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20 Best Recipes for Hoagies

The best sandwiches are hoagies, so discovering the 20 Best Recipes for Hoagies is quite a find! Here you’ll find classic Italian hoagies, beef and steak hoagies, pork hoagies, ham and cheese hoagies, vegetarian hoagies and more. Bookmark your favorites to make when the craving for a hoagie strikes!

What is a Hoagie?

A hoagie is a large sandwich filled with Italian meats, cheeses and other toppings made on a crisp roll. Italian dressing is often added to the sandwich.

pinterest image for 20 best hoagie recipes

May 5th is National Hoagie Day. Celebrate by making your favorite Hoagie sandwich from this collection of the 20 best recipes for hoagies. Or visit your favorite sandwich shop today and order one there. Share your hoagie on social media today using the hashtag #NationalHoagieDay, #HoagieDay and #RecipesForHolidays.

“Life is like a sandwich- the more you add to it, the better it becomes.”

-Unknown

The History of Hoagies:

Italians immigrating to the U.S. in the late 1800’s brought with them their favorite sandwich recipes. So it’s likely that they were the originators of what the hoagie is today.

The family of Italian immigrant Dominic Conti (1874-1954) claimed that he was the first to use the term “submarine sandwich.” Conti opened an Italian grocery store in New Jersey in 1910, where he sold traditional Italian sandwiches. Conti saw an exhibit on submarines and began calling his long-roll sandwiches submarine sandwiches since they resembled the shape of a submarine.

The name “hoagie” most likely came from the Philadelphia area during WWI, where Italian immigrants who worked at Hog Island shipyard began making sandwiches that were originally called “hoggies.”

wrapped hoagies with a peek at the end of the sandwiches sticking out of the wrap

How to Build the Perfect Hoagie by A Cookie Named Desire. Everything you need to know about how to build the perfect hoagie – plus TWO hoagie recipes.

beef hoagie cut in half and stacked on white plate

Braised Beef and Provolone Hoagie by Dining with Kelly. Tender beef dripping in a savory sauce with melty provolone cheese on a buttered roll.

buffalo chicken hoagies displayed with Corona beer in background

Buffalo Chicken Hoagies by Bev Cooks. Buffalo- Ranch drenched chicken fingers are combined with thinly sliced red onion, bacon, blue cheese and cilantro to make these hoagies.

overhead shot of two barbecue meatball hoagies

Barbecue Meatball Hoagies by Miss in the Kitchen. These hoagies are a hearty and delicious, family-friendly meal.

two veggie italian hoagies on cutting board

Veggie Italian Hoagies by Bon Appetit. Easy-to-make, veggie-only hoagies!

overhead shot of chili cheese hoagies displayed

Chili Cheese Hoagies by Bobbi’s Kozy Kitchen. Sloppy Joe, Meatball Sub, and Chili, all got together and created this quick and easy hoagie.

one big philly style italian hoagie

Philly-Style Italian Hoagies by Baker by Nature. Made with the best hoagie rolls, fresh veggies, cherry pepper hoagie spread, and Italian hoagie meats, this sandwich is exploding with flavor!

italian beef hoagie

Slow Cooker Italian Beef Hoagies by Savory Experiments. Pot roast is slow cooked with pepperoncini, then placed on a roll with melted cheese.

pizza hoagies on display

Sausage, Pepper and Onion Pizza Hoagies by Domestic Superhero. Just a handful of ingredients are needed to make these tasty sandwiches!

three baked italian hoagies

Baked Italian Hoagies by The Life Jolie. These easy-to-assemble hoagies are easy-baked in the oven.

four chicken and sausage hoagies on a baking sheet

Chicken and Sausage Hoagies by RecipeGirl. Sausage and chicken are cooked with a delicious sauce before adding to rolls and topping with cheese.

italian hoagie pulled pork sub

Italian Hoagie Pulled Pork Subs by Erica’s Recipes. Juicy, ridiculously easy, and sinfully delicious pulled pork in a hot and cheesy, Italian hoagie-inspired sub sandwich.

italian loose meat hoagie

Italian Loose Meat Hoagie by Melissa’s Southern Style Kitchen. A sloppy version of an Italian meatball hoagie cooked with onions and sweet peppers then dressed with pizza sauce.

roasted asparagus hoagies open faced on baking sheet

Roasted Asparagus Hoagies by Wholefully. Roasted Asparagus Hoagies are hearty veggie sandwiches that will satisfy both the meat-eaters and vegetarians in your house.

two halves of a pork hoagie stacked on top of each other

Pork and Melted Cheese Hoagies by RecipeGirl. A nice, hot sandwich recipe using pork instead of the usual beef.

steak hoagie on a white plate

Steak Hoagie with Peppers and Onions by Macheesmo. Sauteed peppers, sliced and seared steak, and a butter toasted bun.

grilled italian hoagie

Grilled Italian Hoagies by Girl Carnivore. In these hoagies, the cold cuts and veggies are grilled before stuffing them into an Italian roll.

ham and cheese hoagie on a white plate

Ham and Cheese Hoagies by Chelsea’s Messy Apron. Crusty toasted rolls are topped with sautéed and and seasoned veggies, deli ham, and melted Provolone cheese.

bratwurst hoagies in a white dish

Bratwurst Hoagies with Bacon and Caramelized Onions by Foodness Gracious. Giant, juicy bratwurst sausages are covered in a blanket of caramelized onion, bacon and melted pepper jack cheese!

pork italian hoagie

Braised Pork Italian Hoagie by Garlic and Zest. Delicious, braised pork leftovers are the base of this amazing hoagie sandwich!

Fun Facts About Sandwiches:

  • The hoagie became the official sandwich of Philadelphia in 1992.
  • There’s a difference between a sub and a hoagie. In a sub sandwich, the bread is softer and the roll is cut all the way through so there’s a top and a bottom to the sandwich. A hoagie is made using a harder, split roll with the fillings stuffed into the roll.
  • A “hero” sandwich is a New York term. In 1936, New York Herald Tribune columnist Clementine Paddleworth wrote about a sandwich so large you had to be a hero to eat it.
  • In Pennsylvania, New York and New England, a “grinder” is a hot submarine sandwich and a “sub” is a cold submarine sandwich.
  • A “muffaletta” is a hero or sub sandwich that originated in New Orleans in 1906.
  • The “po’ boy” also comes from New Orleans (1929). Martin Brother’s Coffee Stand began giving sandwiches to striking streetcar workers (poor boys) free of charge.
  • In the 1960’s “grilled cheese sandwiches” first began appearing in print in cookbooks.