I’m honored to partner again with the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Today’s post shares my recipe for a decadent North Carolina Muffaletta sandwich and introduces Bruce Julian Heritage Foods, a Got To Be NC partner. If you enjoy sandwiches, you might also like my Got to be NC burger. For convenience, I’ve collected all of my sandwich recipes in one place. Below you’ll also find a roundup of other Got To Be NC bloggers highlighting local producers and recipes that celebrate North Carolina products.
I am honored to be working with the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services and a group of talented bloggers to bring you this Home Grown Fare promotion. Thank you for sponsoring our posts, Got To Be NC!
Table of Contents
The Quest for the Perfect Bloody Mary
Imagine searching for years to create the ideal Bloody Mary: traveling, sampling versions from different cities, picking bartenders’ brains, and refining your own recipe until it’s just right. Now imagine you’re a clothier with a shop bar and you serve that perfected Bloody Mary to customers who quickly ask for more and want gallons for events. That is how Bruce Julian’s signature Bloody Mary mix found its audience.
What began as a favorite bar offering in a Charlotte clothing shop turned into a regional success. Customers loved the mix so much that Bruce Julian Heritage Foods was born, bringing the blend to stores, bars, and restaurants across many states and into Canada.
Bruce sitting on the famous bar in his Selwyn Avenue shop. Photo used with permission of Bruce Julian Heritage Foods
Bruce Julian Clothier
Bruce Julian’s story is rooted in North Carolina. He grew up working in his father Milton’s clothing store in Chapel Hill and has run Bruce Julian Clothier in Charlotte for decades. The shop is known for stylish, well-made menswear and a welcoming atmosphere—complete with a bar, collectible antiques, and a family-like experience for customers.
When I visit Charlotte, Bruce Julian’s shop is high on my list; it promises a charming, slightly whimsical shopping experience that includes great clothes and famously delicious Bloody Marys.
Photo used with permission of Bruce Julian Heritage Foods
Bruce Julian Heritage Foods
The Bloody Mary mix is the foundation of Bruce Julian Heritage Foods. The mix strikes a pleasing balance: a touch of sweetness up front, savory depth, a gentle heat, and a fruity finish. It works beautifully with vodka or as a non-alcoholic drink, and many bars use it as their signature Bloody Mary mix.
Rather than produce multiple competing base mixes, the company kept the original blend as its core product and built complementary items around it: pickled vegetables for garnishing, a picante pepper sauce if you want extra heat, a glass rimmer, and light snack mixes. They also offer brunch-focused items like stone-ground grits, a shrimp & grits kit, and sugar-cured ham.
Bruce Julian Heritage Foods makes a line of well-balanced preserves ideal for biscuits, cornbread, glazes, or cheese plates. Favorites include a savory Balsamic Sweet Onion Jam and a bright Orange Apricot Preserve.
Discovering that Bruce drew inspiration from New Orleans and produced pickled vegetables inspired me to create a North Carolina Muffaletta using Bruce Julian’s Sassy Vegetables. It felt like a natural culinary bridge between the South and New Orleans flavors.
My Connection with Bruce Julian
Bruce Julian’s cousin is designer Alexander Julian. My late brother Greg was a fan of Alexander Julian’s clothing, and his taste left a lasting impression. After Greg passed, my mother made teddy bears from some of his treasured shirts—one of mine is made from a purple Alexander Julian shirt.
The Got to Be NC Festival and Home Grown Fare
The Got to Be NC Festival celebrates North Carolina food, farming, music, and community. The Home Grown Fare section showcases local producers sampling everything from barbecue and preserves to bread, wine, and salsa. I was excited to organize a blogger tour for Home Grown Fare and immediately wanted to feature Bruce Julian Heritage Foods.
Stop by the Bruce Julian Heritage Foods booth at the Home Grown Fare presented by Lowes Foods to taste products and meet the people behind them. The Home Grown Fare gathers many local companies and is a great place to discover new favorites.
- Admission is $3, and Lowes Foods loyalty card holders may receive free admission.
- Mention Pastry Chef Online at the Got To Be NC merchandise booth for a free gift while supplies last.
- Buy a product at Home Grown Fare and take a selfie at the merch booth to appear on the Got To Be NC social feed.
North Carolina Muffaletta
The muffaletta, a New Orleans classic from around 1906, layers an olive-oil–soaked, garlicky olive salad with Italian cold cuts and cheese on a round loaf. For my North Carolina version, I used Bruce Julian’s Sassy Vegetables—spicy pickled green beans, pickled asparagus, and pickled Brussels sprouts—as the pickled-vegetable salad. You can include pickled okra as a garnish for Bloody Marys, though sliced okra can make sandwich fillings slippery, so I save it for the drink.
