I don't have any recipes per se.

I like to eat them mashed up with a strong Dijon mustard or else a good hot sauce.

They're also surprisingly good mashed up with cream cheese.

Also, not all canned sardines are created equal. Try different brands, you might find one your husband likes.

I did just come across this -- sounds pretty yummy:

Sardine-Dill Fish Cakes

Serve as a light lunch or dinner with a salad. Makes 6 cakes. Recipe by Chris Rochelle.

Coarsely chop and boil two medium Yukon Gold potatoes until tender. Drain and mash the potatoes. Add two cans of drained and chopped sardines, one cup of chopped spring onions, a quarter-bunch of chopped fresh dill, two tablespoons of flour, two crushed garlic cloves, two tablespoons of grated lemon peel, and one cup of panko breadcrumbs. Season with salt and pepper, then mix in one beaten egg. Shape the mixture into 6 (3-inch) cakes. Coat with panko breadcrumbs. In a nonstick frying pan, add two tablespoons of olive oil and sauté the fish cakes about three at a time, turning them over until they're golden brown and crispy.

Sardine avocado sandwiches are a personal favorite. Mark Bittman's sardine pasta recipe is also a great base to start from.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/31/dining/31mini.html

As far as brands go, I like wild planet sardines.

I like the canned sardines in mustard sauce- I just make a sandwich with toasted wheat bread and arugula or some greens.

This is a totally Norwegian thing to do, but I typically put bread in the toaster oven, wait until it gets adequately crispy, then plunk on a sardine or two on the bread. Leave it in there for a bit longer (so the fish can warm up), then take it out, squeeze some lemon on it, and dollop the top with skyr or other thick yogurt. YUM!

(Yes, I know I have very strange tastes.)

Here's a recipe for sardine casserole: http://www.burpandslurp.com/2010/11/17/what-would-4-year-old-me-do/

Canned sardine works well here, esp the one with tomato sauce.

Get canned sardines in tomato sauce.

Heat oil in pan.
Big chunks of chopped onions (1 onion)

Optional (if you have the budget for these)
chopped chilli (1 chilli) - if you like it spicy

or you could add 1 table spoon of mild curry powder.

Add canned sardines.

if you like it sweet, add sugar.

Add water if you want it to dip your bread in it or eat with rice.

Season to taste.

You can't go wrong with this :)

Good luck.

Alton Brown talked recently about a Sardine (he prefers Bristling) sandwich he loves on his diet.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J1Z4ZDRlXiU
or
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/sherried-sardine-toast-recipe/index.html

Made this recently, and it was great -http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2010/12/sardine-linguine-with-sundried-tomatoes-and-olives.html

I've also been incorporating sardines in our meals. It's great plain with pasta, or on a salad as well (serve with some toast).

I heard this story on NPR awhile back about a chef trying to make sardines more palatable. This recipe appeared in the story and online: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=127503407 It's for pan-fried sardines and ratatouille.

And when I was growing up, my mother would hard boil two eggs and then mash them with a can of sardines packed in olive oil. Then we'd eat it on crackers or bread. Super high-protein and very, very filling. And definitely an Eastern European thing to do.

what autumnfog mentioned love that sandwich and that is the brand I buy as well.

Alton Brown's is the same sandwich.

The key is a good crusty bread toasted.

Also, love sardine and beet salad
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon bottled horseradish (not drained)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
1 fresh cooked beets
1 tablespoon of the oil from the sardines
1 can sardines in oil, drained

on a bed of arugula or mixed greens.

I sometimes use them in place of anchovy paste in a Pasta Puttanesca like this one: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Pasta-Puttanesca-242590

The capers, olives, and pepper conquer the fishiness...

GREAT THREAD. They're so cheap at Trader Joe's.
I fry them (in cast iron, which means I need to wash the cast iron a bit afterwards) in a little oil and then near the end toss in a bunch of breadcrumbs or panko. I put this atop a bed of pasta tossed with olive oil, italian parsley, greek olives, red bell peppers, and whatever else seems appealing that's around the pantry. Finish with Parmesan, black pepper and a squeeze of lemon!

I LOVE to make a nice pasta with sardines. Not only is it quick, but it is cheap and fairly healthy.

I saute 1 small diced onion in olive oil, and when getting soft add 3 cloves of minced garlic and 1/4-1/2 teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes.

When the garlic starts getting fragrant I pour in 1 large can of diced tomatoes and 1/4 of the can of water. Add in a couple bay leaves and black pepper to taste and simmer for a bit.

When it has reduced a bit add 1/4-1/2 teaspoon of sugar, a tablespoon (or more) of capers, and some sun-dried tomatoes if on hand. Salt to taste, as the capers and sardines are a little salty. Cook for a couple mins and add the chopped sardines near the end to just warmed. Remove from heat and serve over pasta with fresh chopped basil if on hand.

