. This inspired recipe makes two smaller sandwich halves using a regular baguette you can find at your local store or bakery. It holds a classic deli blend of diced turkey, bacon and peppercorn ranch dressing along with veggies, pickles and peppers. The chopped texture means you get a bit of each ingredient in every bite. Prep and stuff one of these sandwiches for your own lunch—or to share with someone lucky!

Stuffed Sub Salad Sandwich Ingredients

• Baguette: Pick up a baguette that’s about 13 inches long and 2-1/2 to 3 inches in diameter. It should be fresh and sturdy with a crisp exterior and soft insides that can be scooped out. Avoid very thin baguettes, as these will be harder to stuff with fillings. You could also make your own French baguette at home so you can make it the exact size you need.
• Turkey: Grab your favorite variety of sliced turkey from the deli. Smoked or black pepper varieties are especially good for these sandwiches. You can also use leftover cooked turkey if you have some on hand.
• Bacon: There are many ways to cook bacon, but microwaving and baking are the two easiest methods for this sandwich recipe.
• Cheddar cheese: I prefer sharp cheddar, but other types of cheese are tasty, too. Freshly grated or bagged shredded cheese are both fine here.
• Tomato: Dice one medium-sized tomato to add color and flavor to the chopped mixture. The types of tomatoes I like are vine-ripened and plum tomatoes.
• Romaine lettuce: This type of lettuce is ideal because it’s really crisp and holds up well when chopped and mixed with the dressing and other filling ingredients.
• Pickles: The tang of dill pickles is delicious in the sandwich mixture. One or two dill spears are enough to get a quarter-cup of diced pickles.
• Peppercorn ranch dressing: Creamy dressing brings the filling together. Using a peppercorn variety gives the sandwiches a little extra kick.
• Banana peppers: Yellow pickled peppers are one of my favorite additions to all kinds of sandwich fillings. You can find these jarred peppers in mild or hot varieties.
• Salt and pepper: Just a dash of seasoning completes the sandwiches.

Directions

Step 1: Prepare the baguette

Cut the baguette in half horizontally. Use a long, thin knife to cut the centers of each baguette piece to create two hollowed-out shells. Discard the bread pieces or save them for another use.

Editor’s Tip: While we love the idea of a stuffed sandwich the way Bread Zeppelin makes them, it’s not easy cutting a hole in a baguette. Cutting it in half and reassembling later is a much easier way to fill the sandwich with the chopped salad. To remove the soft insides of the baguettes, I had the best results using tongs to remove the bread and a fork to scrape closer to the crust. Leave about 1/4-inch thick wall inside each of the hollowed-out baguette shells.

Step 2: Make the filling

In a large bowl, toss together the romaine lettuce, tomato, turkey, bacon, pickles and banana peppers with the shredded cheese. Add the peppercorn ranch dressing, salt and pepper and toss the mixture again until everything is coated with the dressing.

Editor’s Tip: Use a sharp knife to dice up all of the filling ingredients. Chopping the ingredients into small, uniform pieces will make it easier to get more filling into the sandwich.

Step 3: Stuff the sandwiches

Fill each baguette shell with the chopped salad mixture and serve the sandwiches immediately.

Editor’s Tip: Use tongs to fill the baguette shells with the chopped salad mixture. Periodically use a fork or spoon to push the mixture down into the bottom of the shell. Be careful not to rip the bread; the baguette crust is pretty sturdy, so you should be able to really push the filling in.

Stuffed Sub Salad Sandwich Variations

• Try other greens: Instead of romaine, use another sturdy lettuce variety in the filling, such as kale, iceberg, spinach or Swiss chard.
• Use a different ranch dressing: The turkey bacon blend is just as good with regular ranch dressing. Or, try varieties like Southwest, chipotle or homemade jalapeno ranch dressing.
• Opt for an Italian chopped salad sandwich: Fill the baguette halves with this Italian chopped salad recipe made with artichoke hearts, salami and provolone.
• Make a grilled chicken version: The stuffed sandwich is very tasty made with a sweet corn, zucchini and grilled chicken chopped salad.
• Pivot to a veggie-filled stuffed version: Use this veggie chopped salad that features broccoli, cauliflower, Parmesan, peas and bacon to make it a vegetarian-friendly sandwich.

Stuffed Sub Salad Sandwich Tips

Can you make stuffed sub salad sandwiches in advance?

The stuffed sub salad sandwiches can be made up to one day in advance. Wrap the assembled sandwiches well in food storage wrap or place them inside a tightly sealed container. Keep the sandwiches refrigerated.

If you have leftover salad filling, depending on the size of your baguette and how much room there is inside, you can refrigerate it for up to two days. Leftover filling tastes even better cold! Spread it between slices of bread or inside a small sub or hot dog roll.

How do you keep the bread from getting soggy with a stuffed sub salad sandwich?

The crusty shell of the baguette holds up well to the moist stuffed sub salad sandwich filling. There’s just enough dressing in the mixture to add flavor without being soggy. If you like an extra saucy sandwich, have more peppercorn ranch dressing on the side for dipping. The stuffed sub sandwiches are fine to make up to one day ahead of time, but any longer will turn the filling and bread soggy.

Can you make a sub salad sandwich on other types of bread?

If a baguette isn’t available, look for a similarly-sized long loaf of French bread. The crust will be softer but still stiff enough to be hollowed out and stuffed. The sandwiches can also be made with large, crusty round rolls that are sturdy enough to be hollowed out. Another option is to make a more traditional sandwich with the chopped turkey bacon ranch filling. Spoon it into a pita pocket, fold it inside a soft naan bread or roll it up in a large flour tortilla wrap.

What else can you serve with a stuffed sub salad sandwich?

Serve stuffed sub salad sandwiches with your favorite cold side salads like strawberry arugula salad, watermelon tomato salad or even macaroni salad if you’re feeling adventurous. And chips are always a welcome sandwich side! Pick up your favorite brand of potato chips or make a batch of homemade potato chips.