Muffuletta Grilled Cheese

Ingredients

• For the olive salad:
• 3/4 cup pitted mixed oil-packed olives
• 1 tablespoon capers
• 1/4 cup chopped roasted red peppers
• 2 tablespoons parsley leaves
• 1/2 cup giardiniera
• 1 medium garlic clove, minced
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• For the sandwich:
• 2 tablespoons butter, cut into three even pieces
• 2 slices hearty white bread, such as Pepperidge Farm or Arnold, or 2 slices hearty French or Italian bread
• 2 slices mild Provolone cheese
• 3 slices sweet soppressata
• 3 slices mortadella
• 3 slices hot capicola
• Kosher salt

Directions

1. For the olive salad, add the olives, capers, peppers, parsley, giardiniera, and garlic to a food processor. Pulse just until everything is chopped and no bits are bigger than 1/2-inch. Scrape the mixture into a bowl, then stir in the vinegar and olive oil. For the best flavor, set the olive salad aside overnight before you make the sandwich.
2. For the sandwich, place one third of the butter in a large non-stick skillet set over medium heat. Once the bubbling has settled down, add both slices of bread. Cook them, moving them around in the pan now and then, until the undersides are lightly golden, about 2 minutes.
3. Move the bread to a cutting board with the toasted surfaces facing up. Set one slice of cheese on one piece of bread. Spoon a layer of olive salad over the bread, then add the soppressata, mortadella, and capicola. Lay the second slice of cheese on top, then close the sandwich so the toasted sides are on the inside.
4. Add one more piece of butter to the skillet and turn the heat down to medium low. Put the sandwich in the pan and cook it, shifting it occasionally, until the first side is evenly browned and deeply golden, about 5 minutes. Lift it out with a flexible metal spatula. Add the last piece of butter to the skillet, then place the sandwich back in the pan with the cooked side facing up. Sprinkle with salt. Continue cooking, moving it around from time to time, until the other side is deeply and evenly golden and the cheese has fully melted, about 5 minutes. Serve right away.