I made individual sandwiches instead of one large round loaf; you can scale down to small buns for muffaletta sliders. An important tip: muffalettas taste best after being tightly wrapped and weighted in the refrigerator for several hours or up to a few days. This presses the sandwich, letting the dressing soak into the bread and melding the flavors.
North Carolina Muffaletta with Bruce Julian Heritage Foods | #HomeGrownFare17
Ingredients
For the Pickled Vegetable Salad
- 3 cups fairly finely chopped mixed pickled vegetables (I used Bruce Julian Sassy Vegetables: Spicy Green Beans, Spicy Brussels Sprouts, and Pickled Asparagus)
- 1/2 cup chopped white onion
- 1/4 cup jarred sliced pimento (about one 4 oz jar)
- 1/4 cup of the pickling liquid
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon Bruce Julian Southern Mojo Seasoning
- Several shakes Bruce Julian Picante Pepper Sauce, to taste
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
For the Sandwiches
- 6 round sandwich buns, preferably with sesame seeds
- 3 cups pickled vegetable salad
- 12 slices provolone or Swiss cheese
- 6 slices mozzarella cheese
- 18 thin slices mortadella with pistachios
- 12–18 slices hard salami and/or Genoa salami
- 12–18 slices deli ham
Instructions
To Make the Vegetable Salad
- Combine all pickled vegetable salad ingredients in a medium bowl and stir well.
- Cover and refrigerate for a couple of hours (or overnight) to let flavors marry.
To Make the Sandwiches
- Slice each roll in half horizontally.
- Spread about 1/4 cup vegetable salad on each side of the bun.
- Top with a slice of provolone or Swiss, then add a slice of mozzarella.
- Layer 3 slices of mortadella, followed by 2–3 slices salami and 2–3 slices ham.
- Place the top bun on the sandwich, press down, and wrap tightly in cling film.
- Arrange sandwiches on a tray, place another tray on top, and weigh it down with cans or similar. Refrigerate overnight or up to 5 days to compact and meld flavors.
To Serve
- If you like them heated, remove cling film, wrap each sandwich in foil, and heat in a 350°F oven for about 10 minutes.
- For slightly warmed bread and slightly melted cheese with cold meats, unwrap and heat in a toaster oven for about 4 minutes.
- To serve at room temperature, take sandwiches from the fridge 1–1.5 hours before eating.
- Whatever you choose, pair the sandwich with a Bruce Julian Bloody Mary for a full experience. Enjoy!
Notes
While you enjoy your North Carolina Muffaletta, take a moment to explore the other bloggers’ posts in this Home Grown Fare series. Many of the producers ship nationally, so you can try these North Carolina products even if you don’t live in the state. Goodness truly grows in North Carolina.
Got to be NC Blogger Posts for #HomeGrownFare17
- Introducing Harvest Time Foods Gluten Free Products — Andrea of Good Girl Gone Redneck
- Chocolate Cherry Rum Cake Bites — Angie of Big Bear’s Wife
- Ice Cream Parfaits with Peach Wine Syrup — April of Girl Gone Gourmet
- Sweet and Tart Spaghetti and Meatballs — Emily of The Edible Coast
- Uncle Chris’ Smokin’ Habanero Pimento Cheese Mac and Cheese — Fran of Sip, Stir, Go
- North Carolina Jamaican Jerk Chicken with Mango Salsa and Rice — Hadassah of World on a Table
- Choose Better, Drink Sunshine and Brighten Your Life — Jen of JAB’s Plethora
- North Carolina Muffaletta with Bruce Julian — Jenni of Pastry Chef Online (you’re here!)
- Carolina Fancy Foods take NC Food Products to a New Level — Johanna of Durham Foodie
- Homemade Caterpillar Rolls, North Carolina Style — Kate of Life of a Ginger
- Got to Be NC Air Fried Tofu Rancheros with Veggies and Little Face Salsa — Kathy of Healthy Slow Cooking
- Little Black Dress Dinner Party: Easy Baked Pork Tenderloin — Leigh of HinesSight
- Discovering The World’s Best Popcorn — Linda of Hispanic Mama
- Easy Shrimp Noodle Bowl with Bertie County Peanuts — Meghan of I’m Fixin’ To
- Coming Home to Gregory Vineyards — Rachel of Fit Triangle Mom
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