What is the most unusual, but tasty, sandwich you make or have made?

[reenum]

I'm trying to come up with some ideas for lunch, so I would like to know what sorts of unusual but tasty sandwiches you have made in the past.

A couple of restrictions apply: I can't eat pork/ham, and I'd like to be healthy.

Thanks!

[krisrishere]

It wasn't that healthy when it was made for me, but it could be if you had the ingredients: Cream cheese and jelly sandwiches on toast. My mom made it for me as a child..they're still pretty good every now and then.

[Bat Guano]

I just made this the other day: a basic smoked salmon with cream cheese, red onion, and tomato - but - I subbed a nice crusty ciabatta bread for the usual bagel, and added a fried egg. Oh, and some chives in the cream cheese. Damn, that was good.

[somervilleoldtimer]

I haven't done this in 20 years, but I used to love scrambled eggs sandwiches on toast with mayo and letttuce.

[sailrox]

Toast up some nice rye bread. Smear some avocado on it, add thinly sliced roasted zucchini and eggplant coins. Panfry up a small piece of chicken breast, tossed in cayenne, oregano, and black pepper. When it's done, slice it thinly, and add it on top of your veggies. Top with another slice of toasted rye with avocado.

So... good. And kosher. Pig not a problem!

[gordeaux]

Toast a real bagel. (real bagels are not sold in your grocer's refrigerated section) Use a bagel flavor that makes sense to you for a savory sandwich - maybe onion, garlic, jalapeno cheddar , sesame - you get the drift.
After it's toasted, spread it with cream cheese, some real sliced turkey (no deli style meat jello pressed turkey product,) fresh ground pepper, a slice or two of tomato (if they are any good where you are at now in winter.)

Cover with the other bagel side.
Toasting isn't really needed if the bagel is fresh, but they only stay really fresh for a day no matter how well you wrap them up. Oh they stay fresh, but not REALLY fresh.

Anyway - lowish fat, you get your starch, protein, and a really nice tang from the cream cheese and turkey together.

[goodhealthgourmet]

gordeaux, i ate that *exact* bagel sandwich at least 3 times a week in my teens! always had to be a sesame bagel for me.

reenum, you'll find tons of ideas here:

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/451468
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/446102
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/462612

[gordeaux]

Lol, I ate four of them in the last week and a half - well, 6 really. If you count the two that subbed sliced venison summer sausage for the turkey. Sesame is usually my choice as well, but I had access to some really good Jalapeno Cheddar ones last week. I seriously love these.

[Will Owen]

I just had a simple and wonderful one for lunch: I had the last fillet of a package of individually-wrapped frozen salmon that I had thawed, and I noticed that it was exactly sandwich-sized. So I patted it dry, salted and peppered it, and let it sit for a while in a mixture of olive oil and hot chile oil while the small grill pan got good and hot. Then I grilled it, and toasted two slices of sourdough bread. Coated one slice with Trader Joe's tartar sauce, the other with TJ's wasabi mayonnaise (both thinly), and put the grilled salmon between them. Had that with just a Belgian endive chopped up with oil and vinegar and a little pepper. Of all the sandwiches I've loved, I can honesty say that this is not only the most healthy one, but possibly - I'll have to think about this - possibly the ONLY really healthy one. Well, there was a Florentine omelet panino I got in a Roman snack shop, basically just egg and spinach. The shop had hot ones only during the lunch hour, and sold the leftover ones out of the cold case, but even cold this was pretty damn good.

[theannerska]

Right now I can't stop eating this: egg whites and good old processed cheese, wrapped up in a warm flour tortilla. But usually, when I'm looking for new sandwich ideas, I throw in substitutions for the lettuce/tomato/mayo-mustard combo. This could be broccoli rabe, spinach, pickled cucumber slices, sundried tomatoes, roasted red peppers, vinaigrettes, ...

Will Owen's post actually reminded me of a sandwich I loved in Spain -- a thick wedge of tortilla inside a crusty loaf of bread (sometimes with a slice of tomato, if you want). Good hot, warm, or cold, but definitely not healthy enough for everyday consumption (in its most traditional form, it's fried sliced potatoes mixed into a flat/deep-dish omelet). Still, it's incredibly versatile -- you can always add other ingredients to the mix and try subbing in egg whites.

