Good sandwich recipe for everyday?

[mayuchico]

I make sandwiches for lunch for me and my husband. I want to make more "gourmet" taste sandwich without spending too much money. I am looking for recipes and also things that I should keep in the fridge such as specific sauce or cheese. Any idea?

[soypower]

I love all sandwich idea threads...My new favorite sandwich is a pan bagnat. All the ingredients are pretty inexpensive, except for maybe the capers and olives. A bit labor intensive but absolutely worth it. Also, it's meant to be soggy, so no worries there.

This is my favorite recipe: http://www.staceysnacksonline.com/200...

[carrey56]

a long times since other answers but maybe never too late. try getting a cooked chicken and chopping it up finely with a sharp knife, add finely sliced celery and shallots and mayonaise.
this has been a very popular one in my home for a long time.

[alkapal]

and a variation that is easy with that is adding craisins, or chopped walnuts, or tarragon, or a finely chopped pickle of choice.

[MobyRichard]

My new fave - open-faced smoked salmon with sour cream wit black pepper, toasted onions, sliced olives on toasted ciabatta.

[Caroline1]

I was browsing the web looking for irresistable Easter candy and ran across this website's sandwich menu and immediately thought of this thread:

http://www.thetruffleshop.com/sandwic...

The "Egg-Egg Salad" sandwich sounds especially interesting, but I hope the relish is dill!

[thew]

i like mixing some chipotle adobo into mayo, maybe with some lime, as a spread

[Suzy Q]

My husband is a huge fan of deli-style meat and loves sandwiches. I, on the other hand, am not the world's biggest fan of sandwiches unless they're hot - must be a throwback to having too many cold sammies in my lunchbox when I was a child. At any rate, one of the best investments we've ever made is a panini grill. It's one of those appliances that I put in the same category as my rice steamer - when we bought it I thought it was a splurge purchase, but the "cost per usage" has been excellent. Not to mention that it takes grilled cheese sandwiches to a whole new level!

Sandwiches are an economical meal option and can also be a great way to use leftovers, and being able to make hot sandwiches has opened up a whole new range of options for us. I have the Breville and absolutely love it. It's available for about $99 at Williams-Sonoma. http://www.brevilleusa.com/products/t...

[Analisas mom]

just had one of our fav's. We used slice left over lamb red onion spring mix and tzatziki on a warm grilled piece of pita. So good. I also do grilled chicken barbaque sauce red onion cheddar and cilantro in a tortilla wrap.

[MobyRichard]

BLT on a toasted onion (or garlic) bagel spead with carmelized onion cream cheese. Ahhhhh.

[babaoriley7]

To me, the most important parts of a good sandwich are:

Bread
Sauce (whether it be pesto, aoili, hummus, etc)
Cheese

Fresh herbs are a great compliment

Just avoid bland things that I think of when I think of a turkey sandwich.

How about this for an idea. Some ciabatta bread, some fresh turkey, micro greens or spinich, feta cheese and slather some tzatziki on there. It is always good to take a culinary theme and make it into a sandwich.

Also it has been mentioned that heating up a sandwich can be a great addition to kicking up flavor in a sandwich.

[mayuchico]

Thank you very much for your answers! All ideas sound really yummy. I will try one by one.

[fmed]

Vietnamese Bahn Mi http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B%C3%A1n...

Baguette
Cilantro, Onion, Cuke, a quick pickle of carrots and daikon (you can use regular radish
)Chinese BBQ Pork (Char Siu just buy it from a Chinese BBQ); or Chicken or Ham...or whatever
Optional - But I like to use it - liver pate

[jfood]

Trying to keep with the not "too much money theme" the first step is understanding the process. When you buy your protein (if that is on the sandwich, you are pay 2x or 3x the price of making it yourself. Now let's assume you have a protein for dinner, make a little more so you and hubby canuse the next day. Jfood made an eye round the other night and made sure that the pups had some dessert and jfood had for the next day lunch. Likewise with chicken or fish, whatever protein is dinner, cold the next day will probably work.

Cheese - jfood really likes cheese on his sandwich. Havarti, brie, American, cheddar, whatever he feels when he makes the sandwich.

A sour - adding a veggie that has been in vinegar kicks the flavor up in jfood's opinion. He keep a jar of sweet pepper slices inthe fridge. They basically go with everything that mayo goes with.

