Is lunchtime feeling a little... bland? Repetitive? Do you need some fresh ideas? We do too, so we considered the sandwich. And we realized we needed to get out of the sandwich box. What makes a sandwich a sandwich, philosophically-speaking? Is it just a filling between two pieces of plain bread? Or can it expand into adjacent territory -- burritos, wraps, baked pockets?
Personally, I think a sandwich is a full meal you can hold in your hands -- nourishing, satisfying, and easily carried. So that would include baked goodies like saucy calzones, pita pockets, and more. This clearly opens up fresh vistas of possibility for lunchtime!
Here are 20 of our own favorite sandwiches of all shapes and sizes, from chipotle chicken fajitas, to the perfect summer tomato sandwich. There's a spicy lentil wrap (better than Trader Joe's!), a simple cheese and onion sandwich, and homemade piadinas. It's time to get out of your lunch rut -- try a new sandwich (whatever the shape or size) this week!
CLASSIC SIMPLE SANDWICHES
• 1 California BLT with Avocado and Basil Mayonnaise
• 2 Farmer's Lunch Sandwich
• 3 Quick, Easy Scrambled Egg Salad
• 4 The Perfect Summer Tomato Sandwich
HOT SANDWICHES
• 5 Chicken Cordon Bleu-Croque Monsieur
• 6 Tomato Mozzarella Sandwich
• 7 Cuban Sandwich
• 8 French Dip Au Jus
VEGETARIAN SANDWICHES
• 9 Cheese and Onion Sandwich
• 10 Bánh Mì with Lemongrass Tofu
• 11 Boiled Egg, Seared Asparagus & Pickled Onion Sandwiches
• 12 Fresh Vegetable Sandwich
BAKED POCKETS
• 13 How to Make Calzones (And Freeze Them for Later!)
• 14 Whole Wheat Double Peanut Butter & Jelly Pockets
• 15 BBQ Cabbage & Sausage Stuffed Sandwiches
WRAPS & ROLLS
• 16 Chipotle Chicken Fajitas with Creamy Black Bean Spread
• 17 Spicy Lentil Wraps with Tahini Sauce
• 18 Roasted Sweet Potato Wraps with Caramelized Onions and Pesto
• 19 Homemade Piadinas
• 20 Vegetable Summer Rolls with Spicy Peanut Sauce
What's the best way to break out of the sandwich rut? Got any fresh ideas for fall?
More sandwiches:
• How To Make Your Own Frozen Wraps
(Images: See linked recipes for full image credits)
You might also like
-
What's Your State's Sandwich?
-
10 Sandwiches for a Summer Picnic Lunch
-
The Best Guacamole, Summer Cakes, Picnic Sandwiches, Fresh Takes on Iced Tea, and Beautiful, Unusual Kitchen Floors
-
Salads in a Jar, How To Know If Your Avocado Is Ripe, 10 Delicious Kale Salads, and the #1 Useful Tool for a Small Kitchen
How To Cook Fluffy, Tasty Quinoa
How to Make Fresh Pasta Dough in the Food Processor
Good Food to Share 
The Big Book of Small, Cool Spaces 
Apartment Therapy Presents 
The Eight-Step Home Cure 
TW Salt Mill by Wil...
Small Cool Lessons: Discovering Small Space Design Ideas That Really Work
Marisa and Peter's Playfully Eclectic Home
I recently made a sloppy-gloppy crisp-and-crunchy tofu reuben sandwich that I loved so much I had to eat it three meals in a row. That vegetarian Banh Mi up there looks great, too!
Perhaps it is an obvious choice, but I've been making turkey, brie and apples on a baguette (just a little dijon mustard and arugula to top it off) lately and been very pleased with myself for doing so.
My go-to sandwich is from Everyday Food: flatbread roll ups spread with hummus. After that anything goes but I usually use shredded carrots and wild arugula and maybe whatever is in the fridge. Pickled onions and cucumbers are only used if eating this right away as they tend to make the sandwich soggy.
Most recently I discovered a wonderful sandwich combination; chicken tenders (I marinated mine in a combination of honey, garlic, olive oil and whole grain mustard), baby spinach, sun dried tomatoes and vintage cheddar cheese on turkish bread spread liberally with hummus and toasted. It was so amazing I ate it two days in a row.