The humble lunchbox sammich
I dropped off the grid yesterday with a nasty migraine. I think you guys would have been proud of me, though, because I managed to stumble into the kitchen and blindly sear a venison roast, then throw it in the oven with some taters, carrots, onions, red wine and beef broth before returning to my position on the couch.
Today is so much brighter, not only because I ate a good meal last night and woke up headache-free, but because I have a cold venison sandwich in the refrigerator for lunch today. Wheat bread, Duke’s mayonnaise and cold, roasted venison. Mmm, it’s one of my favorites.
This morning, as I made my sandwich, I thought that some folks may find it odd. But then again, I’ve always been a little bit odd when it comes to lunchbox sandwiches. I started with the standard peanut butter and jelly as a tiny tot, then worked my way up to bologna and mayonnaise, which I ate with nauseating regularity for several elementary school years.
I’m surprised it took me as long as it did to get tired of the bologna, but it happened (and I haven’t been too keen on eating a bologna sandwich, unless it’s fried and topped with yellow mustard, ever since). At that point, I entered a weird American cheese/lettuce/mayo phase. My mother said it was gross, but she made it for me anyway. And I loved the creamy cheese with the crunch of the lettuce.
That lasted for several years. Around high school, for some reason, I turned to yet another bizarre lunchbox sandwich: cream cheese on toast. That’s all it was – toast that my mother or I made the night before or early that morning, then slathered with cream cheese. Nothing more.
As you can imagine, by lunchtime, the bread was chewy (not soggy- an important distinction), but I tore off bites with happiness. My friends thought I was weird. I was (am?).
Lunchbox sandwiches come in so many flavors. There’s the standard deli meat (sliced in the deli or bought in packages), with or without cheese, with or without lettuce, with mayo or mustard, or both, or just a smidge of one or the other. Some of us even are particular about which side of the bread takes the mayo or mustard, about whether we salt and pepper our sandwich.
I’m particular about lunch meat – I basically won’t eat the packaged stuff at all. So to me, the best sandwiches are those made with homemade roasted turkey, chicken or beef. My mother had a meat slicer and would occasionally haul it out and slice up meat for sandwiches. The other day, I wistfully told my husband I wished I had a meat slicer in my kitchen. I’d roast beef and corned beef and poultry just for the purpose of making fresh, homemade deli sandwiches.
Or maybe I’d just slather toast with cream cheese. Who knows?
What was your favorite sandwich to take in your lunchbox as a kid, and what is your favorite now?
March 22, 2011 - 10:29 AM
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As a kid, I loved bologna and yellow mustard. Still do. My son will eat the bologna but not the bread!
For a while, my mom was making me turkey & mayo sandwiches for lunch. By the time I got to lunch the bread was mushy and the textures were all wrong. She finally let me start buying my lunch.
Now, I love to load a sandwich with veggies – spinach, red peppers, cucumbers – along with the deli meats, mayo & dijon mustard. I bought enough asparagus the other day to have leftovers for sandwiches. I’m thinking a Flatout wrap, cream cheese, turkey and grilled asparagus. MMMMMM!
Almost forgot – glad you’re feeling better today!
No PB&J. Never was a fan, and nope on any types of “salads,” i.e., chicken, egg, tuna, etc. But any and all sandwiches absolutely MUST have cheese!!!!! In fact, I put cheese on most everything!! So, Lindsey, I actually thought your Americancheese/lettuce/mayosammich sounded pretty tasty – must give it a try!!!
Oh, and just a wishful thought — the best sandwich in the world is not one which can be pre-prepared for the lunchbox. Home grown, fresh sliced tomato on fresh white bread with mayo, salt & pepper!!! CAN’T WAIT!!!!! Must be eaten quickly so as to avoid the soggy bread & tomato juices bath!!! Love, love, love it!!!! And, this, in fact, is one I prefer without cheese, so forgive my prior comment that ALL sandwiches must have it. There is no need in this case
My favorite, also, was and is tomato, mayo, s&p on white bread. Cannot wait until around the first of July when fresh tomatoes will be available. In our house, it was always called M&M sandwiches, ‘maters and mayo!