Mayo - Hellman;s only (or it's sister brands across the US); but the theory is the candwich probably needs something wet.

In-season veggies - grilled eggplant, avocado, roasted red peppers, cucumbers all add texture and flavor.

Bacon - As one chef stated. If you do not like the way something tastes, add bacon. Jfood has frozen 3-slice per package bacon in the freezer. Always think of adding.

Bread - A good sandwich is all about the bread. PBJ is great on rye, not so great on others. Jfood is a big fan of eggy. Your choice, here is where you can splurge a little to make a good sandwich into a great sandwich.

Happy eating.

[alkapal]

those little pepper rings (and strips) are good; plus they add a wee bit of moisture.

[yumyumyogi]

Jfood, I like like this guide very much indeed.

[wildfire]

My two all time faves:
1) French bread with brie and cranberry sauce (the kind that still has the fruit chunks in it)
2) foccacia with goat cheese, artichoke hearts, onion, and tomato (then throw it on a George Forman or similar for a few minutes)

[jcattles]

Ciabatta rolls, proscuitto, smoked fontina, olive spread: hot pressed is better, but good cold too.

Curried Chicken Salad: mayo mixed with curry powder and a squeeze of lime juice,
shredded or cubed chicken, cilantro, craisins, slivered almonds, fresh spinach in a pita

Sliced steak on an onion kaiser roll with cheese of your choice topped with red pepper mayo. (roasted red peppers purreed with mayo, maybe a touch of blue cheese)

[soypower]

i like to keep the following things on hand for great sandwiches:

-nice, crusty ciabatta rollls
-rosemary focaccia
-roasted red peppers
-fresh basil
-organic micro greens
-prioscutto

every once in a while, i make teriyaki chicken/beef sandwiches on french rolls with micro greens, thin sliced red onion, tomatoes and mayo. if i'm really feeling ambitious, i'll add some vinegared daikon and carrot shreds and maybe a little cilantro.

[aussiewonder]

My two favourites are:
Grilled or roasted chicken meat that I shred (best with leftovers), brie, semi-sundried tomatoes, kalamata olives and chutney on focaccia bread TOASTED.
Slices of avocado, slices of feta and grilled or roasted chicken - I usually use rye bread with this and bc of the avocado, find I don't need any condiments (also, not a big condiment fan)

[fmed]

I'm assuming this is for lunch at work. If you can swing it, but a couple of sandwich presses (Breville makes a good panini press) that you can leave at work next to the office microwave. Make the sandwich fresh at home then press it at work for lunch.

[Emme]

pumpernickel bread with a little mayo, tuna, red apple slices, celery slices, red onion, dill (the BF likes it on TJ's avocado bread)

try turkey w/ cranberry compote, hazelnuts and a drizzle of hazelnut oil

rotisserie chicken, sliced yukon gold potatoes, rosemary, grilled white onion, butter or olive oil, mozzarella

grilled eggplant, sundried tomatoes, ricotta, fontina, parmesan, and mozzarella

chicken and spinach and artichoke dip... so simple yet so good.

chicken salad with honey, poppyseeds, dried cranberries, celery, and pecans (optional)

gouda w/ apples on pecan raisin cinnamon bread

hummus, cheddar, tomatoes, onions

olive tapenade and brie

fennel, gruyere, prosciutto, thyme

olive oil toasted, gruyere, thyme, salad greens

portabello grilled w/ pesto, walnuts, and parsley

ham, butter, navy beans, butter, a little brown sugar

pinto beans mashed into a spread, cheddar/jack, sour cream, pico de gallo

[alkapal]

emme, yum list!

[alkapal]

add chutney spread with ham or turkey. cranberry mustard is also good. tarragon mustard with chicken. dill mustard with tuna.
love havarti and jarlsberg cheeses with meats.

[Sarah]

I'm about to make chicken blt's. Roasted chicken, bacon, tomato, avocado, 1000 island dressing, lettuce on a roll. Hope it turns out.

[stellamystar]

I may be showing my German roots here, but....

Buy the best mortadella, smoked hams, or gelbwurst you can find!
Buy some white cheddar or havarti
Buy some fantastic creamy butter
Get the freshest rye, dark, fiberous bread you can get.

