This focaccia grinder sandwich might be my favorite sandwich I’ve ever made. Salty, juicy, crispy, and dense. Bought everything at Trader Joe’s!
Focaccia Grinder Sandwich
Can’t Stop Thinking About This Focaccia Grinder Sandwich
Remember the Trader Joe’s focaccia sandwich with the pesto mayo that got millions of views on the socials and that people have stopped me in the grocery store to talk about?!
I really thought it was my favorite sandwich of all time, until I made this one. BUCKLE UP, YOU GUYS. This focaccia grinder sandwich might be even better! When we filmed this video, we ate the entire sandwich right on the spot and couldn’t shut up about it for the rest of the afternoon.
The sandwich:
- Trader Joe’s roasted tomato focaccia, once again
- Pesto
- Salami and capicola
- Provolone cheese
- A tangy, shreddy, oregano-forward Italian salad
- Pepperoncini for a bite
- One last smear of mayo before you top it off!
I love this recipe for anytime, but especially for right now in the middle of the holiday abyss. Because what day is it? And what have I been doing for the last 3 days? And wait, actually friends are coming over in 30 minutes?
This is where this sandwich shines. It’s a quick dinner sandwich but also a party sandwich. One quick and cohesive prep (and by “prep” I just mean layering), and a satisfying slice into wedges, and you have a meal that’s ready to make everybody so happy.
I got the pesto, Italian dressing, and focaccia all from Trader Joe’s (not spon, just a big fan) – so technically you could use any brand but I would definitely recommend the Trader Joe’s stuff, it is delicious.
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Focaccia Grinder Sandwich
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 6
Description
Holy smokes this is so good. Trader Joe’s roasted tomato focaccia loaded with pesto, salami, capocola, Provolone, pepperoncini, and a shreddy, tangy Italian salad. Absolutely amazing.
Ingredients
Units
The Sandwich Base:
- 1 loaf of focaccia (I use the Trader Joe’s focaccia with roasted tomato and Parmesan)
- 1/4 cup pesto (refrigerated one from TJ’s)
- 2 ounces uncured calabrese salame (8 slices)
- 2 ounces uncured capocollo (8 slices)
- 4 large slices Provolone cheese
The Salady Part:
- 1 head romaine lettuce, shredded (2–3 cups)
- a quarter of a red onion, thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup sliced pepperoncini
- 1/4 to 1/3 cup Italian dressing
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1/4 cup mayo (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat the oven to 350 degres.
- Slice Focaccia: Keeping the focaccia flat, use a serrated knife to cut the focaccia in half horizontally. (You don’t want to tip the bread up because all the toppings will fall off.) Lift the top half of the bread off and set to the side.
- Layer Sandwich: Layer the bottom piece of focaccia with pesto. Then layer the salame, capocollo, and Provolone.
- Toast Sandwich: Toast in the oven for 6-8 minutes. (Leave the top piece laying to the side so it doesn’t stick to the cheese yet.)
- Toss and Layer Greens: In a separate bowl, toss lettuce, red onion, pepperoncini, Italian dressing, and oregano. Season with salt and pepper. Arrange salad on top of the toasted sandwich. Dollop with a bit of mayo (optional but I love it).
- Finish: Press the top part of the focaccia over the sandwich and cut into wedges! WHOA NELLY that’s good. It’s juicy, crispy, salty, dense, and everything I want in a sandwich!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Lunch
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: Italian American
Keywords: sandwich recipe, focaccia sandwich, sandwich for a crowd, Italian sandwich
December 29, 2025
Nice to meet you!
I’m Lindsay and I ♡ FOOD. I used to be a teacher, and now making food and writing about it online is my full-time job. I love talking with people about food, and I'm so glad you're here.
Did you make a recipe? Tag @pinchofyum on Instagram so we can find you!
If you don’t eat pork, what other meat would you suggest as an alternative?
I’ve made a similar sandwich with turkey and I’m sure that would be delicious here as well!
Which Italian dressing do you use?
We used the Organic Italian Dressing from Trader Joe’s!
This was a delightful treat. I ended up making an easy focaccia and used up some homemade Caesar dressing.
Would make it again and again.
Sounds amazing with the homemade caesar dressing!
It’s basically a perfect sandwich. I impulse bought all the ingredients at TJs today and cooked it as soon as I got home. (Reader beware: My local Trader Joe’s didn’t have pepperoncini, so I got some at Kowalskis. They’re in the olive and pickle section.) It’s truly wonderful. Thanks Lindsay!