Mortadella Monster Food

GRILLED MORTADELLA AND MUENSTER MONSTER SUB

Steps:

• Preheat a grill to medium high. Make the olive aioli: Mix the mayonnaise, olives, mustard, garlic and honey in a bowl. Taste and add salt if necessary. Make a small cut on the edge of each slice of mortadella to prevent it from curling as it cooks. Grill the mortadella until marked, then flip, top with a slice of cheese and grill until the cheese melts, 1 to 2 more minutes. (You can also cook the mortadella in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, about 3 minutes per side.)
• Sandwich build: Split the baguette in half lengthwise and toast lightly on the grill. Schmear the olive aioli on the baguette top. Layer the cheese-topped mortadella on the baguette bottom. Top with the tomatoes, lettuce and the baguette top. Cut into individual sandwiches. Photograph by Kang Kim

GIANT MORTADELLA SUB

Steps:

• On the bottom half of the sub, arrange the cheese, then ribbons of thin mortadella, then the lettuce and then the fried onions. On the top half of the bun, spread a generous schmear of the Cherry Pepper Aioli.
• Combine the mayonnaise, cherry pepper relish, mustard, garlic and chives in a medium bowl and stir until well blended.

MORTADELLA AND MOZZARELLA BAGUETTE

Steps:

• Cut the baguette in half horizontally. Spread the pesto evenly on the insides of both sides of the baguette. Fold the mortadella to fit the baguette and shingle it along the bottom half. Tear the mozzarella slices into pieces on top of the mortadella. Season evenly with the salt and sprinkle with the capers. Close the sandwich with the top half of the baguette and cut into 4 or 6 pieces.

MORTADELLA AND FIG PIZZA BAGEL

Steps:

• Position an oven rack in the lower middle position and set the oven to high broil. Line a sheet pan with foil.
• Brush both sides of each bagel half with the olive oil. Schmear the fig jam on the top of each bagel half, crust to crust. Place on the lined sheet pan. Layer 2 slices of the fontina across the entire top of each bagel half. Next, sprinkle the diced mortadella over the cheese. Broil until the mortadella starts to crisp up and the cheese becomes bubbly, about 5 minutes. Once perfect, top with the giardiniera relish and serve!

MONSTER MUFFALETTA

Steps:

• Cut the loaves in half horizontally. Drizzle some of the olive salad liquid on the bottom halves. Dividing everything by two, layer the cheese, mortadella, genoa, capicola and then the Olive Salad on top. Cover with the top halves, and then cut into pie-shaped wedges and serve to the masses.
• Add the black olives, green olives, olive oil, roasted red peppers, capers, vinegar, crushed red pepper and sugar to a food processor and pulse until uniform but still coarse, about 10 times. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.

MORTADELLA BITES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Unfold the sheet of puff pastry and roll into an 11-inch square. Using a pizza wheel or sharp knife, slice the dough into 1/2-inch-thick strips. Wrap each baton of mortadella in one strip of puff pastry, overlapping the dough slightly with each wrap-around to create a spiral appearance in the dough while leaving the mortadella ends exposed.
• Place the rolls on the prepared baking sheet, spaced 1 inch apart. Brush each roll with egg and top with a good pinch of Gruyere. Bake until golden brown and puffed, 25 minutes.
• Serve warm, with mustard if desired.