In my constant struggle to convince my kids to eat more than the few things they each enjoy (their respective lists have very little overlap), I’ve been trying different sandwich combinations. My hope that a new found love for, say, roast beef sandwiches will allow me to convince them it’s okay to eat same said meat as an entree with dinner. The reverse method of new food introduction doesn’t work so well.
Anyway… hot pastrami on toast with Duke’s has been a big hit here lately. My absolute favorite sandwich, however, is the Dagwood made the day after Thanksgiving that has cranberry sauce, turkey, mayo, and a bit of stuffing. I sold my oldest child for one some years ago. I hope she’s doing well.
@ Lori, thanks so much. Your veggie sandwiches sound killer good. Do you usually use raw or cooked veggies, and what type of bread? Usually a wrap?
@ Pam, try the cheese and lettuce. You may love it. I just got burned out on it
Tomato sandwiches are not far away! Yay! The good thing about a tomato sandwich is you can pack some bread, some mayo, a tomato and a knife and make them pretty easily at work.
Thanks! At home, I usually do raw veggies, but I love roasted red peppers, too. If I’m eating out, I prefer cooked veggies.
I like wraps or whole wheat bread. I really like the Flatout wraps and Pepperidge Farm whole wheat bread.
When I was a kid, I always brown-bagged lunches. We didn’t have a lot of money though, so it was usually a hamburger bun with some Buddig lunch meat and a slice of cheese. Nothing else was on it since it had to sit in my locker for several hours, and I didn’t enjoy potential food poisoning. I grew to love those, especially when I’d get something like Pastrami or Corned Beef instead of chicken or turkey.
Then once I got a job and could afford better, my favorite sandwich became a toasted bagel with mayo and mustard, a slice of smoked provolone, and slices of real pastrami, roast beef, turkey, salami, and/or other more high-quality meats with some baby spinach.
Of course now it’s a bit different. My absolute favorite is now a hot turkey or hot pastami sandwich on Udi’s GF bread, toasted on a griddle with some butter (dairy-free version), with the meat and (fake) cheese heated up on the griddle too. Those are good. A little bit of crispy turkey bacon on one too, YUM! No lettuce though, but I do like the baby spinach. If it’s a cold sandwich, then rather than toasting the bread on the griddle I use Nayonaise on one slice and organic mustard on the other…with the same middle ingredients except cold rather than hot.
Y’all were probably getting this idea from the entry itself, but I’ll just go ahead and admit to being a total lunch meat snob. And I’m not a snob about very many culinary thing.
I ate my share of packaged lunch meat growing up, but I just think it’s nasty. It’s something pressed together into a loaf, and I always end up with a gristly, weird thing in mine. I am also greatly disturbed by the odd sheen on some of it that looks like a hologram. What IS THAT??
I still LOVE American cheese on white toasted bread with lettuce, tomato and mayo. When I was a small child, Mom and I used to go to downtown Roanoke for lunch at Kress’s after Mom paid the electric bill, gas bill, etc. This was in the 50′s. We always ate at the lunch counter in the basement of Kress’s and I always ordered a cheese sandwich as I described. The waitress (same older lady for years) always told me that I was going to turn into a cheese sandwich! Those were great days.
My favorite lunchbox sandwich to this day is still a PB&J with potato chips on it. I don’t eat it very often but when I do I love every bite!
Something I have been addicted to lately is a tuna melt. Granted I can’t do it as well as a restaurant can but I toast my bread, put the tuna salad on it and melt cheddar on the top. I mostly keep that at home though so I don’t stink out my coworkers!
Everyone’s favorite sandwich sounds pretty good to me, but I have two, neither of which I get regularly. Meatloaf was made for sandwiches as was leg of lamb. Either of the two on fresh bread with mayo, salt, and lots of pepper makes me happy. I love those leftovers.
Just one thing…..Duke’s is the only mayo on the planet! Can man live off of Duke’s and Old Bay alone?
OJ – your bagel sandwich & GF sandwich both sound GREAT!
Kim – I also love PB & potato chips! We were doing tuna melts at home as a quick dinner. I used the sandwich thins and put them under the broiler to get the cheese nice and bubbly.
