Tuesday, March 31, 2026

Sunday, March 29, 2026

Endless Sandwich Combos

Here is a list of creative ways to transform a basic sandwich into something new and exciting!

CHANGE YOUR BREAD – put sandwich contents on or in:

Instead of white try rye, wheat, pumpernickel

Put it on a french bread loaf

A pita pocket

Serve your sandwich open-faced

A tortilla to make a wrap, burrito or quesadilla

Try a bagel or English muffin

A lettuce leaf

Try cornbread or sourdough or artisan breads

Hamburger buns or hoagie rolls

Brioche or Challah or Baguettes

Try slider buns or pretzel buns

Use garlic toast instead of plain bread

Slice tortilla into pinwheels or remove some 

of the bread from a hoagie or bun and 

stuff with your sandwich contents 

Use a flatbread like Naan which can be 

cut like a pizza or into squares

CHANGE THE METHOD OF YOUR SANDWICH

Change from cold to hot or hot to cold

Eat it like a meal instead of a sandwich

Grill your sandwiches like a grilled cheese

Chop it, mash it or slice it differently

Use a panini press or smashed

Grill some of your vegetables but not all

Chop your ingredients extra fine or chunky

Crumble your ingredients or slice everything

Bake it in the oven or air fryer

Put your bread in a toaster

Microwave - wrap in a damp paper towel 

and microwave 30–45 sec for a soft, 

steamed sandwich (great for pita or tortillas).

Open-face broil spread filling on bread, 

top lightly, broil 2–4 min.

SWITCH UP OR ADD TO

Swap meat for tuna, chicken or fish or tofu

Add bacon or prosciutto

Add or remove some veggies

Add hard boiled eggs

Try adding two meats together like tuna and chicken

Add fresh basil, cilantro, arugula, spinach, or sprouts for freshness

CHANGE UP YOUR CHEESE

Use sharp cheddar instead of mild

Switch cheddar to goat cheese

Use Swiss, provolone, feta or pepper jack

Try cream cheese instead

Melt the cheese or leave it a cold solid piece


ADD TEXTURE AND CRUNCH

Toasted nuts – walnuts, almonds or pecans

Add crispy veggies – cucumber, carrot, radish

Add pickles, coleslaw or apple slices

Add cereal – any variety

Add mashed potatoes, stuffing or refried beans to add a soft texture

Add a layer of potato chips or crackers – any variety

Add something juicy like tomato, pickles or sauerkraut


PLAY WITH SPREADS AND SAUCES

Mayo with sriracha or pesto

Try curry powder or other herbs in mayo

Try hummus, olive tapenade, tzatzili 

or roasted red pepper spread

Try honey mustard, Dijon, spice 

brown mustard or a garlic aioli

Add ketchup, BBQ sauce or ranch dressing

Try Italian dressing or any dressing you have

Try a creamy sauce like sour cream or yogurt

Try an oily base like garlic oil or olive oil

A sweet sauce can be jam, honey or 

sweet relish

For tangy try vinegar or pickles

For spicy try hot sauce or chili crisp


TRY A GLOBAL FLAVOR

Try Mediterranean with olives, feta, 

sun dried tomatoes and/or tzatziki

Try Asian with pickled veggies, hoisin 

sauce or wasabi mayo

Try Mexican with guacamole, salsa, 

jalapenos and pepper jack cheese


CHANGE TO SWEET AND/OR NUTTY COMBOS

Add fruit like apple slices, grapes, pear 

slices or dried cranberries

Drizzle a little honey or use some fig jam 

for sweetness

Try using almond butter, peanut 

butter or cashew butter for a nutty flavor


ADDITIONAL CHANGES

Put your filling on a plate and eat it with 

a knife and fork. You can still use the 

bread if desired

Cut your sandwich in half and then 

in half again so you have four small 

pieces

Wrap your sandwich in tin foil or 
parchment paper to give you a fast food 
vibe


I hope this list gives you hundreds of new ideas for your sandwiches and takes them from boring to exciting again!

💗 Jo


Build a Perfect Sandwich

To build a perfect sandwich there is an eight step formula, so let’s begin.

Step One: the foundation of any sandwich starts with the BREAD. Try pairing a soft bread with soft toppings and a crustier bread with crunchy tough fillings.

Step Two: is the MOISTURE SHIELD OR BARRIER. This is generally some kind of fat like mayonnaise, butter or pesto. Be sure to spread it completely to the edges of both slices of bread to help prevent sogginess.

Step Three: the star of the show… PROTEIN. A thinly sliced or shaved meat will allow for better texture and less slippage. The suggested ratio is 1:4 meaning; 4 parts protein to 1 part cheese.

