This is the ultimate sub sandwich recipe loaded with roast beef, pastrami, turkey, provolone cheese, shredded lettuce, sliced tomatoes, and deli-style relish.

Who doesn’t love a sub sandwich? No, seriously? Who doesn’t? I don’t know anyone who doesn’t, that’s for sure. That’s why I love to make up batches of these sandwiches for game day get-togethers or as fun lunches and dinners for the family. Subs have a special place in my heart because they remind me of football, summer, and tons of fun with family and friends. It also doesn’t hurt that they taste so darn good, either.
Rather than spending a ton of money on a plate of subs from some chain restaurant, why not make your own with this delicious sub sandwich recipe? It’s loaded with meats and all the things that make subs so good, and all of the ingredients are so fresh! It’s definitely a step up from the strip mall chain you’d normally buy subs from.
Sub Sandwich Recipe
This recipe is both easy and delicious. It’s packed with delicious meats, veggies, and cheese, piled high and so full of flavor! Every bite is a taste of fresh ingredients that work in conjunction with one another to make the classic sub flavor that we all love. Soft deli bread is absolutely stuffed with roast beef, pastrami, and turkey, then we add provolone cheese, shredded lettuce, sliced tomatoes, and deli-style relish to create a sub that’s truly a cut above – to steal a tag line.
What is a Sub Sandwich?
A submarine sandwich – also called a sub, a hoagie, a hero, an Italian sandwich, or a grinder is a sandwich served cold or hot and made from a cylindrical bread roll split lengthwise and filled with meats, cheeses, vegetables, and condiments.
FAQ and Expert Tips
Subs are easy to make, but before you dive into this recipe take a look at this FAQ and tips. It will tell you everything you need to know to make this tasty sandwich as well as some interesting information about the sandwich itself.
Why is it Called a Sub?
No one knows exactly why or where the term submarine sandwich first came into existence. Some accounts indicate that the name originated in New London, Connecticut during World War II. This was the site of the Navy’s main submarine base, so it does make sense. However, advertisements from 1940 in Wilmington, Delaware discount this theory.
Another story suggests that the submarine sandwich and name were brought to the United States by Dominic Conti, a 19th-century Italian immigrant. He’s said to have given the sandwich its name after seeing a recovered 1901 sub called the Fenian Ram in the Paterson Museum of new Jersey in 1928. Conti’s granddaughter asserts this claim in a statement, saying:
My grandfather came to this country circa 1895 from Montella, Italy. Around 1910, he started his grocery store, called Dominic Conti’s Grocery Store, on Mill Street in Paterson, New Jersey where he was selling the traditional Italian sandwiches. His sandwiches were made from a recipe he brought with him from Italy, which consisted of a long crust roll, filled with cold cuts, topped with lettuce, tomatoes, peppers, onions, oil, vinegar, Italian herbs and spices, salt, and pepper. The sandwich started with a layer of cheese and ended with a layer of cheese (this was so the bread wouldn’t get soggy).
What is the Most Popular Sub?
Not surprisingly, the country’s most popular subs come from the country’s most popular sub sandwich chain – Subway. Their turkey and tuna sandwiches hold the title as America’s most popular sub sandwiches.
What is the Best Bread for a Sub Sandwich?
Sub sandwiches are hearty beasts packed with fillings. Subsequently, they need hearty bread to hold everything together without falling apart. The three best options for sub bread are hoagie rolls, sub rolls, or dense sourdough bread.
How Do you Toast a Sub Sandwich at Home?
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees, then toast the bread on a sheet pan or directly on the baking racks. You can also assemble your bread pieces with the sandwich ingredients on top and then toast them that way.
How Do you Reheat a Sub in the Oven?
Place your cold sandwich on a sheet pan and bake it in a 350-degree oven for about 8 – 10 minutes.
Fun Fact
Variations
In addition to being delicious, subs are great because they’re so versatile. You can easily mix things up just by changing the ingredients. It’s a simple affair to completely change the flavor of your sub!
Different Meats
Use any thin sliced meats you’d like on your sub. From ham to roast beef to genoa salami and pepperoni, and everything in between, it’s all fair game!
Different Cheese
Your favorite cheese is always welcome on your sub. Use any cheese that you love. There’s no wrong answer! I am using provolone cheese but cheddar cheese, mozzarella or pepper jack slices work great too.
Additional Veggies
Vegetables are always a great addition to any sub. You can use almost anything so long as it can be put on a sandwich. Some of my favorites are:
- Iceberg lettuce, green leafy lettuce
- Tomato
- Onion
- Pickles
- Avocado
- Bell pepper
- Banana pepper
- Jalapeno pepper
- Pepperoncini
- Cucumber
- Spinach
- Sliced mushrooms
- Black olives
Sub Sandwich Ingredients
In addition to being delicious and versatile, the classic sub sandwich is also easy to make! It only takes a few simple ingredients to make a sandwich piled high with all your favorite flavors.
How to Make a Sub Sandwich
While we’re talking about easy, let’s talk about making one of these tasty sandwiches. It’s so simple. All you have to do is layer your ingredients. You’ll be done in no time.
Try This Delicious Sub Sandwich Recipe Today
Subs are the ultimate when it comes to easy and delicious. Serve up these tasty sandwiches for lunches or dinners, bring a batch to a potluck, or set a plate of them out for your next game day bash. However you choose to serve them, I guarantee that you’ll find yourself making this sub sandwich recipe again and again. With such an easy, delicious recipe, why wouldn’t you?
Looking for More Delicious Sandwich Recipes?
Fried Egg Grilled Cheese Sandwich – This is a delicious breakfast sandwich with the best of both popular sandwiches, a grilled cheese and a fried egg sandwich in one.
Homemade Meatball Sub – These subs are made with homemade meatballs that are savory, tender and delicious and are always a favorite at our house.
Chicken Cordon Bleu Grilled Cheese – This sandwich is made with a crispy breaded chicken breast topped with ham and Swiss cheese in between two pieces of Texas Style bread and grilled to crispy perfection. So delicious!
Sub Sandwich
Ingredients
- 6 hoagie or French rolls
- ¾ pound deli-sliced roast beef
- ¾ pound deli-sliced pastrami
- ¾ pound deli-sliced turkey
- ½ pound deli-sliced provolone cheese
- ¼ cup deli-style dill relish
- Dijon mustard
- Mayonnaise
- 3 tomatoes, sliced
- 2 cups lettuce, shredded
- Salt & Pepper to taste
Instructions
- Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper. Set aside.
- Slice rolls lengthwise, if needed.
- Spread mayonnaise on one side of the bread and mustard on the other side.
- Place roast beef and turkey on the mustard side, and provolone cheese and pastrami on the mayo side (that's just how I do it).
- Place in the broiler and broil until the cheese is hot and bubbly and the bread starts to get toasted, approximately 3-4 minutes.
- Remove from oven and add shredded lettuce, tomato slices and a teaspoons of deli-style dill relish.
- Salt and pepper to taste, if desired, then enjoy!
Nutrition
Here are a few pics that are the perfect size for pinning to Pinterest.
Enjoy, Terri