I like leftover roast beef with swiss cheese, horseradish sauce, lettuce, onion, banana peppers,and tomato on a sandwich round. I’ve come to like the sandwich rounds, not a lot of bread but just enough. I really like tuna salad with lettuce, tomato and banana peppers; just enough heat but not overpowering. Lindsey, I used to eat the same cheese/mayo/lettuce sandwiches in school. When Mom ran out of sammich ideas, I got a cream cheese and grape jelly sammich. Strange but good!
Sharron, I remember going to Kress’s, and also Woolworth’s lunch counter when I was little. I liked the egg salad sandwich, and a chocolate shake. YUM!!
Oh, and don’t forget leftover turkey and swiss with mayo, s&p. Oh, yeah!
I admire you cooking with a migraine. When I have one, people pretty much have to forage for themselves.
I’m going to Gary’s house for sandwiches! I go crazy with large amounts of burger on sale and turn it into meatloaves and meatballs to freeze. I usually cook two meat loaves at a time; one for dinner and one for sandwiches because my husband and I both love meat loaf sandwiches!
And then there’s sliced leftover lamb crisped up in a pan with slivers of garlic and placed on pita or bread smeared with oregano pesto and topped with feta and tzatziki.
But you can’t leave out sliced roasted turkey with mayo and crispy iceberg lettuce and cranberry relish either!
I pack the condiments separately and spread them on the bread right before eating.
We had a babysitter once that taught my girls to eat peanut butter and bacon sandwiches. The combination remains a favorite today!
@Kathy, that’s right, I think we have actually talked about the cheese and lettuce sandwich before! I think cream cheese and jelly sounds good. I love it on a bagel, so why not toast?
Meatloaf IS made for sandwiches. It can even be sliced to perfectly fit the bread!
PB&Bacon- strange, but I might have to try it just to be sure.
Cream cheese and jam is great on toasted cinnamon raisin bread…it’s more like dessert than a meal, which makes it about perfect!
Meatloaf sammies are great with some spicy pimento cheese schmiered on the bread.
To this day my go to in a hurry sandwich is PB and Banana. Of course you can’t go wrong with a nice crosant, homemade chicken salad, banana peppers, lettuce and tomatos. I too can’t wait till July to get all “tomatofied” with a simple ‘mater sandwich.
PB and Dukes on fresh, white, loaf bread. As a boy, also ate Dukes and bread, Mama called it a mayo sandwich. Fast, simple, gooood.
Turkey (lunch meat only), mayonaise, and mustard on untoasted bread. Yum.
Or PB&J of course.
My mama still packs my lunch for me every day (and I’m 23), and she still makes the best sandwiches.
Your comment about lunchmeat reminds me of a craving I had for a reuben while we were in TX. My sister-in-law told us about a ‘good’ sandwich shop so we decided to try it out. Reubens were on the menu, so I ordered one. Yeah, it was that crappy pressed pastrami on rye, it did have swiss, sauerkraut and 1000 island dressing, but it was nowhere near anything like Walnut Ave Deli or New Yorker. When we got home I begged Hubby to take me to the New Yorker. Ahhh, home again!
I ate a bologna and mayo (Kraft only) sandwich every day of elementary school. Now I only like bologna fried with mustard.
We were meant to be pals.
Peanut butter and sharp cheddar sandwich.
Fried pickle and peanut butter.
And turkey, mashed potato and stuffing sandwich with extra mayo..
I know who puts stuffing and mashed taters on a sandwich?? It’s just easy to wake up in the morning and have a bunch of leftovers slapped on some bread. Especially since we only really fix those things all together once a year or so (We don’t celebrate holidays) and normally we fix it when my cousin is here so we stay up late and wake up early.
@Rebecca This isn’t necessarily my favorite sandwich, but growing up we would have PB and bologna.
Duke’s mayo is horrible. It is way too strong in vinegar and way too coagulative – it comes out ‘clumpy’.
I stick to Hellman’s. Hellman’s has a tremendously better flavor.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SlUFzYTns8E&playnext=1&list=PL24AEF22BA40F0666
As for the southern classic tomato sandwich? First – white bread is terrible. It has the least nutritional vale of any bread, and clumps to the roof of your mouth far too often.
