A sandwich, or food consisting of two pieces of bread with meat, cheese, or another filling between them, is a simple meal often associated with lunchtime. Per Britannica, the name “sandwich” was adopted in the 18th century for John Montagu, 4th earl of Sandwich. There are varying reports of why he ate them, one story being so he could remain at a gaming table. It is thought to be more likely that he ate sandwiches at his desk while working. Because sandwiches are easy to prepare and transport, many workers enjoy eating them on the job, too. When made into petite portions, they can serve as tasty appetizers.
Sandwich # 1 – Cucumber dill sandwich
Ingredients:
- 4 ounces plain cream cheese, softened
- 1 ½ Tablespoons mayonnaise
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh dill
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- Kosher salt & cracked black pepper, to taste
- 1 English cucumber, thinly sliced
- 10 slices of white bread, crusts removed
Directions:
Using a hand mixer, cream together the plain cream cheese and the mayonnaise. Once well-blended, add the dill, garlic powder, salt & pepper. Mix well. To assemble each sandwich, use two pieces of bread. Spread the cream cheese mixture onto one side of each bread slice. Then layer some cucumbers on top of the cream cheese on one of the bread slices. Top with the remaining bread slice to create a sandwich with the cream cheese mixture and cucumbers on the inside. Cut sandwiches into triangles and serve immediately. Recipe makes 5 full-size sandwiches or 10 appetizer portions.
Recipe notes: Prefer to do some preparations ahead of time? Simply make the cream cheese spread and refrigerate it for up to 24 hours. When ready to prepare sandwiches, bring the cream cheese to room temperature for ease in spreading. Should you decide to make whole sandwiches ahead of time, be sure to cover them tightly with saran wrap and keep them in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
Sandwich # 2 – Turkey deluxe special
Ingredients:
- 10 slices of cooked turkey (boneless light or dark meat – your preference)
- 2 cups prepared cooked cold stuffing
- 1 cup prepared cranberry sauce
- 5 large Romaine lettuce leaves, washed & dried
- 10 slices of sourdough bread, toasted
Directions:
Lay two slices of toasted sourdough bread on a cutting board. Spread some cranberry sauce on one side of one of the bread slices. Top with one Romaine lettuce leaf, two slices of turkey, and one scoop of stuffing. Bring the two halves together to form a sandwich, with the filling on the inside. Repeat to make the other sandwiches. Recipe makes 5 full-size sandwiches or 10 appetizer portions.
Recipe note: This recipe is excellent for holiday leftovers!
Recipe #3 – Chopped salad sandwich
Main ingredients:
- 1 Roma tomato, diced
- ½ small red onion, diced
- 1 cup shredded lettuce
- 1 cup cooked ham, diced
- 1 cup provolone cheese, diced
- ½ cup cooked salami, diced
- ¼ cup roasted red peppers, diced
- ¼ cup drained pepperoncini, diced
- 5 sandwich buns
Dressing:
- 3 Tablespoons prepared pesto sauce
- 2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon Italian dressing seasoning (dry, from a packet)
- Kosher salt & fresh ground pepper, to taste
Directions:
In a large bowl, combine all the main ingredients minus the buns. In a medium bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients. Drizzle some of the dressing (to taste) onto the main ingredients. Toss. Scoop the chopped salad onto the sandwich buns and serve immediately.
Recipe notes: This recipe can be made ahead of time and refrigerated for up to 24 hours before assembling the sandwiches. For a shortcut, simply substitute the recipe dressing with prepared bottled Italian dressing of your choice.