One of the best uses of ciabatta bread is ciabatta sandwiches. The bread is an ideal canvas for many different sandwich types.
If you’re looking for a good ciabatta sandwich recipe, keep reading. The list below contains some of the best ciabatta concoctions that you’ll love.
Ciabatta is fantastic for Italian sandwiches, breakfast sandwiches, and chicken or veggie deli sandwiches.
Ciabatta sandwiches are ideal for a quick lunch or dinner. You can also prep them a little ahead of time to take for a work lunch. Choose the flavor combos that sound best to you. You’ll wonder why you didn’t make more sandwiches with ciabatta bread before this!
Thankfully, this bread works wonderfully with many different sandwich combinations, as you’ll soon see.
1. Chicken Caesar Ciabatta Sandwiches
Caesar dressing is amazing with any sandwich or salad, and here you can make your own (super easy) dressing.
You will want to make the dressing in this recipe. It’s so much better than anything store-bought.
Toasted ciabatta combines perfectly with the homemade dressing — a light crunch and tanginess with each bite.
Before you add the romaine leaves to the sandwich, toss them in some of the Caesar dressing. You’ll taste even more of the delicious dressing when you bite in.
2. Italian Ciabatta Sandwich
Get your fix of the perfect Italian ciabatta. This sandwich contains generous amounts of meat and cheese with right the right amount of toppings. You’ll question why you never made this before!
These sandwiches are super quick and easy to make. Enjoy one at home when you need a fast lunch or pack for a day when you’ll be out and about.
The meats are hard salami and chorizo. The cheeses are provolone and capicola.
You’ll finish each sandwich off with roasted red peppers, marinated artichokes, and sandwich oil or olive oil.
Need we say more?
3. Toasted Ciabatta Sandwich with Bacon and Brie
As you’ll see from this sandwich, there are very few duos better than bacon and brie cheese.
After adding the bread slices to the pan, add the toppings and cook for 3-4 minutes per side, then 3-4 more at a lower heat. And don’t forget the fragrant thyme sprig, the best spice for this combination.
As the sandwich cooks, don’t smash it with anything. Give it time to cook through on its own.
When it’s done and toasted, you will not be disappointed!
4. Toasted Ciabatta Sandwiches with Caramelized Onions, Arugula, Prosciutto, and Brie
Here’s a classic combo that will soon become your favorite.
Just be sure to practice patience when making the caramelized onions. Give them time to caramelize — the full hour-ish called for in the recipe. Otherwise, they might get a too-crispy texture.
You’ll also need to broil the little tomatoes for a perfectly prepared texture. Add a generous amount of brie cheese to the mix, and you have an unstoppable sandwich recipe.
If you’re looking for sandwiches on ciabatta bread that make your tastebuds dance for joy, this recipe delivers.
5. Italian Ciabatta Sandwich
Here’s another super tasty and easy Italian ciabatta variation.
This one uses sliced capicola and salami for the meats. Both meats pair amazingly with the mortadella and provolone or Swiss cheeses.
After chopping up the veggies, you’ll layer everything on the ciabatta bread and bake it in wrapped foil for about 30 minutes.
Everything cooks together with this sandwich, which means the cheese will be ooey-gooey delicious and the meats perfectly heated when it’s ready to eat.
The best part is that this makes a foot-long sandwich you can share with others (or keep all to yourself)!
6. Bacon Omelette Goat Cheese Ciabatta Breakfast Sandwiches
Start your day with a hearty, meaty, energizing breakfast sandwich.
Have you been hoping for a breakfast sandwich recipe that will get you started on the right foot? Whether you answered yes or no to that, this is a sandwich you’ll love.
If you’re not a fan of goat cheese, you can use feta cheese or Bleu cheese instead. But if you are okay with goat cheese, the creaminess is more than worth it.
Not only do you get a great amount of protein from the eggs and bacon, but you’ll also get some veggies in first thing with the kale on these sandwiches.
7. Chicken Pesto Ciabatta
Looking for a tasty chicken recipe using ciabatta sandwich rolls?
The juicy chicken, creamy mozzarella, and creamy pesto sauce in this sandwich will have everyone asking for more.
Make a batch for lunches during the week or for out-of-the-house activities like picnics or hiking.
Besides the chicken, the main ingredients are ciabatta bread, tomato, homemade pesto, sour cream, mozzarella, and spinach. If you prefer different fillings, go ahead and experiment with the recipe details.
You’ll need to cook the chicken in a skillet or griddle pan for about eight minutes per side. Then, everything will be ready to assemble and enjoy.
8. Ciabatta Cubano Sandwich Recipe
Let’s dive into Caribbean sandwiches — with a twist.
This one is a take on the traditional Cubano sandwich but with some changes. Mainly, you’ll be using ciabatta instead of a specialized Cuban bread.
You’ll need to marinate the pork shoulder in the marinade overnight in the fridge. Then, you’ll cool and add the fixings before grilling the sandwich to perfection.
This sandwich requires a little work initially, but trust us that it’s more than worth what you get to enjoy.
More Sandwich Recipes You’ll Love
9. Grilled Veggie Ciabatta Sandwich with Sundried Tomato Vinaigrette
A nice grilled veggie sandwich is so refreshing. This one takes it up a notch with sundried tomatoes!
