Quartered sections of a reuben sandwich stacked on top of each other on a wooden cutting board.

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Hot and Crispy

Something magical happens when you toast your bun, crisp up your bread, or fry your filling. Whether you want to elevate your humble ham and cheese, or try deep frying your peanut butter and jelly, or create a perfectly crisp fried chicken sandwich, get ready to be amazed.

Three pieces of Gordon Ramsay's cornflake chicken on a cooking rack with buns, salad, and peanut topping on the side.
Jamie Orlando Smith
1 of 12

Gordon Ramsay’s Cornflake Chicken Sandwich

Once you’ve tried the crunch and flavor of cornflake-coated chicken, you might never go back to bread crumbs! And to take the crunch factor up to the next level, I dip the buns into a combination of crispy fried onions and roasted peanuts.
Three halves of deep-fried peanut butter and jelly sandwiches on a black oval platter with a knife on the side.
Erin Kunkel
2 of 12

Deep-Fried Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwiches

Here’s how to make deep-fried peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Because yes, that’s a thing. A darn good thing.

This deep-fried peanut butter and jelly sandwich was amazing. The recipe is easy to follow and the taste is absolutely incredible. My 5-year-old loved it as well.

Charlye
A toasted classic tuna melt on a wooden board with a dish of ketchup next to it.
David Loftus
3 of 12

Classic Tuna Melt

This classic tuna melt, with its toasted bread, melted cheese, and creamy tuna filling, is proof that good food need not be fancy.

Rich and Cheesy

Yep. This is it. Comfort food central. If it’s rich, cheesy, gooey, melty, and oh-so-satisfying, it belongs between two slices of bread.

A grilled mac and cheese sandwich cut into four squares on a wooden board with pickle slices beside it.
Antonis Achilleos
4 of 12

Grilled Mac and Cheese Sandwich

Grilled cheese and mac and cheese collide in this glorious sandwich.
Two waffle iron grilled cheese sandwiches on a wooden cutting board with a knife and a waffle iron nearby.
Gentl & Hyers
5 of 12

Waffle Iron Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Waffle iron grilled cheese sandwich means no standing at the skillet carefully tending grilled cheese in a skillet so it doesn’t burn. Nope. Just slap some cheese on buttered bread, toss it on this underutilized piece of kitchen equipment, and dinner is as good as done.

Sublime. Conventional grilled cheese sandwiches bore me now without the wonderful crispy pockets for the cheese to ooze from.

Alexis
A patty melt sandwich filled with ground beef, caramelized onions and cheese.
Kristoffer Brearton
6 of 12

Classic Patty Melt

The classic patty melt on rye bread is unbelievably satiating and surprisingly easy to slap one together at home. Think of it as one of the most indulgent cheeseburgers ever. Here’s how to make it.

The Classics

Fads and flavor combos come and go, but these are the ones that never go out of style.

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Two halves of a tuna salad sandwich stacked on top of each other with some sliced pickles on the side on a white oval plate.
Holly A. Heyser
7 of 12

Tuna Salad Sandwich

These tuna salad sandwiches were a huge hit with our testers. They praised the versatility and the flavors that Hank Shaw suggests—capers, chiles, pickles, Dijon, bacon. You'll discover your own favorite variations, too. 
A pepper and egg sandwich on a crusty baguette bun, cut into three pieces.
Quentin Bacon
8 of 12

Pepper and Egg Sandwich

This pepper and egg sandwich is simply (and satisfyingly) scrambled eggs along with sweet bell peppers and onions and stuffed into bread. An Italian American staple perfect for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and in between. Here’s how to make it.

This pepper and egg sandwich recipe here seems to be the most basic but it’s the BEST!

Raymond
A stack of halved reuben sandwiches on a wooden cutting board.
Chia Chong
9 of 12

Reuben Sandwich

Use smoked or non-smoked corned beef brisket in this recipe but don't deny yourself the joy of tangy sauerkraut and the glorious nuttiness of Swiss cheese.

Unexpected Sandwich Combinations

Craving something a little different? These are for you. Swap in different veggies, flavor-packed sauces and spreads (hello, romesco sauce!), or take the crunch factor to a whole new level!

Two halves of a toasted asparagus and cheese sandwich stacked on top of each other on a sheet of parchment with a bowl of Romesco sauce on the side.
Eva Kolenko
10 of 12

Asparagus and Cheese Sandwich

Asparagus in your grilled cheese sandwich? One bite of this grown-up combination of roasted asparagus, mozzarella, Gruyère, and Romesco sauce, and your answer will be a resounding 'yes!'
A gray plate with a grilled cheese with Doritos, bacon, and guacamole.
Ken Goodman
11 of 12

Grilled Cheese with Doritos on Sourdough

This over-the-top grilled cheese sandwich is filled with four kinds of cheese, bacon, avocado, and cheesy nacho chips.
A kimchi bulgogi sandwich with sliced steak, green onions, and mayo on a roll on a green plate on top of a menu.
Johnny Autry
12 of 12

Kimchi Bulgogi Sandwiches

These kimchi bulgogi sandwiches are not your ordinary steak sandwiches. They’re loaded with Korean-style marinated steak, kimchi, mayonnaise, and cilantro. Here’s how to make them.

Sandwich FAQs

What’s the secret to a great sandwich?

There are a couple of things to keep in mind when creating a stellar sandwich.

For the most satisfying meal, include a variety of textures in your sandwich, including a spread, like mustard, pesto, or homemade one-minute mayonnaise, something crispy or crunchy (think lettuce or potato chips), and of course, the main filling, whether it’s melted cheese, meat, or roasted vegetables.

The other thing to choose wisely is the bread. If you are including a lot of high-moisture ingredients, such as sliced tomatoes, pickles, or cucumbers, choose a sturdier bread, like sourdough rye. Save the fluffy white sandwich bread for your grilled ham and cheese sandwiches.

What are the best sandwiches to make in advance?

If you’re packing a bag for lunch or a picnic, skip the hot, gooey grilled cheese and choose the ones that are best at room temperature. If you’d like to include tomatoes, pickles, and cucumbers, store them separately from your sandwich and slip them in just before eating. This will prevent everything from becoming soggy. Lastly, if storage temperature is a concern, avoid mayo-based fillings that can spoil quickly in warm temperatures.

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About David Leite

I’ve received three James Beard Awards for my writing as well as for Leite’s Culinaria. I’m the author of The New Portuguese Table and Notes on a Banana. For more than 25 years, I’ve been developing and testing recipes for my site, my books, and publications. My work has also appeared in the New York Times, Martha Stewart Living, Saveur, Bon Appétit, Gourmet, Food & Wine, Yankee, Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, Washington Post, and more. I’m also a cooking teacher, memoirist, and inveterate cat lady.

Read More About Me

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4 Comments

    1. Not in this collection DBatalha, but it is a very noteworthy sandwich and definitely one to make!

      Reply

  2. That is the finest lineup of sandwiches I can imagine. Not a waffle guy but all the others, yeah!

    Reply