Italian Subs Are Way Better When They Get The Grilled Cheese Treatment

Once you've got an Italian sub sandwich in hand, there's no worrying about a lackluster meal. With layers upon layers of meat, cheese, and veggies, the diverse flavors come in abundance. Also part of the sandwich realm but spectacular in a completely different way is grilled cheese, which is often adored for its decadent richness. So what happens when these two beloved dishes come together? As expected, the result is nothing short of extraordinary.

A typical Italian sub gives you a little bit of everything on the flavor spectrum: the cured meats' briny, smoky taste, the veggies' earthy bites, the bread's mild savoriness, and a hint of tanginess from the cheese. The dressing ties these different notes together in a slightly acidic, herby finish; each bite offers a balanced harmony that never fails to excite the palate. This only gets better when other cheeses join the party. It coats the individual ingredients in a creamy, tangy richness that only melted cheese possesses, elevating the overall flavor profile to an irresistible level. Imagine a sandwich that adorns an Italian sub's marvelous ingredients, with gooey cheese dripping in between — it's the best of both worlds rolled into one palm-sized package.

This mash-up is as straightforward as you'd expect. Just add various cheese varieties such as provolone and mozzarella to a typical Italian sub sandwich. Then, wrap the whole thing in foil and leave it in an oven, a skillet, or on the grill to achieve that grilled cheese melty goodness. There's still room for twists and changes, so feel free to add other vegetables like roasted red pepper, artichoke hearts, spinach, or arugula. Substantial and packed with versatile ingredients, it's suitable for many kinds of meals, from light lunches and on-the-go snackings to casual dinners.

Going for a different approach, you can adapt elements of the Italian sub to your grilled cheese sandwich. This isn't too different from the other way, but unlike Italian subs, which often use ciabatta or hoagie rolls, grilled cheese tends to stick with white bread or sourdough. Since the bread varieties are different, the outcome follows suit. The other original ingredients can remain the same, only joined by a few essentials from the Italian sub.  These can be cured meat normally used in the sandwich, such as prosciutto, salami, and pepperoni, and then a couple of basil leaves for a spark of aroma. Maybe even a bit of the Italian sub's vinaigrette. Or perhaps a spoonful of marinara sauce or pesto sauce or a sprinkle of Italian seasoning if you'd like to decorate the sandwich with even more flavors and colors.