This stuffed sub salad sandwich recipe takes a savory mix of turkey, veggies, smoky bacon and a peppery ranch dressing, and stuffs it inside a chewy baguette.
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.
Ingredients
- 1 French bread baguette (11 ounces)
- 2 cups finely chopped romaine
- 1 medium tomato, seeded and diced
- 4 to 5 ounces deli turkey, chopped
- 4 cooked bacon strips, chopped
- 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1/4 cup chopped dill pickle
- 1/4 cup chopped banana peppers
- 1/4 cup peppercorn ranch salad dressing
- Pinch salt and pepper
Directions
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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 bread pieces or save for another use.
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In a large bowl, combine lettuce, tomato, turkey, bacon, cheese, pickle and banana peppers. Add ranch dressing, salt and pepper; toss to coat.
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Fill each baguette shell with the chopped salad mixture; serve immediately.
