Giant Eagle^® Sandwich Guide

Submarine sandwich with meat and toppings

Article archived: June 2010

Whether it's a tailgating party, a picnic, or a holiday celebration, sandwiches are a tasty, cost-effective way to feed a crowd.

Giant Eagle^® stores are proud to serve regions with colorful sandwich histories — and we sell all of the fixings you need to make your hometown favorites. Impress your friends in Pittsburgh by serving them sandwiches with fries on top, or bring smiles to guests' faces in Cleveland with traditional Polish Boy sandwiches.

Show your adventurous side — serve regional favorites that will satisfy and impress.

Regional sandwich-making tips: Experiment with hometown hits

Pittsburgh-style sandwich
Cleveland Polish Boy
Italian beef sandwich
Po' Boy
Grinder (submarine sandwich)

Pittsburgh-style sandwich

Pittsburgh delivery truck drivers needed to eat on the go — and they began putting their French fries and coleslaw on top of their sandwiches for quick, convenient munching. To this day, Pittsburghers enjoy sandwiches stacked high with coleslaw and fries. Try making your own version of this regional favorite:

Pile corned beef brisket, coleslaw, French fries, and provolone cheese on two thick slices of Italian bread. Then, garnish with lettuce and tomato.
Stack Black Forest cooked ham, Cheddar cheese, coleslaw, and fries on Italian bread and top with lettuce and tomato.
Layer pastrami and Italian-style roast beef on Italian bread. Top with provolone and mozzarella.
A traditional Pittsburgh sandwich can be made with any of your favorite cheeses and meats — or even a fried egg, if you prefer vegetarian fare. Just don't forget the signature coleslaw and French fries.

Cleveland Polish Boy

Residents of Cleveland don't eat any old kielbasa sandwich — they dine on Polish Boys.

To make a classic Polish Boy, place a foot of kielbasa on an Italian bun; smother the sandwich with coleslaw and barbeque sauce, then cover with French fries.
Experiment with different flavors by varying the types of kielbasa and coleslaw in your sandwich. At Giant Eagle^®, we carry a wide variety of kielbasa and make our own home-style coleslaw.
To spice up your sandwich, try kielbasa with bacon and apples for a unique, sweet-and-sour-flavored Polish Boy.

Italian beef sandwich

Since the 1930s, Midwesterners have loved Italian beef sandwiches. This sandwich consists of moist, thinly sliced Italian beef, dripping with juice, nestled inside a thick Italian roll.

Start with a Certified Angus Beef Rib Roast from Giant Eagle^®. Slice the beef thinly and layer it on top of thick Italian rolls — or, for a fresh take on the classic, on ciabatta bread.
Make a beef sandwich au jus with Italian seasonings, such as oregano, parsley, basil, and garlic, and beef drippings. Don't have any beef drippings? Use beef stock or Italian dressing instead. For moist, juicy results, soak the meat in the stock or dressing.
For a spicy change of pace, try a Zesty Italian Beef Sandwich.

Po' Boy

The Po' Boy is a New Orleans sandwich made with fried seafood and topped with lettuce, tomato, and mayonnaise. While traditional Po' Boys are made with shrimp, you can also use crabmeat or other kinds of seafood.

Pick up a pack of king crab legs, a pack of shrimp, or a pre-made, toasted-crumb tilapia from the Giant Eagle^® Seafood Department (see our Holiday Seafood section for prep tips) — and put your individual stamp on a Po' Boy that will please the crowd. Try our tasty Shrimp Po' Boy recipe for the classic flavor of New Orleans cuisine.
Don't forget to pick up some crusty baguettes in the bakery department! The French baguette is the foundation of a classic Southern Po' Boy. Swap the whole-wheat rolls for baguettes in our Blackened Salmon Po'Boy recipe for dining delight.

Grinder (submarine sandwich)

The "grinder" — the original "submarine sandwich" — was created by Italian immigrants on the East Coast. Traditionally, grinders were made with Italian rolls, were stuffed with meats and cheeses, and were eaten on the go — as shipyard workers had little time to stop for a hot meal.

Today, people in different regions of the United States call grinders "subs" or "hoagies," depending upon what's in the sandwiches.

There is no one way to make a grinder. Experiment by making this tasty treat the Italian way, or try other meats, cheeses, and condiments for American sub-style sandwiches.

Italian Grinders are usually made with thin-sliced ham and mozzarella layered atop either focaccia or Italian white bread. Some variants include capicola or salami; others use mortadella sausage and fontina cheese. You can serve grinders cold or toast them to melt the cheese.
Need a traditional grinder fast? Purchase a Giant Eagle^® Italian sandwich ring piled high with Genoa salami, capicola, and provolone cheese — and your traditional sandwich will be ready in seconds.
For a Southwestern twist on the sub, wow your guests with slices of Santa Fe turkey breast, cracked black pepper turkey, cheddar, and Pepper Jack cheeses.
Layer Dietz & Watson Black Forest Ham, Italian roast of pork, and Havarti or cheddar cheese for a new spin on the ham-and-cheese sandwich. Try our Garden Ham Sub recipe with these substitutions.

Giant Eagle^®: Your source for party planning

Need to plan a party or celebration? Pick up a Wrapped Sandwich Party Tray and let us do the sandwich prep-work for you. Or try our chicken party pack — 60+ chicken wings slathered with your choice of tasty sauce. Whether you're hosting a holiday party or feeding a gang of friends, look to Giant Eagle^® for your entertainment needs.