[Pizza Lover]

Good quality feta cheese, oil packed tuna, ripe tomato, a touch of calabrese antipasto (spicey mixed vegetables) on a portuguese or ciabata bun. The combination is fireworks in your mouth.

[mcel215]

Multi grain bread, toasted. A very thin layer of lite real mayo. Add sliced avacadoes, beefsteak tomatoes (salt & pepper) and tender bean sprouts.

Wraps with grilled chicken and baby mesulin greens and thinly sliced pear.

I also make homemade soup and freeze it into individual containers for easy lunches to heat up in the microwave at work.

[fern]

Peanut butter with pickles. I still love that sandwich and had it for lunch just yesterday.

Slice stuffed green olives, chop walnuts, then mix into cream cheese. Fabulous sandwich spread.

[lovessushi]

Aaahh!!!! Another lover of the pb with pickles! I use to be addicted to those! Now more into banana with pb and j...on 12 grain bread from Whole Foods (preferably that bread but not necessarily). Seriously though, pb and pickles! wow! People use to think I was crazy. I preferred bread and butter chip ones though...never tried with a dill pickle or half-sour...

[fern]

You know, all pickles taste good on this sandwich but I do love bread and butters so that's what I had yesterday. Try the others sometime just to see what you think!

[MartiniGenie]

Whole grain, but soft, bread, peanut butter, claussen kosher dills and miracle whip! So funny, when I saw the subject, that was what I immediately thought of. Way 70's of you guys, man.

[Antilope]

When I was a kid I would eat peanut butter and potato chip sandwiches. Another was Van Camp's Pork n Beans with mayonnaise. Man kids have cast iron stomachs. ;-)

[Robin Joy]

Banana and anchovy on rye is a favourite in our house, as is toasted smoked salmon and marmalade.

[jcattles]

Rye bread spread with cream cheese, roast beef or pastrami, roasted red pepper, spinach and sprouts if you have them

[Ideefixed]

Peanut butter and hot pepper jelly on rye.
Grilled peppadew peppers and sharp cheddar cheese on cracked wheat bread. (Also good on rye.)
Canned tuna in oil mixed with Indian pepper pickle on whole wheat (or eaten with a fork, no bread.)

[piccola]

I've probably said this a million times on CH, but my fave is still hummus, pickled beets and arugula on toasted multigrain bread.

Although I've had luck with the slightly less odd combo of crunchy peanut butter (I use the natural kind, don't like it sweet), grated carrots and raisins, again on toasted multigrain. Sometimes I add really crisp sprouts, too.

My fave leftovers sandwich is made with crusty bread and last night's stuffed eggplant (whatever your recipe is), moistened with ketchup or tomato sauce.

[soypower]

Not sure how original or healthy these are, but i love:

ciabatta spread with olive tapenade and topped with grilled chicken, roasted red peppers, thinly sliced red onion, basil and spinach leaves.

ciabatta steak sandwiches using nicely seasoned slices of leftover steak, sliced tomatoes and mesclun greens dressed in a tangy vinagrette.

ciabatta (again! i love chewy bread) spread with pesto, topped with a beaten and cooked egg, tomato and swiss cheese

focaccia with artichoke hearts, tomatoes and gruyere cheese (grilled panini style)

[janetms383]

I usually make this sandwich with ham, but it's good with turkey too.

Good quality soft yeast bun - make them if you can
Fried green tomatoes coated with breadcrumb and parmesan
swiss cheese
lettuce
mayonnaise

OK not healthy but darn good!

[kobetobiko]

avocado and crab meat with mayo, sprinkled with some seaweed in your favorite type of bread.

This is basically a california roll in a sandwich form ;D

[Sharuf]

I like sardines and avocado with a little mayo on sliced multigrain sourdough . Sardines are the Scandinavian secret for staying young-looking, and avocados are good for the complexion, so I like to think of this sandwich as a rejuvenation treatment.

