# How do you flavor sandwiches? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 20, 2008, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-flavor-sandwiches/434223 "2008-01-20T03:10:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2008, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-flavor-sandwiches/434223/21 "2008-01-20T16:28:56Z")
Alright, ya’ll are gonna think I’m nuts, but my favorite sandwich condiment is dried cranberries. Works better with wraps than with sliced bread. The best combo ever? Smear a wrap with some Boursin cheese, layer turkey breast (real sliced turkey breast is best, but cold cuts will do in a pinch), lettuce (I use baby spring salad mix instead of iceberg or romaine), thin sliced red onions, thin sliced tomatoes (but only if you have good tomatoes. A plastic tomato is worse than no tomato!) and sprinkle the top with a couple tablespoons of dried cranberries. Roll and enjoy, but beware you’re going to have to make one for anyone within hearing distance of your ecstatic moans. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2008, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-flavor-sandwiches/434223/22 "2008-01-20T16:37:08Z")
The most flavoured sandwich I ever eat is **jjimm** ’s ultimate British post-Christmas sandwich: Toast two slices of bread. Zap a sandwich’s worth of turkey - breast and thigh - in the microwave until piping hot. Zap a sandwich’s worth of stuffing, sliced. Zap a small bowl of bread sauce. Spread one piece of toast with mayonnaise. Drizzle cranberry sauce over it. Season well with salt and pepper. Add two slices of ham. Add the turkey. Cover with the stuffing. ETA: forgot to mention sliced chipolata sausages. Spread the other slice of bread with bread sauce. Put together, slice diagonally. Mmm. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2008, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-flavor-sandwiches/434223/23 "2008-01-20T16:39:19Z")
**jjim** , could you translate “bread sauce” into American? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2008, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-flavor-sandwiches/434223/24 "2008-01-20T16:44:26Z")
They do make flavored mayonnaises (e.g. sun-dried tomato, horseradish/wasabi) and different varieties of mustard. Some people put potato chips on sandwiches (plain or flavored). It’s worth a try if the idea of a crunchy sandwich appeals to you. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2008, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-flavor-sandwiches/434223/25 "2008-01-20T16:45:10Z")
[QUOTE=WhyNot] **jjim** , could you translate “bread sauce” into American? 😃 [/QUOTE] It’s a very traditional British sauce, made of bread. Here’s my recipe: Get an onion, and stud it with about 20 cloves. Put a quart of milk into a pan, season with salt and pepper, and raise to a simmer. ETA: forgot to say, add a bay leaf. Seep the onion in the simmering milk for a couple of hours, topping up with water as it reduces. Remove the onion and bay leaf, and add a few cups of breadcrumbs. Stir and allow the breadcrumbs to take up the liquid. The final result should be the consistency of porridge. Melt a large knob of butter into the sauce and stir in. Serve hot. It’s a hell of a lot nicer than it sounds! Edit: [here’s](http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/database/breadsauce_84755.shtml) Nigella’s version. ---
**Author:** ![Rico](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rico/32/3582_2.png) [@Rico](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rico)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2008, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-flavor-sandwiches/434223/26 "2008-01-20T16:52:29Z")
In the spice aisle of most supermarkets, you can find a seasoning for Italian foods called, appropriately enough, Italian Seasoning. If your sandwich is mostly meats and cheeses with mayo and mustard, try a sprinkle of this on your sandwich. It explodes the flavor. ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2008, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-flavor-sandwiches/434223/27 "2008-01-20T17:26:13Z")
[QUOTE=don’t ask] I hardly ever use butter or margarine on a sandwich [/QUOTE] Is that common in Australia? I’d never consider putting butter on a sandwich that wasn’t cooked in some manner. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2008, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-flavor-sandwiches/434223/28 "2008-01-20T17:38:53Z")
[QUOTE=jjimm] It’s a hell of a lot nicer than it sounds! [/QUOTE] It’d pretty much have to be! 😛 **Aesiron** , Alton Brown (May He Cook Forever!) recommends a thin shmear of something oily - butter or olive oil or mayo or cream cheese - if the layer closest to the bread is a wet thing, like tomatoes or lunchmeat. This keeps the bread from getting soggy, even if it doesn’t add a ton of flavor. ---
**Author:** ![robardin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/43a26b/32.png) [@robardin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robardin)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2008, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-flavor-sandwiches/434223/29 "2008-01-20T20:30:07Z")
Also, much depends on the quality and flavor of the meats and bread you’re using. If you’re eating pressed turkey and Kraft American cheese on white Wonder bread, you’ll need some kick ass mustard to add any flavor, and then it’ll be all mustard. But, if you’re having, say, fresh carved rare roast beef with sharp cheddar on crusty sourdough bread, just a bit of garlic mayo, and maybe some “greens” like lettuce, thinly shaved onions and a slice of tomato would give you a world of flavor. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2008, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-flavor-sandwiches/434223/30 "2008-01-20T22:22:53Z")
