Muffaletta is a sandwich that originated in New Orleans by Italian immigrants. If you have ever been to that side of the country you may have tried the ever popular beignets. This recipe is a take on another favorite which is stuffed in a butterflied chicken then grilled.
The sandwich is made up of a muffaletta loaf that is filled with a couple cold cuts. The cold cuts consist of mortadella, salami, ham and provolone cheese. The signature ingredient is the olive salad that gets added to this sandwich.
The olive salad is unique with the brininess of the olives pairing well with the cold cuts. It consist of castelvetrano olives, sweet red peppers, capers, shallots and celery. This mixed in olive oil and red wine vinegar and set overnight for maximum flavor though not necessary.
This recipe keeps everything the same besides the fact that it is stuffed in chicken. To do this you will need to take a piece of chicken breast and butterfly it. Place the cold cuts, cheese and olive salad in it and roll it up then grill it for about 20 minutes turning halfway through.
As with cooked meats you definitely want to make sure that it reaches a safe temperature to consume. Since the chicken is stuffed it helps keep it moist but check for doneness while cooking. As with all cooked meats you will want this to rest for a few minutes before slicing it.
Muffaletta stuffed chicken
chicken stuffed with mortadella, salami, provolone cheese and an olive salad
- 1 celery stick
- 1 piece chicken breast
- 1 tbsp celery leaves
- 2 oz castelvetrano olives
- 1 oz pimento stuffed olives
- ½ tbsp capers
- 2 oz jarred sweet pimento peppers (diced)
- ½ shallot
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 2 tbsp olive oil (extra virgin)
- 3 slices mortadella
- 4 slices salami
- 3 slices provolone
- ½ tsp smoked paprika
- salt and pepper
Heat up a grill to 375°. Butterfly the chicken breast by cutting it in half lengthwise but not all the way through. Using a meat tenderizer, flatten the chicken by pounding it out until it is about ¼ inch thick.
Trim and dice the celery into small pieces. Dice the sweet pimento peppers if its not already diced. Cut and dice the shallots, both olives, celery leaves and capers. Set aside.
Prep the olive salad for the chicken. In a small mixing bowl, add in 1 tablespoon of olive oil and the red wine vinegar. Next add in the diced sweet pimento peppers, shallots, olives, capers and celery leaves. Stir until fully combined and season with salt and pepper.
Season both sides of the chicken with salt and pepper and start to layer it with the mortadella, then salami, olive salad and provolone cheese. Roll it up and hold it in place using bamboo picks or sticks. Sprinkle the outer layer of the chicken with the smoked paprika and drizzle with olive oil.
Place the stuffed chicken breast on a grill and cook for 20 minutes flipping halfway. Be sure to check the temperature after about 15 minutes using a thermometer. Once it reaches 165° remove from the grill carefully and cover loosely with foil for at least 10 minutes.
Cut in 1 inch slices and enjoy with a side salad!