[stay_classy]

Actually just had a conversation about this last night--this is the sandwich I eat, well, way more frequently than I'd like to admit:
Toasted 9 or 12 grain bread (then put into the toaster oven with some good cheddar on it to melt it), mayo, romaine, thin sliced tomato, thin sliced red pepper, granny smith apple, pickled green tomato, deli turkey, and sometimes bacon if I'm being forgiving on myself. Yum!!

[Allison_]

When I lived in residence and ate out of the university cafeteria, fresh sandwiches were the best food going, so we got creative. One of my more unusual favourites was roasted red pepper hummus, thinly sliced red onions, and cucumber on dark rye.

[greygarious]

Toasted pumpernickel bagel with thin schmear of chive cream cheese, chopped liver or good liverwurst like Schaller & Weber, Dijon or honey mustard, thin-sliced red onion. Pickle on the side!!!

[morefuuud]

MMmm yes - I almost overdosed on something similar last week. I am now not allowed to buy liverwurst for another 6 months.

Lightly toasted rye, cream cheese, dijon mustard, thick slices of liverwurst or pate, gherkins sliced lengthwise, pickled beets, salt & pepper. Had one with thin cucumber instead of gherks, still pretty good.

[Pastryrocks]

Sliced pickled beets on buttered whole wheat toast with a healthy dash of freshly ground pepper. When I worked in a hotel kitchen many years ago those who worked in the garde manger area thought I was a little wired!

[shoo bee doo]

One of my favorite sandwiches at The Brothers deli here in the Twin Cities is the Pepe - pastrami, hot pepper cheese grilled on rye bread. Since I can't get to this deli, which is only open on weekdays, I make my own version of the Pepe.

I had one today for breakfast and one for lunch. My ingredients are slightly different, but it's greasy and good. It's probably not your everyday sandwich.

I use one slice of French Meadow European Sour Dough Rye. It's a dense rye similar to Dimpfelmeyer's rye in Canada. I also try to cut down on my carbs, hence only one slice.

I have a pound of Carnegie Deli pastrami from Mort's deli, which is open on Saturday. It's a very mild tasting pastrami and not over salted. I have a nice raw hot pepper jack cheese.

On very low gas heat, I cook the one slice on one side in a small amount of butter until brown and crunchy. I turn it over. I layer the pastrami on both the bread and directly on the pan. I put slices of the cheese on the pastrami in the middle. Then I just let it cook slowly until it's hot, the fat on the pastrami is transluscent and the cheese is melted. I fold the surrounding pastrami into the size of the bread.

It's a little hard to eat with your hands, so a fork is mighty handy.

I

[scarletfan]

I like cream cheese and pistachio nut sandwiches. I ate them as a kid but I've never heard of anyone else eating them. I tried one awhile back and it was just as good as a remembered. :)

[another_adam]

Wow, that sounds like a good combination! We had the more standard cream cheese and preserves, and sometimes got walnuts in with it. (Or a close relative, the sour cream + preserves with walnuts sandwich). Come to think of it, I wonder if our family was the only one that ate sour cream-based sandwiches?

[another_adam]

When I was a kid we would get sandwiches with whatever salad or sides were left over from dinner the night before. Zucchini and tomatoes? Put it in a sandwich with some muenster cheese. Carrot & raisin salad with mayo? Pile it in a sandwich with some lettuce. Potato salad? In a sandwich with pickles and tomato. Lentil walnut loaf? Salmon patties? Sesame noodles? Bread-based dressing? Baked beans? Sandwich. In fact, probably the only things that didn't make it into sandwiches were burritos or lasagna. (and meatloaf-- we knew about meatloaf and ketchup sandwiches from my father's side of the family, but this particular combination was despised by my mother for some reason)

I wouldn't necessarily recommend any of the combinations just mentioned, though I know that baked bean sandwiches are still popular in some parts, and Japanese noodle sandwiches can be good (yakisoba-pan; a distant cousin of the New England chow mein sandwich?). The carrot-raisin salad sandwiches were kind of infamous in our family, but actually, i could see myself trying one again. But the principle seems like a solid (and frugal) one-- sandwiches aren't planned, they just happen when you open the fridge :) I guess if your dinners are healthy and tasty, then you've got a good start to your sandwiches :) heheh

**Confession: I actually dislike sandwiches, though leftovers do routinely find creative re-use in bento box form in our house. It never occurred to me until just now that maybe my early sandwich experience had something to do with this?!

