There are just so many things I like about this: I love a good Italian sub, a dinner salad in the summer time, and an excuse to go to the local farmers market! So when I saw this on TikTok, I had to try it. Two things that set it over the top for me were the dressing and the homemade croutons.

1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
2 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp dried oregano
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

Mix everything in a mason jar, give it a good shake and set aside until you’re ready to serve (let it come together for an hour to really get the flavors blended together

For the croutons, toss two cups of diced French bread or a baguette that has been dried out or is a bit stale (you can always put it in the oven at 250 degrees or the keep warm setting of an air fryer for about 15 minutes)

Toss the bread cubes with olive oil to get them coated. Then add red pepper flakes, garlic powder, parmesan, oregano and salt & pepper and toss again to get all the cubes covered with the seasonings.

Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until they’re golden brown. *

For the salad:
1/2 to 1 head of iceberg lettuce, chopped
3 – 4 Roma tomatoes, diced
1/2 Pepperoncini peppers
1/2 a diced onion, chopped (red would be great, but I forgot to pick some up!)
6 ounces turkey, diced
6 ounces pepperoni, diced
6 ounces salami, diced
6 ounces provolone cheese, diced

On a large platter, lay out the lettuce as a nice bed, then alternate rows of the remaining ingredients to cover the whole surface. I kept the dressing on the side (because I know I never make an appropriate amount of salad for the number of people I’m feeding). If you keep the dressing on the side, leftovers will keep for about 5 days in the fridge.

* When I was picking up the bread to make these, a curious elderly woman asked what I was making. When I told her croutons, she helpfully pointed out they sell them with the salad dressings. I didn’t have the heart to tell her that once I started making these, I haven’t bought a package of croutons since!

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