On Tuesday, August 12, 2026, Hellmann’s crowned the Philly Cheesesteak America’s favorite sandwich after a nationwide vote. You can read more about that here.
There’s a lot of great sandwiches out there, but the classic New Jersey Italian Sub is what I grew up with. It is the one I will pick every time. The Italian subs I grew up with came from Nino’s Pizza & Subs in North Brunswick, NJ. I rode the school bus with Nino’s son Tony. He got dropped off at the pizza shop after school. He’s the one running the place now.
A little history on this sandwich goes like this.
Dominic Conti was an Italian immigrant who came to America from Montella, Italy, in 1895. According to the account preserved by his granddaughter, he opened Dominic Conti’s Grocery Store in Paterson, New Jersey, in 1910, where he sold Italian sandwiches made on long crusty rolls with cold cuts, cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, peppers, onions, oil and vinegar, and Italian seasonings.
The particularly good story is how the “submarine” name supposedly came about. Conti is said to have seen the Fenian Ram, an early submarine built in 1887 and now displayed at the Paterson Museum. Its shape reminded him of his long sandwiches, and the story goes that he began calling them submarine sandwiches.
Up until the late 60’s early 70’s, most of the country, except in the Northeast, didn’t have any idea what an Italian sub was. The reason the submarine sandwich started to spread was because of the chains Subway and Blimpie. In case you don’t know, those sandwiches are nothing like the true Italian sub, and I don’t recommend them.
Here’s the official New Jersey Italian sub recipe from the Hellmann’s contest. I think it’s pretty good. The only thing I do different is put jalapeños instead of banana peppers, but the banana peppers are more authentic.
More Hellmann’s Contest Recipes
Illinois’ Legendary Italian Beef from Hellmann’s Favorite Sandwich Recipes Contest (Official Recipe)
Alabama’s Pulled Chicken with White BBQ Sauce from Hellmann’s Favorite Sandwich Recipes Contest (Official Recipe)
California’s Elevated Tuna Salad Sandwich from Hellmann’s Favorite Sandwich Recipes Contest (Official Recipe)
New Jersey Classic Italian Sub
Ingredients
- 2 Hoagie or sub rolls split lengthwise
- ¼ cup Hellmann's Real Mayonnaise
- 1 tbsp Red wine vinegar mixed with 1 tsp dried oregano
- 4 oz Provolone cheese thinly sliced
- 4 oz Genoa salami thinly sliced
- 4 oz Capocollo Gabagool or ham, thinly sliced
- 4 oz Prosciutto thinly sliced
- 1 cup Iceberg lettuce shredded
- 1 Ripe tomato thinly sliced
- ¼ Red onion paper-thinly sliced
- Salt black pepper, and banana peppers to taste
- banana peppers optional
Instructions
- Open the sub rolls and spread Hellmann's Real Mayonnaise evenly across both top and bottom halves.
- Drizzle the oregano-vinegar mixture over the bottom roll to layer the flavors.
- Layer the sliced provolone cheese first to act as a barrier for the bread, followed by rows of salami, capocollo, and prosciutto.
- Top the meats generously with shredded lettuce, tomato slices, and red onion rings.
- Season the vegetables with a pinch of salt and fresh ground black pepper. Add banana peppers if desired, close tightly, slice diagonally, and serve.
Leave a Reply