[Boccone Dolce]

Ooooh leftover meatloaf sandwich-but with a thin smear of Hellman's- don't muck it up with lettuce or anything vegie-ish.
I do love a good leftover eggplant parm sandwich- on a roll, with a thin smear of Hellman's.
Due to my aversion to mayo- I sometimes gross out my husband by using just a little butter instead. He actually looks away.
Anyway- I would involve avocado in a lot more sandwiches but when it's just me- I can't eat a whole one and they always go to waste.

[lexpatti]

All time favorite from a little health food store/counter I worked many moons ago: Mushroom Burger with sauteed mushrooms in Braggs liq amino, toast a nice whole grain bun with one side shredded mont jack or cheddar - then on the other side- mayo, guacomole, shredded carrots, sprouts, garlic pwder, cayenne and spike seasoning (NO MEAT) - FANTASTIC!!! We also did just the Super Sandwich with the same as above without the sauteed mushrooms.

[Analisas mom]

Love the classic Ruben and also a Kentucky Brown.

[going nowhere]

Hot Browns are the best. Definitely a local favorite. When made correctly, it's an open face heart attach on a plate topped with bacon. When the Brown Hotel makes it, it's a petite disappointment on toast points. Try Ramsey's in Lexington, KY. There's numerous locations. Thankfully, I'm going home this weekend. Yeah.

[JungMann]

Kheema mattar grilled cheese
Tuna/salt and vinegar chips melts
Sauteed corned beef with cheese and Sriracha on brioche

[starbucksbrew]

I don't know how unusual it is, but I make really good chicken salad pitas:

Chopped or shredded boiled chicken breast (or if you're in a hurry, chicken in a bag by Tyson, near the canned chicken)
Light mayo
Sliced almonds
Dried cherries (quartered b/c they're big), cranberries, and blueberries

I've served them in mini pitas for baby showers and they're always a huge hit. They serve up pretty and are delicious.

[jcattles]

I make a similar chicken salad. I add curry powder and lime juice to the mayo and add some chopped cilantro to the mix. Put it in a wrap or pita with spinach leaves. mmm, yeah I think that's what for lunch tomorrow.....

[cheesecake17]

My husband loves ciabatta or baguette with granny smith apple, brie, honey, and a sprinkle of red pepper flakes.

[cimui]

crispy, oven roasted brussel sprouts on a baguette with camembert. toasted until melty.

lower-grade sashimi chopped with wasabi mayonnaise and served on a bun with shredded daikon. it's a bit lobster roll-ish.

[Nunzio]

On Sunday mornings when i'm frying meatballs for my gravy, I put one in two slices of american bread and sqeeze it together. Best breakfast there is

[smtucker]

Sliced ripe avocado, swiss cheese, sprouts or small leaf lettuce and red onion with some honey-dijon dressing. Not a sweet one..... a mustardy one on the best bread you can find.

[faeryharper]

This was my sandwich of choice some twenty years ago...before I became veggie.
Thick white bread, crusts off.
Generous amounts of cottage cheese (with chives for a treat).
Here is where the fun starts...half a jar of cockles (Drained and squeezed).
A goodly spoon of caviar, and a pinch of black pepper.

Press down hard and cut into triangles. (Important, the triangle thing. Squares just won't do)

[Caroline1]

Two faves:

Dark dark pumpernickel with a layer of cream cheese peppered with diced medjool dates on one side, a layer of lightly salted mashed/sliced avocado on the other side, uniform slices of cantaloupe sandwiched between. Slice and enjoy the rainbow of colors and flavors. I've also removed the crusts and served them as tea sandwiches. Either way, really good.