My essential tomato sandwich? Sliced tomato from my garden or that of a trusted vendor at the farmer’s market – NEVER A TOMATO FROM A GROCERY STORE. E-V-E-R, PERIOD, END OF STORY – placed on Merita wheat bread slathered with Hellmans on both inner sides of the bread. Heavy pepper – I said HEAVY, I meant heavy, light salt, and nothing else. No cheese, no lettuce, nothing else. No crap on the excellence of a tomato sandwich.
That being said, a tomato sandwich is not even close to being a sandwich I would make to eat four hours later. A tomato sandwich is made to be eaten in 15 minutes, not hours later, so let’s keep to the main topic, or use two threads to maximize the ‘hits’ on this site.
For a lunchbox sandwich, I have one overwhelming favorite. A sliced turkey sandwich with swiss cheese on wheat bread. No mayo, nothing that could spoil in the heat.
I don’t really understand the condescension that some have towards ‘factory sliced’ protein, when it would cost many multiple times the cost & time to produce a home made version of the same. Maybe if you’re at home all day it makes sense, but unless you’re Martha Stewart or a MS wannabe then you’re not being realistic.
My parents used to put honey on the PBJ instead of jelly – much better! And molasses instead of chocolate in milk… Yum!
And do you remember “s’mores”? At my house they were angels on horseback.
@abdnva: Were I to make roasts solely for slicing into sandwich meat I would agree with your “cost & time” argument, but when the sliced meat can come from protein sources I’ve already got on the menu as dinner entrees it makes very good economic and gastronomic sense.
It’s probably the lack of Duke’s in your diet that has you befuddled. Understandable.
I stand by my Duke’s, but I’m not a Hellman’s hater. Mayo is one of the products for which I go with name brand, and no low fat or Miracle Whip. Ick.
When I want deli meat, I go to the deli at the grocery store and get it shaved. And I splurge on the good stuff, not the loaf. It seems to have fewer preservatives, and it actually looks like real meat instead of head cheese.
Joel, how often does someone cook a whole turkey during the spring/summer? We all know the answer to that one. Are we only supposed to rely on those extremely rare occasions to be able to slice off enough leftovers to enjoy a turkey sandwich? No, that’s being silly, at best.
As for Duke’s? I’ve tried to like it, but I just can’t. Too strong in vinegar, and too ‘clumpy’, both of which your post failed to deny.
Actually, I have a friend that will put a small roast or a turkey breast in her crock pot and cook it so she can have leftovers for sandwiches. There’s nothing that says you have to cook a whole turkey all of the time.
As for the mayo – to each his own. Hence the reason there is more than one brand of mayo available to consumers.
Interesting blog topic – it appears that people take their sandwich preferences very personally! I like the idea from Kristen about the “dessert” sandwich. It sounds yummy and I don’t even care for cream cheese that much!
abdnva,
Some people do roast turkey breasts all year round. I’m with Lindsey, if I want deli meat, I buy from the deli not the packaged kind. The last time I bought packaged turkey, it was way too salty. It was a good brand too.
As for white bread, unless it’s homemade I have to have it toasted, otherwise it’s to gummy for my taste. I never have been one to eat sandwiches that much, but blt’s are my all time favorite. I do love tomato sandwiches in the summer, when the tomato is still warm from the sun. As Alton Brown says. that’s good eats.
OHOHOHOOHOOH….. How could I forget.. Cucumber sandwich with pepper, salt and mayo.
Mmmmmm, the taste of summer
When I was a child, I would sometimes eat mayo sandwiches and my older brother would eat mustard sandwiches. We’d have contests to see who could eat theirs the fastest.
Maria, I am very interested in the PB & sharp cheddar sandwich. I’m going to have to try that one!
@abdnva: I don’t like Duke’s either. I like Kraft. That’s what I grew up with, so that’s what I like. Chalk that up to personal taste. I prefer rye bread to white for the heartier texture.
About the pure summertime joy of a garden ‘mater sandwich, I think Lindsey said in her reply that she likes to: “pack some bread, some mayo, a tomato and a knife and make them pretty easily at work.”
It sounds like you both agree that you have to make a tomato sandwich and then eat it on the spot. So there’s common ground, even if she’s not as zealous about the balance of salt and pepper as you are.