Step Four: CHEESE! I love cheese! It adds a creaminess to your sandwich as well as helps to bind ingredients together.

Step Five: is all about TEXTURE AND CRUNCH. Try raw onions, pickles, lettuce or even crispy bacon. Think of anything that has a crunch… cereal, potato chips or raw bell peppers. The list can go on and on, just don’t skip this as it provides the vital contrast in your sandwich.

Step Six: TANGY ZIPPY FLAVOR. Mustard, vinaigrette, balsamic vinegar, pickles, BBQ sauce, even ketchup it’s all designed to wake up your palate.

Step Seven: a FRESH CREAMY ELEMENT like avocado, roasted peppers or tomatoes for freshness.

Step Eight: SEASONINGS. Salt and pepper go a long way to make a sandwich delightful. But consider herbs or other spices like Italian seasoning, curry powder, garlic powder or even onion powder. Think about the herbs you put on tomatoes or other veggies and add them to your sandwiches.

Optimal Layering Structure
On the BOTTOM is your bread with a FAT BARRIER followed by the DENSE HEAVY INGREDIENTS like cheese and meat.

The MIDDLE layer is your MAIN PROTEIN. Be sure to layer the protein so it extends all the way to the edges of your bread and slightly beyond.

Finally the TOP layer is where your WET INGREDIENTS live. These are things like tomatoes and cucumbers. Next you add your GRIPPY INGREDIENTS like lettuce and finally you have your FAT BARRIER on your TOP BREAD.

Additional Tips
- Using thin slices of vegetables and/or shaved meat helps prevent the filling from sliding out of your sandwich.

- Season as you go meaning season your tomatoes and greens directly instead of on the top of the sandwich.

- Compress your sandwich by wrapping the final sandwich tightly in plastic wrap or aluminum foil for a few minutes to set the structure you have just built.

Enjoy your perfect sandwich!

💗 Jo 

Friday, March 27, 2026

Sandwiches List 6

 This wraps up our sandwiches list. I hope you have enjoyed it. Next we will be moving on to some lunch recipes so stay tuned!

Ham Salad Sandwich

1 cup chopped canned or fresh cooked ham

2 tablespoons mayonnaise

1 tablespoon relish

4 slices bread


To make: mix ham, mayonnaise, relish; spread on bread.


Tomato & Basil Sandwich

4 slices bread

Tomato slices

Fresh basil leaves

Olive oil

Salt & pepper


To make: layer tomato and basil, drizzle with oil, season.


Cottage Cheese & Tomato Sandwich 

4 slices bread

1/4 cup cottage cheese 

Tomato slices


To make: spread the cottage cheese onto your bread, add your tomato slices and close it up.


Chopped Salad Wrap

1 cup chopped salad mix – I’d suggest buying a kit so you get your dressing as well

2 tablespoons dressing

2 tortillas


To make: toss salad with dressing, wrap in tortillas. If you purchased a salad kit you could add the unused packages from the kit to you sandwiches if you desire like cheese, croutons (smashed), etc.


Cucumber Cream Cheese Sandwich

4 slices bread

1/2 cucumber – sliced

2 tablespoons cream cheese

Optional: Dill


To make: spread cream cheese on to your bread and sprinkle lightly with your dill seasoning if using. Layer on the cucumber and close


Philly CheeseSteak

2lbs thinly shaved beef – ribeye is recommended but I just use the Steak-Umm’s

1lb provolone cheese slices – I have used mozzarella cheese in a pinch

1 large onion

Salt & pepper

2 tablespoon oil, butter or margarine for frying

Optional: 2 green bell peppers or 1lb mushrooms – thinly sliced ( could use both if desired)

6 hoagie rolls


To make: Slice your steak into thin strips cutting against the grain of the meat. Cut your pepper if using into long thin strips and your onion into half rings. If you are using mushrooms, cut them into bite-sized pieces. Get your oiled skillet onto the stovetop and let it get hot before adding your onions, peppers and mushrooms. Cook them until they are nicely golden brown, 5-7 minutes. Remove the veggies and up your beef into the same skillet. Season your meat with salt and pepper. Cook until the meat is cooked then add back in your veggies and stir. Add your cheese to the top of your mixture and let the cheese melt. Put this mixture into a hoagie roll that you can toast if you desire

 

Cream Cheese Sandwiches with:*

Everything Bagel Seasoning - savory and flavorful.

Jelly – sweet and creamy option.

Chives - herbaceous.

Olives - chopped olives mixed with cream cheese.

Dried Cranberry - sweet and tangy.

Bell Pepper - creamy with a fresh crunch.

Walnut - creamy with a nutty crunch.

Sun-Dried Tomato - tangy and savory.

Pineapple - sweet and tangy.


