We like a potato that is mayo based. Not the goopy dripping mayo stuff, but a nice fresh mayo/sour cream dill dressed potato salad is great and compliments the olive salad without competing with it.

Chips are also a possibility - maybe pita chips with hummus? I think comething creamy (not necessarily dairy kind of creamy, hummus has the same texture) is great with Muffuletta.

Have fun!

Alexa

I'd serve it with some good potato chips, a devilled egg and a few carrot and celery sticks for crunch.

I would probably bring along a fresh fruit side dish. The muffuletta we make is jammed pack with filling between the round crusty bread. It's very filling so something on the light side is good. Sliced or chunks of apple, melon, or your favorite fruit with a key lime dipping sauce. Nice and light. NancyLouise

Another who says fruit....mufuletta is salty, so I would nix chips or pickles or any other salty treat.
I like watermelon and kiwi....looks pretty together and tastes good too.
Linda C

Hmmm. Isn't muffaletta from Louisiana? I think you just need RiverRat to come on up there and make a few drinks for you.

Yeah, OK, I think fruit would be nice. (grin)

Annie

I agree with both the fruit and the drinks, and may I suggest a dessert that will "rotund you out perfectly"? lol

Whatever you choose have a wonderful boat trip!

Thanks everyone for the inspiration.

I'm doing potato salad and deviled eggs as part of Friday nights dinner so don't want to repeat but Alexa's idea made me think that cucumbers and sweet onions in sour cream and a bit of vinegar with fresh ground pepper may be good.

Think I'll do that along with the fresh fruit.

Thanks again for breaking the log jam in my brain!

I like it with Caesar Salad and maybe a beer. I think a lettuce and tomato salad works also or Caprese Salad, even if it is a bit salty.

Lars

I think that's a great idea Annie! With a Muffuletta ya gotta have an ice cold beer with salty chips and a side of fresh fruit.

Chase, What time should I be there? :-) I can be a decent bartender if I need to be!

Chips or potato salad is all we ever have with them. Fruit salad or fresh fruit would be a great dessert to go with them.

Zapp's Chips would probably be the best chips to serve.

So what did you decide to do?

Well I'm certainly not going against Karen so chips it is! I'm doing the watermelon and cuke salad as well but not feta.

Getting ready to load up the boat soon!

Thanks again everyone!

I will be clinking in your direction - hope you have a great time, the food sounds wonderful :-)

Alexa

clinking here in Michigan too, we just finished a double batch of salsa and a swim in the pool with Princess and Bruvver. No muffuletta here, but we had tomato tart and apple cake!

Hope you had a great cruise and are still cruisin'.

Annie

When I sit down at the counter at Central Grocery in NOLA (the originator of the Muffaletta sandwich)....it's for 1/2 a Muffaletta, a bag of Zapp's Crawtator potato chips, and always a Barq's root beer. Barq's originated in the late 1800's in the French quarters of New Orleans.....same area as Central Grocery. It is a long time local tradition to wash down a Muffaletta with a Barq's root beer.

Dan

Soooo, is there a recipe for this Muffuletta? I don't believe I know what this is????

Annie, How do you cook with those grandkids around and then find time to take a swim. When my grandkids come over I better have the food prepared in advance cause I'm not doing while there here. Although you have 2 and I have 5 maybe that's the difference? Do kids like Muffuletta?

Karen

Karen, there are probably a ton of recipes and recommendations on how to make Muffuletta and the olive salad and what to include, etc. It really is more of a method..... that said, I had C&P this recipe severall years ago and use it as the guideline when I am assembling one.

Alexa

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Real N'awlins Muffuletta
Submitted by: Boo
These gigantic sandwiches were invented a century ago at Sicilian Deli here in New Orleans. The spicy, tangy olive salad is what really sets this meat and cheese sandwich apart. A genuine muffuletta should be made on oven-fresh Italian bread topped with sesame seeds. Be sure and use the highest-quality ingredients available; it really makes a difference! Since you're going to all the trouble of making the olive salad, consider doubling the recipe so you'll have some extra waiting around for when you get another muffuletta craving -- it keeps for at least a month! Note: Use round bread loaves for real muffuletta.
Servings: 8

Ingredients:
1 cup pimento-stuffed green olives, crushed
1/2 cup drained kalamata olives, crushed
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup roughly chopped pickled cauliflower florets
2 tablespoons drained capers
1 tablespoon chopped celery
1 tablespoon chopped carrot
1/2 cup pepperoncini, drained
1/4 cup marinated cocktail onions
1/2 teaspoon celery seed
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup canola oil
2 (1 pound) loaves Italian bread
8 ounces thinly sliced Genoa salami
8 ounces thinly sliced cooked ham
8 ounces sliced mortadella
8 ounces sliced mozzarella cheese
8 ounces sliced Provolone cheese

Directions:
1. To Make Olive Salad: In a medium bowl, combine the green olives, kalamata olives, garlic, cauliflower, capers, celery, carrot, pepperoncini, cocktail onions, celery seed, oregano, basil, black pepper, vinegar, olive oil and canola oil. Mix together and transfer mixture into a glass jar (or other nonreactive container). If needed, pour in more oil to cover. Cover jar or container and refrigerate at least overnight. 2. To Make Sandwiches: Cut loaves of bread in half horizontally; hollow out some of the excess bread to make room for filling. Spread each piece of bread with equal amounts olive salad, including oil. Layer 'bottom half' of each loaf with 1/2 of the salami, ham, mortadella, mozzarella and Provolone. Replace 'top half' on each loaf and cut sandwich into quarters. 3. Serve immediately, or wrap tightly and refrigerate for a few hours; this will allow for the flavors to mingle and the olive salad to soak into the bread.

Thanks Alexa, It does sound time consuming but very yummy!

I think I need to give it a try.

Karen

Karen that is the exact recipe I use. It's not really that time consuming because you make the olive relish a day or two before the actual sandwich. The sandwich goes together in a flash.

My company loved it and the wife doesn't even like olives! LOL

You can buy Muffuletta Olive Salad (I find it at Sorrento's Italian Deli in Culver City), and this makes the sandwich a lot easier to make. I add extra olives to it, however, but it does contain the celery seed, as well as the rest of the salad ingredients.

Lars