One of the most famous dishes from Chicago, Illinois, is the Malnati Salad. It’s a combination of Italian cold cuts and deep-dish pizza.
When you order this food at a restaurant, you get it with either hot or cold topping. If you enjoy super-crunchy crusts, this sandwich is for you!
When making this dish, you’ll have to be patient because it requires time to let the egg whites set to create the flaky crust that makes its sandwiches so amazing.
What is Malnati Salad?
Malnati Salad consists of Italian cold cuts, such as prosciutto, salami, Genoa ham, etc. You can also put in Pepperoni or sausage.
There are also other ingredients, such as chopped tomatoes and onions. The cold cuts are usually put inside a deep-dish pizza dough; the pizza bakes to make the Malnati salad.
The sauce is usually red tomato sauce, but it can be a white sauce or pizza sauce in some restaurants.
How to make Malnati Salad
Ingredients:
- 3 eggs
- 3/4 cup milk
- 1 1/2 cups fresh bread crumbs (about 4 slices of bread)
- 2 tablespoons melted butter or margarine
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/3 cup olive oil or canola oil
- 6 hot Italian sausages such as Pepperoni.
Prepare:
1. Beat the eggs with a whisk. Add the milk, 4 tablespoons of the bread crumbs, 1 tablespoon of the butter, and the oregano; set aside.
2. Heat 3 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the sausage and cook until browned, about 8 minutes. Set aside on paper towels to drain off excess fat; set aside.
3. preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
4. While the sausage is cooking, prepare the pizza dough and place it on a baking sheet with 2 tablespoons of oil for each side. Bake for 15 minutes or until crust is lightly browned and crisp. Set aside.
5. Beat the remaining 1/4 cup bread crumbs and 1 tablespoon butter in a mixing bowl with a whisk until crumbly; set aside.
6. Remove the sausage from the pan, drain off fat, and add a link to flour, coating well on all sides.
7. Add the remaining 3 tablespoons of oil to the sauté pan and return to medium heat. Fry the breaded sausage pieces until browned on all sides, about 5 minutes. Set aside paper towels to drain off excess fat and set aside.
8. When you are ready to make the salad, spray a large bowl with vegetable cooking spray and set it aside.
9. Lightly coat a large skillet with vegetable cooking spray; heat over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking.
10. Beat the eggs and remaining bread crumbs with a whisk. Add the oil, bacon, tomatoes, and onions to the egg mixture. Mix well.
11. Coat a large skillet with vegetable cooking spray; heat over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking.
12. Place the pizza dough in the skillet and cut it into quarters using a pizza cutter or knife that has been dipped in water; this will help prevent it from sticking to your skillet.
13. Spread the egg and toppings evenly in three-quarters of the pizza dough.
14. Top with the remaining piece of dough.
15. Cook until golden brown, about 5 minutes; flip and cook until golden on the other side, and the bottom is cooked through about 5 minutes. Place a large plate on top of the skillet to help prevent it from over-browning.
16. Slice and serve.
Nutritional Information
| Nutrition | Amount |
|---|---|
| Calories | 532 |
| Total Fat | 30.8g |
| Cholesterol | 254mg |
| Sodium | 1,320mg |
| Total Carbohydrates | 40.4g |
| Dietary Fiber | 3.8g |
| Protein | 33.6g |
Health Benefits of Malnati Salad
The Malnati Salad is a great dish because it has a lot of nutrients. For example, it is rich in vitamins and minerals, such as vitamin B12, folic acid, and iron.
It’s also filled with protein, which helps build bones and muscles. Iron keeps your red blood cells working well to carry oxygen throughout your body.
Folic acid is essential for healthy heart functions and cell growth, while vitamin B12 is important for your nervous system and red blood cell count.
Price In Malnati Salad
Malnati Salad can be fairly expensive. If you purchase the ingredients by yourself, it could cost three and four dollars.
However, if you go to a restaurant to make it, the price will depend on the location and choice of toppings.
If you want to visit Chicago and get this delicious food, go to one of its famous restaurants like Bella Napoli.
With your family in tow, you’ll have a fun time exploring different restaurants until you find one that serves Malnati Salad.
History of Malnati Salad
This dish was first created in the early 20th century. It was cooked by a sandwich shop owner, Joe Malnati.
He wanted to create a sandwich as his own but did not have enough money to buy enough ingredients; therefore, he decided to make one with what he could.
After finding inspiration from other dishes and having some help from his wife and uncle, Malnati came up with this recipe for cold cuts and bready backs that went together well in a deep-dish pizza crust.
5 Best Healthy Nutrition of Malnati Salad
1. The Malnati salad is a good vitamin B12, which is important for a healthy heart.
2. This dish is also high in proteins, and proteins help your body absorb more nutrients from the foods you eat.
3. The Malnati salad also has lots of folate and vitamins A, E, thiamine, niacin, and calcium.
4. The Malnati salad is a great source of iron. Iron keeps your red blood cells working so that they can help to transport oxygen throughout your body.
5. It is also rich in potassium, which helps regulate heart rhythms. Potassium also helps maintain fluid balance in the body and plays an important role in developing cells and tissues.
Is It Good For Pregnant Women?
The Malnati salad is perfect for pregnant women as it contains many nutrients and proteins, which helps them absorb a lot from the diet.
The Malnati salad is also good for newborns because it has a lot of vitamins and minerals, which improve their growth.
It’s also an important source of folate and folic acid, which provide good support for pregnant women’s nervous systems.
Is It Suitable For Heart Patients?
Malnati salad is suitable for heart patients. It contains many vitamins and minerals good for the heart, such as vitamin B12, folic acid, and iron.
Is It Good For Diabetics?
People with diabetes should eat Malnati salad in moderation. This dish is high in calories and carbohydrates. For example, the Malnati salad from Bella Napoli contains 634 calories only in one serving.
Also, it has 45.5 grams of carbs and 10.6 grams of protein. The Malnati salad from Bella Napoli also has 4.6 grams of fat, one of the highest calories.
Most likely, you will have a high blood sugar level after eating such a big meal. Therefore, people with diabetes should talk to the doctor first before consuming this meal.
Is It Good For Vegetarians?
Malnati salad is a vegetarian dish, and it contains lots of proteins and vitamins that are good for vegans and vegetarians, such as vitamin A and K, zinc, and magnesium.
Is It Good For Diabetics?
Malnati salad is good for people with diabetes. Studies show that people with diabetes should consume 2,000-3,000 mg of folate and 400-500 IU of vitamin E each day.
The Malnati salad from Bella Napoli contains the right amount of folate (371 mcg), 22% of the daily recommended dose. The Malnati salad also has 865 IU of vitamin E (14% of the daily recommended amount).
The Bottom Line
Malnati salad is a dish that you should try. It contains many nutrients and proteins, which are good for your health and body.
This dish is also affordable because you can use the ingredients to make it at home, instead of buying them from a shop.