Chicken Salad Sandwich:
Shred some really moist boiled chicken, add a generous handful of pine nuts and a generous amount of orange marmalade (with as much peel as you can manage) then use equal amounts of Helmmann's mayo and sour cream to reach spreading consistency. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve heaped on open faced English muffin sandwiches. And if you're feeling like giving yourself a little extra hug, butter the English muffin with real butter before assembling.

[Sharuf]

Caroline - do you toast the muffin?

[Caroline1]

Absolutely! '-)

Sometimes I also add some thinly sliced celery sticks for a bit of added crunch. Enjoy!

[Sharuf]

I was worried there -- English muffins are not edible unless they're toasted. :-)

[Dana1949]

I enjoy a grilled sandwich of sliced turkey, roasted peppers, swiss cheese, and lightly spread basil mayonnaise on whole grain bread. A dill pickle on the side makes for a great lunch.

[goreystory]

today i made the following sandwich for lunch: half an avocado, mashed up with balsamic/salt/pepper to a guac-like consistency, spread on two slices of challah-like bread; thick-peeled carrot slices (does that make sense? you use a V-shaped peeler to remove the skin, then continue peeling, trying for peels the whole length of the carrot...); fine slices of leftover brussels sprouts; a couple slices of muenster (the only cheese i had around). some salt ground on the sprouts. it was very good.

[bigfellow]

Calamari sandwich on sour dough. I pan fry the calamari with any breading in clarified butter. When I put it in the pan I hit it with some cajun spice. Be very careful not to overcook.
I serve it on the bread with or without homemade tarter sauce.

[HillJ]

Curried shrimp salad wrapped inside romaine lettuce, no bread.
Sliced tomatoes, avacado and grilled chicken sausage on a toasted sourdough roll
Apricot jam and virginia ham on toasted marble rye
Goat cheese and slice strawberries on plain melba toast
Egg salad, black olives and chopped liver on rye bread

[soultender]

This is a vegan recipe: Toast two slices of rye bread or whatever wonderfully grainy bread you have handy. Smear both slices with a homemade thousand isalnd dressing (vegan mayo, pickle relish, tomato paste, cayenne & lemon juice), 4 slices of veggie "bacon" pan fried, heated sauerkraut, rice "cheese" (swiss flavor). WOW! I could set up housekeeping in this sandwich.

[coachfarmer]

Try a Monte Cristo Sandwich! Its basically a turkey, ham and swiss sandwich that is batter dipped, deep fried, topped with powdeered sugar and served with jelly!!!!!! YUM

[piccola]

I've never seen it battered before, just fried à la grilled cheese. As a veg, I skip the meat and just do cheese and jam. Not the same, but still great!

[Carrie 218]

Duck confit with caramelized onions and Mutard de Violet on crunchy bagette....

[camper88]

Tempeh lettuce and tomato.

Cut a block of tempeh into thin strips (less than 1/4 inch, more than 1/8 of an inch)

Mix up a marinade of:
1/2 cup of water
3 Tbps Braggs or lo-sodium tamari
2 or 3 Tbps maple syrup (to taste)
dash of cumin, cayenne and cinnamon (to taste)
a few drops of liquid smoke (to taste)

Place the tempeh in a zippable bag with the marinade for 4-24 hours

pan fry the tempeh (2-4 slices) in a little oil to make a TLT on your favorite bread.

add soy mayo or soy cheese if you like.

Serve with sweet potato fries if you like.

You can keep the marinating tempeh in the fridge for about ten days to two weeks.

[lexpatti]

yum...... braggs, tempeh - I'm in heaven too!!! Thanks

[Antilope]

Tillamook grated cheddar cheese on white bread spread with mayonnaise and freshly grated yellow onion.

[Michelly]

I eat most of the above-mentioned concoctions, but here's a simple sandwich my mom used to serve us and I still eat:
Sliced pimento-stuffed green olives on SOFT bread spread with mayo; add cheddar slices for variety. Simple, inexpensive, tasty, and not too filling.

[bugmenot]

How about a kimchi reuben. Replace the sauerkraut with kimchi. Yum!

[melly]

hell yes!

