Create New Favorites from Classic Sandwiches With Fresh Ingredients
You may have your favorite sandwiches at certain times or for certain occasions, but sooner or later, you’re going to get tired of them. That’s the perfect time to put a creative twist on classic sandwiches that taste refreshingly different when you design new combinations and flavors for them.
Reinvent the Club Sandwich
The club sandwich is one of the favorite choices of diners in restaurants, and those who make them at home as well. This double-decker sensation usually contains chicken or turkey with romaine or bibb lettuce, mayo, tomato, and of course, the all-important bacon, stuffed between tempting layers of toasted white or wheat bread.
That certainly doesn’t mean there isn’t room for a little creativity with your club. You could, for instance, substitute fresh cabbage for lettuce to give your club a healthy crunch. You could try some prosciutto or ham as an alternative to fatty bacon. How about adding a little sun-dried pesto or Dijon mustard, for a spicy compliment to the conventional Club? Maybe even make your own veggie equivalent, by adapting a classic Club sandwich with meatless vegetable patties from your grocer’s produce section.
Pep Up Your Pastrami
Another deli stand-by is the classic Pastrami on Rye, a close sister to the Reuben sandwich. Today, there are endless options for substituting standard ingredients in these perennial favorites. The daring sandwich enthusiast might even be brave enough to forgo the spicy brown mustard for some pepper jack cheese with red onion.
Speaking of cheese, a little variety requires only that you introduce some havarti or a hearty brie over the standard Swiss cheese and sauerkraut. Hoagie rolls, bagels, and tortilla wraps also make great substitutes for the more traditional rye bread.
Put a Little TLC into Your BLT
No sandwich shop is complete without a classic Bacon, Lettuce, and Tomato sandwich, is it? Make yours more creative and make own classic sandwich with just a few more adventurous ingredients. Guacamole, for one, is a great substitute for less-exciting mayonnaise. You could try a little arugula, bitter greens, or watercress instead of the everyday romaine or iceberg lettuce as well.
How about a “BLC?” Cheese is the exotic ingredient we’re thinking of here. Muenster, sharp Cheddar, Swiss, and Gouda are good choices. In addition, we know other substitutes like tempeh and vegan or turkey bacon can satisfy the palates of health-conscious bacon lovers who are looking for nutritious solutions in making lighter sandwiches.
Get a little crazy, if you like. Shred the lettuce, bacon, and tomato together, pile it into a hot dog bun, add a little relish, and think of baseball or Coney Island while you eat. Some gourmet chefs even incorporate things like BBQ shrimp, smoked salmon, or lobster into fancy BLTs with impressive price tags.
As with most foods we eat often, a little imagination allows us the opportunity to try different ingredients in classic sandwiches to create something truly unique for ourselves. These healthier sandwiches not only follow the trends of nutrition experts and health officials, they tend to make your family more excited at the prospect of something different for lunch.
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