Giardiniera Meatball Sandwich

Maybe it’s because I don’t get out enough, but I’d never heard of putting Giardiniera on a meatball sandwich before. Whomever came up with the idea should be knighted (if we knighted folks in the US). Add a bit of roasted red bell pepper and you have a super-easy-to-make incredibly yummy sandwich. Perfect any time, but also great because I almost always have the ingredients to make Giardiniera meatball sandwiches on hand.

Giardiniera Meatball Sandwich

I used mild Giardiniera when making these meatball sandwiches, but hot would be fantastic too. Just chop it up a bit before spooning it on top.

I did ‘cheat’ and use frozen meatballs. If I’d had more time to throw dinner together, I would’ve made a batch of my Italian meatballs. I try to keep some on hand at all times, but truth is, they are just so good that there’s just never any leftovers.

For a different twist, substitute my okra giardiniera for the ‘normal’ stuff.

Giardiniera Meatball Sandwich
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4 from 1 vote

Giardiniera Meatball Sandwich

Maybe it’s because I don’t get out enough, but I’d never heard of putting Giardiniera on a meatball sandwich before. Whomever came up with the idea should be knighted.
Course Main
Cuisine American
Keyword meatballs, sandwich
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Servings 2 servings
Calories 936kcal
Author Mike

Ingredients

  • 1 loaf French bread sliced horizontally
  • 12 meatballs cooked, warmed (if using frozen store-bought, bake per package instructions first)
  • 4 slices Provolone cheese
  • Giardiniera chopped
  • 1 roasted red bell pepper sliced thin

Instructions

  • Hollow out as much of the bread as you can to make room for the meatballs and toppings.
  • Place on a sheet pan under the broiler for a minute or two until the bread starts to get crunchy.
  • Add cheese and meatballs. Place under the broiler for another minute or two until the cheese melts.
  • Add Giardiniera and bell pepper strips.
  • Slice into two 6″ sandwiches and serve.

Nutrition

Calories: 936kcal | Carbohydrates: 114g | Protein: 48g | Fat: 32g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Cholesterol: 87mg | Sodium: 1659mg | Potassium: 577mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 436IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 395mg | Iron: 8mg

Nutritional values are approximate.

Okra Giardiniera

I was toodling around the house the other day, with the TV on in the background. A young lady said something about “okra giardiniera”. I instantly stopped what I was doing. I grabbed the Tivo remote and backed the show up a bit to see what exactly “okra giardiniera” was.

The show was Kimberly’s Simply Southern on the GAC network, and Miss Kimberly (from the country group Little Big Town) was making hot dogs topped with okra giardiniera. I made it too. I had to. Because it has okra in it.

Okra Giardiniera

It takes 2 days to make the mix, so don’t get in too big of a big rush. But it is so worth the time. The end result is lightly pickled (not too strong on the vinegar), with a little oil (almost like an olive salad), and a lot crunchy. And don’t fear the okra slime… you can rinse almost all of it away after the first day. Personally, I’ll eat okra any time, any way, full slime or not (see my Southern fried okra and my okra and tomatoes).

Oh, and I went with bigger cuts on the veggies just to get more crunch. That’s just me, you can make them as big or as small as you want.

Next up, I’m going to top a muffuletta sandwich with this giardiniera. I know it’ll be outstanding!

Okra Giardiniera
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5 from 1 vote

Okra Giardiniera

It takes 2 days to make the mix, so don’t get in too big of a big rush. But it is so worth the time. 
Course Salad
Cuisine American
Keyword okra, salad
Prep Time 1 day
Total Time 1 day
Servings 4 cups
Calories 536kcal

Equipment

Ingredients

Instructions

Day 1

  • Place the salt, okra, carrots, jalapeños, garlic, celery and red bell peppers into a resealable container. Add enough cold water to just cover the vegetables. Seal and place in the fridge overnight.

Day 2

  • Pour the mixture into a caldron and rinse well. You can mix the vegetables a bit to get them really rinsed well (read: remove any okra slime), but don’t be too aggressive or all of the tasty okra seeds will fly out.
  • Return vegetables to the resealable container.
  • In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, oil, oregano, and pepper. Pour over the vegetables and stir gently to combine. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
  • The giardiniera is ready to use the next stay. It will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

Nutrition

Calories: 536kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 56g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Sodium: 7087mg | Potassium: 219mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 1291IU | Vitamin C: 57mg | Calcium: 61mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutritional values are approximate.