Horseradish is good, especially on roast beef. It’s just not a sandwich without dill pickles – chips or strips. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2008, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-flavor-sandwiches/434223/31 "2008-01-20T22:31:12Z")
[QUOTE=Zabali\_Clawbane] Olives? [/QUOTE] A New Orleans [mufuletta](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muffuletta) is not complete without “olive salad”. ---
**Author:** ![Hazle\_Weatherfield](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Hazle\_Weatherfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hazle_Weatherfield)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2008, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-flavor-sandwiches/434223/32 "2008-01-20T22:38:52Z")
Bacon Salt! Jalapenos, wasabi paste, horseradish. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2008, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-flavor-sandwiches/434223/33 "2008-01-20T23:09:23Z")
Chop up some fresh basil or cilantro. Or add fresh thyme. ---
**Author:** ![PastAllReason](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f07891/32.png) [@PastAllReason](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastAllReason)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2008, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-flavor-sandwiches/434223/34 "2008-01-21T02:12:13Z")
I don’t use butter or mayonnaise on sandwiches when I make them at home. Mayonnaise because I don’t like it **at all** , and butter because I don’t often have it around the house. My sandwiches tend to be pretty basic of the cheese variety though the cheeses may be somewhat more “exotic”. I have been known to include some chutneys or tapenade. ---
**Author:** ![drachillix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/48db29/32.png) [@drachillix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drachillix)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2008, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-flavor-sandwiches/434223/35 "2008-01-21T02:23:00Z")
I am a big fan of that Sun Dried tomato/pesto stuff they sell in the pasta sauce area quite often. Just a tiny bit mixed into some mayo makes for a wonderful treat. ---
**Author:** ![Bites\_When\_Provoked](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bites_when_provoked/32/18073_2.png) [@Bites\_When\_Provoked](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bites_When_Provoked)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2008, 10:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-flavor-sandwiches/434223/36 "2008-01-21T10:20:16Z")
[QUOTE=Aesiron] Is that common in Australia? I’d never consider putting butter on a sandwich that wasn’t cooked in some manner. [/QUOTE] Butter on sandwiches? I’d consider it to be standard. Of course, if you’re dieting, it’s generally the first thing to get the chop. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2008, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-flavor-sandwiches/434223/37 "2008-01-21T17:30:21Z")
In [_Mostly Harmless,_](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mostly_Harmless) last volume of the Hitchhiker’s Guide series, Arthur Dent finds a place of honor as the Perfectly-Normal-Beast-Sandwich Maker to the people of the planet Lamuella. His process is decribed step by step, including the spreading of the butter. This stuck in my mind because it was the first time I had even **read** about anyone putting butter on a sandwich. Later on, I learned butter is standard on British [cucumber sandwiches](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cucumber_sandwich) – but that’s to keep the cucumber from soaking the bread. ---
**Author:** ![masterofnone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4bbf92/32.png) [@masterofnone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/masterofnone)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2008, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-flavor-sandwiches/434223/38 "2008-01-21T20:29:04Z")
Butter + salt + pepper is standard on my chicken, turkey, or cucumber sandwiches. I use horseraddish mayo on roast beef. I buy a jar of pickled horseraddish, which keeps forever, and occasionally mix up my own horseraddish mayo. For ham, if it’s good enough ham to bother eating, it needs nothing more than plain mustard. ---
**Author:** ![AWB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/bb73d2/32.png) [@AWB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AWB)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2008, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-flavor-sandwiches/434223/39 "2008-01-21T20:41:09Z")
[QUOTE=riker1384] When I make sandwiches, they tend to be bland. I usually just use mayo and mustard. I like a sandwich, especially if I have a good tomato on hand, but I don’t know how to flavor them. What other things do you put on sandwiches? [/QUOTE] Instead of ketchup and/or mustard, I use ranch salad dressing. Also, bacon bits if ya got 'em. ---
**Author:** ![AWB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/bb73d2/32.png) [@AWB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AWB)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2008, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-flavor-sandwiches/434223/40 "2008-01-21T20:45:01Z")
[QUOTE=Hazle Weatherfield] Bacon Salt! [/QUOTE] Bacon salt? Never heard of it, but sound great. I’ll look for it. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-flavor-sandwiches/434223.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-flavor-sandwiches/434223.md?page=3)