Assemble. I enjoy this sandwich with large curd cottage cheese.

Maybe not gourmet, but hits the sandwich spot and since you aren't using mayo you dont have to worry about spoilage as much.

[mariannas]

The suggestion for homemade focaccia is great. Focaccia is an easy way to make everyday sandwiches gourmet.

One of my favorites is to roast a red pepper and a clove of garlic (they last me a few days). I take focaccia and toast the inside. I spread both sides with goat cheese and layer the roasted garlic and red pepper. You can either eat it as is or toast in a skillet with olive oil. So simple and just delicious.

[thursday]

One of my new favorites is an antipasti sandwich--on a foccacia roll, sliced fresh mozarella, oil-stored sundried tomatoes, prosciutto, and arugula is my favorite combo, but sometimes I'll add artichoke hearts or olives or veggies grilled with olive oil, or spread pesto or anchovy butter on the bread, especially if I'm using sandwich bread instead of foccacia rolls. It's really easy to throw together since I usually have at least a few antipasti options on hand.

[miss_bennet]

My favourite is roasted yams, goat cheese and some sort of green. Spinach works well because it is bitter against the sweet yams. Also, as this sandwich has litlle moisture, it keeps well.

[Emme]

close to one of mine... fancy roll cut, rubbed with olive oil and garlic, then grilled; fill with roasted butternut squash, caramelized/or roasted onions, sage, gruyere, and sometimes a little parmesan.

[Caroline1]

Peanut butter and jelly.... America's favorite vegetarian meal!

I jest. But not a lot. I like 'em. But... Instead of sandwiches, have you thought about picking up a couple of bento boxes and really spicing up your lives?

Here's a nice assortment of bento boxes you can buy online:
http://www.happymall.com/japan/lacquer_lunch_box.htm

And here's a photo gallery of the imaginative lunches you can put in them:
http://flickr.com/groups/bentoboxes/p...

[im_nomad]

I second any kind of roasted veggie sandwich, with goat cheese, and maybe some fresh basil. Hummus can also be good on a sandwich.

[link_930]

I like a grilled eggplant, roasted red pepper, fried egg, ham, gruyere, and thin slice of apple. Sounds weird, but it's very good!

[firecooked]

You might grill sandwiches once in a while, an ordinary turkey or ham (and of course, cheese) becomes special, maybe with a bit of mustard added inside. In this same theme, you can do a queso with the meat and cheese.

I like just about any kind of cheese, from a creamy goat cheese or brie to an aged chedder or gouda. I usually keep a few chunks of cheese in the fridge for nibbling, and pretty much anything is good on a sandwich. With good full flavor cheeses, you need just a little.

Another special treat is to mix some pesto with some mayonaise (or can even use plain yogurt if you are going to eat right away). I make big batches of pesto, and freeze in ice cube trays or spoonful size drops on plastic. Just thaw and mix with the mayo. There are lots of other ways to adulterate the mayonaise, think chipotle chili, etc (if you have a bit of strong flavored sauce from dinner leftover, save if it would go on sandwhich)

If you have a herb garden or just some herbs left from cooking, throw in a few leaves. Basil is a favorite, but parsley and dill are good too.

From the pantry, you can add roasted red peppers or marinated artichoke hearts, or green chili's if you like some heat.

Egg salad sandwhiches have lots of options for gourmet touchs, as well as left-over chicken or turkey (but I like to start with home roasted meat, not deli meat).

[JoanN]

I make sandwiches of homemade focaccia, the best ham I can get (short of Iberico), sliced aged fontina, and pickled onions. The focaccia gets slathered with mustard and/or mayonnaise or both, depending on the audience. The homemade focaccia keeps brilliantly in the freezer and thaws very quickly in an oven with a pilot light. The pickled onions, from the Zuni cookbook, are a snap to make and keep practically forever in the fridge.

[cocktailhour]

I don't know if this qualifies are gourmet, but one of my favorite sandwiches: soft bread slices, mayo, swiss, cucumber, avocado, salt and pepper, horseradish optional.

homemade mayonnaise will spice up any sandwich. add garlic, or horseradish, or wasabi, for different flavors. or take jarred mayo and add a bit of mustard and lemon; not as good, but better.

gruyere and havarti and good cheeses for sandwiches.