I normally have pretty basic tastes when it comes to sandwiches: meat, cheese, mayo, a spread of some kind and/or lettuce if I have some on hand. But it’s nice to throw in something different now and then.
Sticking to one or two ingredients (this is the dull men’s club after all) how do you all like to kick up your sandwiches a bit?
I’ll start-- it’s nothing crazy, but Aldi sells a Bavarian sweet mustard that’s a really nice step up from regular yellow mustard for a ham & swiss.
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There are very few sandwiches not immediately improved by the addition of crisps…
I’m not a man, can I still share?
Pickles. Specifically pickled onions and peppers. They make every sandwich so much better!
I do spinach in lieu of lettuce. It’s something.
I presume this is a very well-understood fact, but l also find that a sandwich prepared the day prior and given a night in the fridge before being carted to work is superior to one prepped and eaten immediately or only left in a lunchbox for a handful of hours from that morning. The bread softens up nicely as it passively takes on moisture from the spread and toppings.
I don’t often do sandwiches, but a pickle is classic. Or maybe some crisps, or like a lot of lettuce.
For me the crunch is the juice
Balsamic vinegarette does wonders to even something as simple as a bologna and cheese. It soaks into the bread nicely giving it a zesty flavor.
Sometimes, when I feel like treating myself, I’ll toast the bread.
That’s when I’m really fancy
My go to “spices” that almost never fail are ketchup and/or Sriracha
I always use horseradish Mustard on my sandwiches, but my “kick it up a notch” is putting cool ranch doritos on em. Many different chips and doritos make a sandwich awesome better, including just salted potato chips, but cool ranch is my favorite.
Cool ranch is definitely the kickiest, but many chips go well on sandwiches. Sandwich chip eaters unite!
That’s 2 mentions of cool ranch doritos so far, definitely going to try that soon!
I need pickles on all my classic sandwiches, including burgers and fries chicken
Two things. On many sandwiches add a little hummus.
On grilled cheese sandwiches I like to put a little garlic salt on the outside.
I’ve done the garlic salt on grilled cheese before as well, but it’s been awhile!
Related… one thing my wife taught me is to use mayo in place of butter on the outside of the bread. It doesn’t change the flavor much but it browns nicely and helps crisp up the bread.
U can really step up a sandwich with a nice “fresh” style mozzarella. Also a little bit of tomato paste adds a great kick of umami.
While in England last year, wife and I stopped in this pub for beers and rest. We were tired from walking all day. When we smelled a grilled cheese being cooked, we both were about salivating! I went up to the bar, and asked the guy if he could make another. He did, and when he brought it out, he said, “I added a little pickle in case you want it.” I just nodded at first, but pretty quickly realized there was not a pickle anywhere on the plate. Or in the sandwich. Instead, he meant Branston Pickle in a little portion cup next to the sandwich. I smelled some, and tried a little on my half of the toastie. SO. GOOD. I had ordered some on Amazon before we left for home.
This isn’t a “one extra ingredient” but this is as close an outlet that I’ll have for this sandwich I made for the first time over the summer.
Sear a ribeye on both sides, cut into strips and cook again in Japanese BBQ sauce.
Take some white bread, preferably milk bread, spread some Kewpie mayo on both pieces
Add kimchi to the bread that will be your sandwiches crown
Add the steak to the sandwiches heel
Close sandwich and enjoy
Branston Pickles is one way. Or a slice of pickled cucumber from “Spice Girl” in Rotterdam - they pickle their cucumbers with habaneros.
Pepper butter is another way to improve a sandwich. Or tomato butter made from blended dried tomato in oil mixed with butter. The addition of oil makes it an easier spread, too, but don’t use olive oil here, it easily gets bitter in the blender.
Not necessarily all at once, but a few minutes in the toaster oven, thinly sliced onions, sauerkraut, sriracha mayo, and most importantly that fancy diagonal cut will turn my sandwiches up a notch
