What happens when you wrap up sub fillings in a tortilla? You have an Italian wrap recipe that’s out of this world and full of flavor.
Originally this recipe was called The Super Secret Sub.
What’s so secret about this submarine sandwich? Well, it’s under wraps, of course!
LOL. I love a good pun. 😉
Now seriously, wraps have had hit-or-miss popularity over the years. Sometimes you see them in sandwich shops; sometimes you don’t.
Essentially, a wrap is a sandwich wrapped in a tortilla or flatbread instead of bread. I think it’s a brilliant, budget option that you may be overlooking. Why? I’ll tell ya…
For one, tortillas are typically cheaper than a loaf of bread. And second, making wraps is a convenient pantry challenge technique when you’ve run out of bread or rolls.
Since tortillas are a neutral vehicle, you can use whatever flavor profile you like. While the flatbread may have its origins south of the border, you don’t have to commit to a Mexican food filling.
Take the fillings of your favorite Italian sub:
These are fabulous tucked into an Italian wrap.
What’s in an Italian wrap?
I took one of my family’s favorite deli meat combinations (ham and salami) and rolled it up in a tortilla. Besides ham and salami, an Italian wrap has lettuce, tomatoes, onion, cheese and of course Italian dressing.
So easy, so delicious!
If you want to take it up a few more notches, you can add olives or pepperoncini.
How to make an Italian wrap
Have you ever made an Italian sandwich on a large, burrito size tortilla? It is delicious, easy, and inexpensive — all the good things I look for in a recipe.
Lay out a tortilla or get one of those fancy tomato or spinach flavored “wraps”. Layer on the ham and salami, top with the cheese and the rest of the toppings. Roll like a burrito.
Like a burrito?! That’s probably what prevents the wrap’s popularity from really soaring. Folks are scared to wrap things up like a burrito.
Some tips for rolling your Italian wraps
If you’re not sure how to roll a burrito, be sure to watch my ancient YouTube video here.
How you roll it really does matter. It will help if you have room temperature or even slightly warmed tortillas. They crack less and tend to stay rolled better when they aren’t refrigerator cold.
Don’t overfill the wrap — I’m looking at you, Chipotle — or it will be too hard to keep closed. Go for thinner tortillas so that you don’t feel like your filling to tortilla ratio is too skimpy.
To make it packable, leave the wrap “dry” and serve the dressing on the side.
How to make your Italian wraps inexpensively
Everything you find here on Good Cheap Eats is that: tasty and affordable. But, here are some strategies you can use to make this recipe more economical:
- Meal plan around what’s on sale. Don’t decide to make this when the cold cuts are full pop. Wait for sales.
- Stock up on ingredients when they are on sale. For instance, when I see a great price on deli cold cuts, I buy a lot. The same goes for mozzarella cheese.
- Do a price comparison. I know that Costco is the best place to buy ingredients like tortillas or cold cuts when there isn’t a great sale elsewhere. I keep track of prices so that I know who has the best deal where.
- Make your own dressing. It tastes better and it’s cheaper!
Tools I use to make this recipe easy:
This is a pretty straight-forward dish. You don’t need any fancy equipment. However, having some good basic kitchen tools can really make your time in the kitchen more enjoyable. Over time, I’ve honed my collection so that they are perfect for my needs. Here are the tools that I like to use in this recipe.
- plastic cutting boards – I have blue boards for veggies and white boards for meat.
- Ergo Chef chef’s knife – I’ve had my set for several years and they work well.
If you prepare this recipe, be sure to share a picture on social media and hashtag it #GOODCHEAPEATS. I can't wait to see what you cook up!
Italian wrap
Ingredients
- 4 burrito-size flour tortillas
- 8 oz sliced ham
- 4 oz salami slices
- 4 oz mozzarella cheese (shredded) or Italian blend cheese
- 1 cup shredded lettuce
- 4 tomato sliced
- 1 red onion thinly sliced
- vinaigrette dressing
Instructions
- Soften the tortilla on a hot skillet.
- In the middle of the tortilla, layer the ham and salami. Sprinkle the cheese over top. Add lettuce, tomatoes, and red onion. Drizzle with salad dressing to taste.
- Roll up like a burrito. Serve with extra dressing on the side.
Notes
- It will help if you have room temperature or even slightly warmed tortillas. They crack less and tend to stay rolled when they aren't refrigerator cold.
- Don't overfill the wrap -- I'm looking at you, Chipotle -- or it will be too hard to keep closed. Go for thinner tortillas so that you don't feel like your filling to tortilla ratio is too skimpy.
- To make it packable, leave the wrap "dry" and serve the dressing on the side.
Nutrition
Alex
Really Great! I made a couple substitutions — used arugula instead of lettuce, added a bit of garlic aioli on the wrap and cut down on the cheese and dressing in response, and replaced the pickle from the book recipe with chopped pepperoncini! Pretty adaptable – I can’t believe I never thought of using italian sub fillings in a wrap before!
Melissa at One Maine Mama
I will definitely be making these. We are getting a bit burned out on our current sandwich roatation. I went to a grocery liquidation store recently and snagged tortillas for 2/$1 so I have lots of them in my freezer ready for me!
Megan
These are so good! I just made them for me and my husband. About half-way through, we looked at each other with full mouths and gave each other a thumbs up. I asked if we should make another to share and without hesitation he agreed – we needed more of this sub. I used your basic vinaigrette linked above with Dijon, garlic, and Italian seasoning. Also added black olives to the filling. So good! Thank you!
Jessica Fisher
Thanks so much for the feedback, Megan. I’m thrilled that they were a hit!
Kathleen
Looks good. Did you put olives in there? I may put these in my summer rotation since here in the Sacramento area we have many days in the 100s all summer, and I refuse to use the oven until late October.
Jessica Fisher
I didn’t, but they would be a nice addition! Let me know how you like it!