[Antilope]

From my younger days, a breakfast hamburger sandwich. Two slices of buttered white toast with buttered sides facing inward. Spread ketchup on one side and strawberry preserves on the other. Place one re-heated, left over, hamburger patty in the middle. It's an acquired taste, kind of like left over pizza or spaghetti for breakfast.

[cimui]

Wow. Definitely original. =D Have you tried it recently?

[Antilope]

They say you can't go home again. I'm going to leave this one as a fond memory. ;-)

[melly]

Tomato slices and kosher dill pickle slices with lettuce on sunflower seed bread...toasted or no.

[jenwee]

made this sandwich and I was in heaven: white bread, avacado mayonaise, roasted asparagus, brie and some arugala. Panini heaven!

[cyndychow]

Sounds gross, but, here goes. White bread, like Wonderbread, with mayo and thin sliced Chinese BBQ pork (char siu). We must have run out of ham that day for making brown bag lunches. I still make it sometimes and my hubby just gags when he sees me eat it.

[chef chicklet]

Are you kidding? That's a great sandwich! Just made char sui and hubby made a sandwich, (buttermilk bread) and loves it! I'm trying to save it for other uses, guess I'll have to hide it from him! We put hoisin on the bread with scallions. then warm it briefly in the microwave. Sort of a crazy bbq pork bun.

[morefuuud]

I tell my home-grown Canadian hubby that char siu is not supposed to go on white bread, mayo, mustard and cheese. It's just simply wrong. But he insists on eating it this way - and i have to say, it's actually not bad. Just not what i'm used to growing up eating I guess.

[CDouglas]

Challah, fried egg, green chile, queso fresco and salsa.

[Caroline1]

For breakfast this very morning: Open faced sandwiches made with a fine textured Bakery white bread toasted in butter, then topped with Gorgonzola and Usinger's braunschweiger with a side of fresh "brown sugar strawberries." Building happy new fat cells! But hey, you've gotta give your mouth a party once in a while! '-)

[shaogo]

One of my go-to sandwiches is olive loaf (luncheon meat) on rye bread spread liberally with cream cheese. Pass the tomatoes.

Smoked mackerel, sweet raw onion and sour creme on pumpernickel is cool.

[HillJ]

My twelve year old just made a pizza-wich.

Between two slices of leftover pizza place some fresh basil leaves and leftover cheese ravioli and press on the panini plate until warm and gooey.

[oakjoan]

I invented this "sandwich" one night when we got home late at night after a long drive. Both of us were really hungry but too tired to make anything complicated.

I had some good corn tortillas (Mi Abuelita brand - dunno if they're available elsewhere), some Hebrew Nat'l. hot dogs, some good cheddar cheese, a couple of barely passable tomatoes and some wilted green onions.

I heated the tortillas until they were malleable and then put a hot dog and some cheese in the middle and folded them over. After everything was heated through, I put the chopped green onion, the chopped tomato and some green chili salsa. Amazingly good. We've had this dish many times since. I usually use Mrs. Renfrew's green chili salsa which I like a lot. Weird brand name for a Mexican salsa, eh?

[Alan N]

2 slices of cheap wheat bread sprinkled with hot sauce filled with a half inch of thick refried beans.
Toaster ovened at 250ish for enough time to make it warm throughout.

[Antilope]

Two slices of white bread. Filling is fresh mashed ripe avocado mixed with a little Best Foods mayonnaise and sprinkled with salt.

[Alan N]

That sounds good sans the mayo. Do you prefer the large smooth avocado or the rough?
The smooth is buttery and can be sliced, put into French bread with salt for a basic meal.

[Antilope]

I prefer the larger smooth avocados, but the markets usually carry the smaller rough avocados. Either one is good.

[soypower]

My new favorite sandwich as of late has been a whole wheat pita stuffed w/ three different kinds of salads: taboulleh, artichoke orzo, and pesto pea. Sometimes I top it all off with a little tzatziki. Yum!

[BamiaWruz]

Canned mackerel with mustard on rye bread. Toasted.

On a bagel is good too, toasted or pressed.