A grilled cheese or PB&J is a reliable lunch, without a doubt. But conventional sandwiches can get boring fast. So, we reached out to some of the top chefs for some inspiration to make lunch a little more interesting.
What we found was actually quite simple—little additions here and there that can make all the difference and elevate your lunch. Sometimes, we just need to be reminded of the importance of a good staple ingredient like bread (perhaps toasted for added texture and the ability to withstand more liquid) or add-ons like aioli or pickle chips.
So, if you’re like us and tired of dreaming up creative food ideas, or trying to save a little money by not eating out as much, heed to this widsom.
Here are some of their sandwich-related tips.
Toasted sourdough
Chef CJ Jacobsen works the kitchen at Aba Miami. “I make sandwiches more than any other food,” he admits. “I always choose great levain or sourdough bread and toast it—not too much, though. I also always add marinated tomatoes. Layer tomatoes with a sprinkling of chopped shallot, sherry vinegar, olive oil, salt, and black pepper on the bottom piece. It’s perfect.”
Cuban sandwich
Jeremy Ford of Stubborn Seed likes to go the Cuban route. You may recognize the name as he’s a James Beard Award semifinalist and the winner of Top Chef Season 13. His riff on the classic includes a homemade mustard-romesco sauce made with bell peppers, tomatoes, almonds, parsley and more; and he layers it along with turkey, ham, cheese and bread-and-butter pickle chips.
Egg salad sandwich
Chef Shingo Akikuni of SHINGO in South Florida loves a good egg salad offering. Recently, he’s seen people on social media comparing egg salad sandwiches and onigiri from different convenience stores in Japan. Whenever he makes an egg salad sandwich, two ingredients are key: Kewpie mayonnaise and good Japanese milk bread. According to Chef Shingo, without these two items, you cannot possibly make a good egg salad sandwich.
Reverse Grilled Cheese
Stitsville Fishbar’s Jeff McInnis loves a good sandwich. Start with good bread, sans preservatives as only the real thing will do. Then, try a reverse grilled cheese, a specialty of his wife. “She always makes a grilled cheese and sears both sides of the sandwich but then adds and melts/browns a layer of cheese on the outside,” he says. “This works really well with a dry, salty cheese like pecorino or even just a sharp cheddar.”
He’s also a proponent of mayonnaise. “We have so many different aiolis at our restaurants, and they add flavor, complexity, moisture, texture, and sometimes color and garnish,” he says. We do a beet aïoli grilled chicken sandwich, which is amazing! It has zing, color, and a uniquely sharp flavor. My favorite is probably a chunked remoulade. It has so much to offer, whether it’s a crab cake slider, a burger, a Ruben, or a Po Boy sandwich.”
And don’t forget the little things. “I pickle everything, and I can’t eat a sandwich without them. A good pickle brings brightness, texture, acid, sweetness, and more to a sandwich,” he says.
Nova lox sandwich
Chef Mike Odell is a bagel man, on the verge of opening his solo project Odell’s Bagels in Denver this fall. The New Jersey native worked for several Michelin-starred restaurants in Japan before returning stateside. He pairs a fresh sesame bagel with hand-sliced organic nova lox, scallion cream cheese, capers, finely chopped red onion freshly pickled dill, good EVOO, and some lemon juice.
“The Irish organic lox works the best because the natural fattiness really shines through after being hand sliced super thin, leaving you with a superior, luxurious texture,” Odell says. “I like to serve this sandwich open-faced so you get a piece of each ingredient immediately with every bite instead of having to aggressively chew to reach all of the flavors in the middle.”
The details shine. “I love the brininess of capers, but I don’t want too many here, just a few,” he says. “Finely dicing the red onion allows you to cover more surface area of the bagel while using a bit less onion, with no overwhelming bites that end up falling off your plate. A drizzle of good olive oil, lemon juice, and a few sprigs of freshly picked dill really round this out to be my perfect sandwich. Besides a generous portion of lox, using moderation with all of the other ingredients is key.”
Pambazo
“One of my all-time favorite sandwiches is the Pambazo,” says chef Erasmo Casiano of Xiquita. “While it may seem like a daunting task, this delightful Mexican sandwich is surprisingly easy to make. The Pambazo is a harmonious blend of Torta-style bread, Mexican chorizo, potatoes, salsa verde, salsa guajillo, lettuce, queso fresco, and crema.”
Here’s how he creates the sandwich:
- Start by dicing your russet or Yukon potatoes. In a medium sauté pan, heat a little oil and add the potatoes. Cook them until they are crispy, then cover with a lid to steam and cook through.
- Once the potatoes are ready, add your favorite Mexican chorizo to the pan. Cook thoroughly, ensuring the chorizo is well-incorporated with the potatoes.
- Slice the Torta-style bread and lightly toast the inside on a griddle or a large skillet over medium heat. Remove from the skillet and add the hot chorizo and potato mixture. Assemble the sandwich and slather the outside of the sandwich with a generous amount of salsa guajillo. Place the sandwich on the griddle and cook until the bread is crispy and slightly charred, flipping once to ensure even cooking. Remove from the skillet.
- Open your sandwich and top with fresh lettuce, crumbled queso fresco, a drizzle of crema and top with a copious amount of salsa verde.
Heirloom tomato sandwich
This little wonder takes advantage of tomato season and comes courtesy of chef Randy Rucker of River Twice and Little Water in Philadelphia. He combines sourdough brioche with Duke’s Mayo, seasoned gamtae, caviar, and a large heirloom tomato.
“We do a dry toast on the plancha for the brioche to provide as much structure as possible,” the chef says. “We go for a dark toast. It’s very important to rest the toast on a rack to ensure the toast remains crunchy and doesn’t steam. We then lather the smoked mayo onto the toasted brioche (make it sexy). We slice the tomato into one-inch slices. We apply each slice of brioche with a full piece of gamtae before sandwiching the thick-cut tomato. We remove the crust (save for scraps for staff to use elsewhere on the menu) and go to plate. We apply an enormous quenelle of Golden Ossetra caviar on top of the sandwich.”
For a perfect version, be sure to slice with precision, use warm and crunchy toast, and use a tomato with some structural integrity.
Who doesn’t like a good sandwich? Check out our gourmet sandwich recipes and bread baking guide for beginners. Your lunches are about to get way better.