Leftover Sandwiches:*

Meatloaf – sliced cold meatloaf on to bread

Pulled Pork – shred leftover pork and mix it with a touch of BBQ sauce

Meatball – put meatballs with a little sauce onto bread or into pita bread

Stuffing – just pile the Thanksgiving style stuffing onto your bread and eat up

Turkey/Chicken Gravy – simple way to use it up just pour over bread and eat


Canned Sandwiches:*

Vienna Sausages – mash sausages, add a little of the juice from the can and eat

Corn & Mayonnaise – just mix your corn into mayonnaise and pile it on your bread

Green Beans & Mayonnaise – a unique creamy veggie sandwiches

Salmon Salad – mix mayonnaise, salmon and salt & pepper

Chili – warm the chili and put on top of your bread, perhaps add some cheese

Artichoke Hearts & Mayonnaise – chop the artichoke hearts and mix with mayonnaise

Spam Sandwich: slice spam and fry it in a frying pan

Shrimp – mixed with mayonnaise and put on bread


Misc:*

Sugar Sandwich - butter or margarine bread and sprinkle with sugar

Salami & Mustard Sandwich - simple deli meat with a kick

Fried or Scrambled Egg Sandwich - you can add bacon and cheese if desired

Imitation Crab – mixed with mayonnaise. Served on bread

  Cheese Whiz Sandwich – I love cheese whiz on honey wheat bread with margarine

 

💗 Jo 



Tuesday, March 24, 2026

Sandwiches List 5

 We only have one more after this, so enjoy!

Greek Salad Pita
1/2 cup diced cucumber
Tomato
Feta cheese
Black olives
2 pita breads

To make: mix veggies and feta, stuff into pita. If this is a little dry you could make a simple dressing by mixing extra virgin olive oil and some red wine vinegar together.

Vegetable Sandwich
4 slices bread
Cucumber slices
Tomato slices
Lettuce
Cream cheese

To make: Spread cream cheese onto your bread and then layer on your veggies.

Roasted Veggie Wrap
1 cup assorted roasted veggies like peppers, zucchini, onions, etc
2 tortillas
2 tablespoons hummus

To make: spread hummus, add veggies, roll up.

Carrot & Raisin Sandwich
1 carrot – grated
2 tablespoons raisins
2 tablespoons cream cheese
4 slices bread

To make: mix carrot, raisins, cream cheese. Spread on bread.

Spicy Bean Wrap
1 cup canned black beans – drained and rinsed or cook your own black beans if desired
2 tablespoons salsa
2 tortillas

To make: mash beans, mix with salsa, spread on tortillas and roll up.

Black Bean Burger Patty Sandwich

2 veggie black bean burger patties – cooked
4 slices of bread or 2 hamburger buns
Optional: ketchup and/or mustard

To make: put your cooked burger on to your bread or buns.

Roast Beef & Onion Sandwich*

4 slices bread
4 slices roast beef – sliced leftovers
Thinly sliced onion
Optional: horseradish sauce

To make: Layer beef and onion, add horseradish sauce if desired. You could leave out the onion and instead use any leftover gravy you have. Just put the gravy on top of your meat and close up your sandwich.

I love to use leftover roast beef to make french dip sandwiches. I use Artisan Hearth french rolls, shred up the roast beef and pile it into the roll with a little margarine. I make a packet of au jus according to the packet directions and put it in a small dish beside the sandwiches for dipping.

Guinea Grinder popular Iowa State Fair Food
1lb Italian sausage (Graziano’s brand if available)
1lb ground beef
8-15oz can of pizza sauce or tomato sauce – or do half and half if you have leftover sauces
1 tablespoon minced onion
Shredded mozzarella cheese or provolone cheese
French bread or hoagie rolls
Optional: 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes – for heat
Optional Topping: sliced banana peppers

To make: start by browning your meats in a large skillet over medium-high heat, making sure to break up the meat into small crumbles. Drain off any grease before adding your sauce, onion and seasonings. Simmer on low heat for 5-15 minutes until all the flavors combine. Toast your bread slightly in the oven or under the broiler before spooning a generous amount of meat mixture onto the bottom half of the bread. Top with a heavy layer of cheese and banana peppers, if desired. Finally wrap your sandwiches in foil and put into a 350 degree preheated oven and bake for 10-15 minutes or until the cheese is melted and bubbly.

Cabbage Slaw Sandwich
1 cup shredded cabbage
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 teaspoon vinegar
4 slices bread

To make: mix cabbage, mayonnaise, vinegar; spread on bread.

Falafel Pita
4 falafel balls - store-bought or homemade
Lettuce
Tomato
2 pita breads
Tahini or yogurt sauce

To make: stuff pita with falafel, veggies, drizzle with sauce.

💗 Jo

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