I prefer the deli counter meats to the pre-packaged kind as well (more variety and I can dictate the thickness), but if you like Oscar Mayer, Buddig and Land O’ Frost, that’s fine.
My husband earns a living accounting for grocery store sales and at the end of the day, the dollars are just as green at the checkout lane no matter where in the store you picked up the product.
Go for it.. If you like toasted bread it really works best if you put the PB on when the bread is still hot.
Let me know what you think
“When I want deli meat, I go to the deli at the grocery store and get it shaved. And I splurge on the good stuff, not the loaf”
I agree with this…Boars Head always seems pretty good, and the packaged stuff gets so slimy. Once in a while we stick a turkey breast in the crockpot off-holiday season and use leftovers for sandwiches…I’ve never felt enough of a compulsion to feed my peeps bologna that I needed to get it packaged or try to reproduce it at home.
I hate mayo on all things, but I do keep Dukes in the house for guests who want it on a sammie or in the event I want to make deviled eggs. We didn’t have it in New Jersey, and I always feel so “local” when I bring it home, which is at best once a year.
For downtown workers looking for a cheap meal, Norah’s Cafe in the Taubman has 3 $5.00 lunch items. Warmed pita with hummus, carrot and celery sticks, Blt with a cup of soup, or a scoop of tuna salad, or havarti pimento cheese, with 1/2 a croissant and grapes.
Debbie – thanks for the info!
Though I am a Virginia girl, I do not buy Duke’s. I like the taste just fine, but I usually buy light mayo, and Duke’s light is made with HFCS, which I am trying to avoid. Thus, I buy Hellmann’s light mayo.
Thanks for that info, Debbie. I bought the Norah’s Daily Deal, so I’ll have to grab hubby and take him down there for lunch very soon!
Is Daily Deal the same as Groupon?
Lori and Lindsey, You’re welcome!
The Daily Deal is a similar concept to Groupon, but where they are operated on a national scale, The Daily Deal is operated on a local level by The Roanoke Times.
We feature a DD every weekday on Roanoke.com. For example, today’s DD is $10 worth of food/drink at PK’s Bar & Grill in Blacksburg for $5. Many of our deals are restaurants, so those of you who like to dine out and save money should keep an eye on the DD. You can find it on the main page of Roanoke.com every day. You can also sign up to have the DD e-mailed to you each morning so you won’t forget to go looking for it.
To sign up for the e-mail, click on the DD any day and go to “Get Deals by Email” at the top of the page.
Thanks Lindsey I am going to do that right now.
If Howard likes Italian subs, the one at Norah’s is great!
FYI, you inspired me: My lunch yesterday was PB and pickled peppers sammich and today it is a gourmet, sliced black bean patty with a layer of veggie baked beans, hash browns, slaw and pickled peppers! Thanks for the reminder!!
Sandi, that black bean sandwich sounds good! Did you make the black bean patty yourself? If so, care to share a recipe?
If she doesn’t have a recipe for them Lori, I do.
Sorry Lori, I use the Morningstar Farms version; they are delish. All of their meatless stuff is good. The riblets are fab and the maple sausage patties rock! They are so easy, I have never tried to make my own.
Bring it Debbie, I might get adventurous.
Sandi, I LOVE their riblets!! The texture is like real meat and the sauce is so good.
Black Bean Cakes-makes 2 cakes
1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed, divided
1 egg white
1/4 cup corn tortila chips, ground
1/4 cup red bell pepper,finely diced
2 Tbsp onion, grated
1/2 tsp each of kosher salt, ground coriander and chili powder
Fry in 2 Tbsp olive oil and garnish with lime wedges and fresh cilantro sprigs
Mash 1/2 cup of beans and egg white together for the cakes in a bowl. add remaining beans, chips, bell pepper, onion and seasonings. Refrigerate for 10 minutes, then form into two 3 inch round cakes.
Fry in 2 Tbsp olive oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat until heated through, about 4 minutes per side.
Here’s another recipe for black bean burgers from epicurious.com
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Black-Bean-Burgers-351297
Thanks, Debbie & Sandi!
Now that I think about it, I am SURE there’s a recipe for black bean burgers in How to Cook Everything Vegetarian, which I bought a while back.