To make these sandwiches, all you’ll need is the ciabatta bread, some summer vegetables, lettuce, tomatoes, mozzarella, and an easy homemade vinaigrette dressing.
If you want a smoother vinaigrette on your sandwich, you can blend the ingredients in a food processor.
For the most incredible taste, use fresh mozzarella. It will complement the grilled veggies perfectly.
You can also flatten the sandwiches so that they’re easier to eat. Put them underneath a cutting board with a heavy pot on top for 10-15 minutes.
10. Milano Ciabatta Sandwich
You won’t be able to stop thinking about the colors and textures of this sandwich.
If you’re looking for ciabatta bread sandwiches that encapsulate “Italian-style,” look no further.
This recipe from Betty Crocker uses ciabatta bread (of course), salami, provolone cheese, kalamata olive tapenade, shredded romaine lettuce, sweet onion, and tomato. This enormous sandwich makes 16 servings — perfect for a crowd.
Make it fun by letting everyone assemble their sandwiches after slicing the bread and putting out the fixings.
11. Salami, Mozzarella, and Eggplant Ciabatta Sandwich
Need a fresh lunch recipe to beat the heat? This is the best summer sandwich you can make. (It’s also excellent for any time of year, too.)
To make room for all of the delicious fillings, slice the bread lengthwise and scoop some bread out of the top half.
Ciabatta, salami, mozzarella, roasted red peppers, marinated eggplant, arugula, and fresh basil come together for the most phenomenal flavors.
You can make this up to four hours before serving. Prep it in the morning, so it’s ready to go for lunchtime!
12. Grilled Veggie Ciabatta Sandwich with Mozzarella
The special ingredient in this sandwich is the tangy sundried tomato vinaigrette. But the chargrilled veggies and mozzarella won’t disappoint either.
You can save a ton of time by preparing the ingredients at the beginning of the week. Store them and take them out as needed for a quick sandwich.
The tomato vinaigrette is a breeze to make. Combine extra virgin olive oil, sundried tomatoes, mustard, honey, balsamic vinegar, garlic, and salt for a tangy, salty, tasty dressing.
You’ll want to make this every week for your go-to sandwich.
13. Grilled Chicken Bacon Pepper Jack Ciabatta
Chicken, pepper jack, and bacon? What can better ciabatta sandwich ideas there be? And don’t forget the ciabatta bread and fixings: grilled red onions and red peppers.
Any time you want to do a little grilling, this is the sandwich to make.
You can prepare everything on the grill or cook the bacon, red peppers, and onions in the oven. Either way will be incredibly delicious.
Add your favorite condiments, and you have a match made in heaven with these toppings.
14. Grilled Chicken Ciabatta Sandwiches with Spicy Aioli Mayo
Here’s another recipe that combines grilled chicken and bacon, plus the tastiest mayo you could imagine.
The spicy aioli mayo includes mayonnaise, garlic, lemon juice, paprika, dijon mustard, and Sriracha.
That’s not all, though. The chicken is marinated in an awesome marinade made from an Italian dressing packet, olive oil, and fresh lemon juice. As you can probably guess, this sandwich is full of flavor in every bite.
Want to make your sandwiches into sliders or kid-friendly sizes? Cut the chicken into smaller pieces and use small slider buns.
15. Chicken Pesto Sandwich
The best ciabatta sandwich recipes contain flavors that best pair with the airy, chewy, and slightly crunchy texture of ciabatta. That’s what you get with this sandwich.
Cook the chicken on the grill if the weather is nice. If it’s not summery outside or you can’t grill, you can use a George Foreman (or some other electric grill) or pan-fry chicken.
The “secret” ingredient that sets this sandwich apart is the pesto. You get a generous amount along with olive oil and mayo. Bacon, mozzarella, arugula, and sundried tomatoes complete the sandwich for a delectable lunch!
16. Italian Meatball Sandwich
Now, here’s something we haven’t seen yet on this list: meatballs on ciabatta bread!
The meatballs are perfectly tender and simmered in a mouthwatering marinara sauce. Plus, there’s melted provolone and fresh herbs sandwiched between fresh ciabatta.
Are you drooling yet? Because we are! A ratio of 85/15 lean to fat organic ground beef works best. But you can also use turkey or a combination of beef and pork.
If you’re not in the mood for ciabatta bread, you can use any other soft, rustic bread.
17. Grilled Vegetable Sandwiches
If you’re seeking a veggie-filled, cheesy, and garlicky sandwich, look no further.
Mayo, crumbled feta, garlic, and lemon juice add incredible flavor to the grilled veggies: onions, zucchini, red pepper, and yellow squash.
Before you flip the veggies, all the bread halves to the top rack before closing the grill, you’ll toast your bread as you finish up the veggies.
This is a low-maintenance recipe that doesn’t taste low-maintenance. You’ll “wow” whoever eats it. And you’ll want to make it again and again.
17 Best Ciabatta Sandwich Recipes
Ingredients
- unsliced rustic ciabatta bread
- shredded romaine lettuce
- sliced salami
- kalamata olive tapenade
- sliced provolone cheese
- onion tomatoes
Instructions
- Cut the ciabatta bread in half horizontally and spread the olive tapenade on the bottom half.
- Add lettuce on top of the tapenade, then layer on the onion, salami, cheese, and tomatoes.
- Add the other half on top to complete the sandwich. Cut evenly into 16 pieces.