I made a sardine quiche after watching a scandinavian cooking show on PBS a while back. It was good!!

http://www.newscancook.com/home/recipes/quiche-with-sardines_-lavender-and-jarlsberg/

i've made the same serious eats recipe as haiku, and it's a definite winner. sometimes, i don't bother with the pasta and just eat it as a salad.

When I was a kid, my mom used to stew sardines with canned tomatoes and spices to get this delicious, tomato-y, chunky spread to eat with toasted baguette slices. Kind of like bruschetta.. only fishy.. and saltier. It was a dish that my grandma (dad's side) used to make for my dad as a kid, and my mom learned how to make it.. SOOO GOOD!

The only way I've been able to eat sardines, so far is by making this shockingly delicious salad:
http://ediblearia.com/2009/07/16/sardine-salad-sandwich/
I don't make the mayo -- I just use a little olive oil. I make the whole think in my Cuisinart Mini Prep and it takes just a minute. The fresh lemon juice and capers are key. Enjoy!

I've recently started eating sardines as well, and have thus far found two preparations I like:

Mince a couple cloves of garlic, saute in olive oil until fragrant, then add a can of diced tomatoes (drained) and a can or two of sardines. Add salt and pepper to taste, along with half a teaspoon of cinnamon and a dash of nutmeg. Add a splash of balsamic vinegar and a squeeze of lemon, and sprinkle with parsley if you've got it lying around. Serve over pasta (I like Hodgson Mill's brown rice with milled flax seed linguine).

Heat a tablespoon of olive oil and a teaspoon of sesame oil in a large skillet and add a couple cloves of minced garlic and an inch or two of minced fresh ginger, saute until fragrant. Then add such vegetables as broccoli, snow peas, diced carrots, water chestnuts and bamboo shoots, cook until tender, then add sardines and cook until heated through. Finish with two tablespoons of soy sauce and one tablespoon of rice vinegar.

Similar to laurenb and sudenveri, I've made Mark Bittman's sardine pasta and a version in another cookbook of his includes currants and pine nuts:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/31/dining/31minirex.html?_r=1&ref=dining

Thanks everyone for the question and recipes too--this is great as I'm trying to eat more sustainable fish (pretty hard these days), but canned sardines are cheap, easy to find, and pretty sustainable.

Thanks for all the replies so far! The paste idea makes a lot of sense, I can work with that. I lived in eastern Europe for 2 years (Austria, but a mile from Hungary) and I'm happy with the sardines+flavorings+bread/crackers combo. I may just be eating these myself while my husband does his own thing. The trick is that WIC is *very* limiting re: brands, types, etc., plus it depends on what the store stocks. I could eat anchovies in any form by the spoonful, so I'll follow up on these suggestions that treat sardines a bit like anchovies.

I've been eating sardines a lot since they are so cheap, healthy and sustainably fished. Favourite application (besides on toast with lemon or in pasta) is in a salad nicoise in place of tuna (which I have completely cut out due to horrific tuna fishing practices). Boiled egg, potato, green beans, olives, capers, lettuce, tomato + Sardines with a dijon dressing = best lunch ever.

Wow, who knew? I'm eating fried sardines tonight. There's a sustainable restaurant in the Bay Area that serves sardine tacos. I guess you could add whatever you like in a corn tortilla. Corn tortillas and sardines: that sounds a lot better than ramen noodles in a styrofoam cup!

I do several things, Simply serve them along side braised spinach & a baked potato (olive oil all around.) I do the pasta w/ breadcrumb thing, too. Sometimes I'll just have them w/ a hard boiled egg, toast and a spot of whole grain mustard.

Sardines are good! I don't like the tomato sauce packed ones, though.

There was an article on Chow last year...

http://www.chow.com/food-news/47126/7-things-to-do-with-canned-sardines/

I like them either treated like an anchovy and mashed into a pasta or as a topping for cauliflower (pine nuts/currants/fennel) or plain, on toast, with thinly sliced raw onion and lemon juice.

Very healthy, tasty, sustainable.

I prefer kippered herring to sardines, they're less fishy and more smoked tasting. I've put them in some miso soup with rice, nori and scallions, avocado if I have it. It works together surprisingly well! That, or I mash them with avocado, parsley and lemon to have on pasta.

If you've joined Weight Watchers, you NEED to know about Gina's Skinny Recipes. Great recipes with point info, and she just posted this pasta recipe with sardines today:
http://www.skinnytaste.com/2011/02/pasta-with-cauliflower.html

My brother-in-law makes the yummiest sardine tacos!! Yet you can have them with crackers too.

Put a small sliced onion in a little bit of oil, mash the sardines, add cooked potatoes, mash all together, add tomato sauce and season to taste. Eat with corn tortillas or crackers with lime and salsa.

This takes the strong taste away and its delicious.

Chop an onion, a tomato, and lots of garlic (to kill the fishy taste)... fishy taste or garlic breath? your choice ;o)
Saute in a small amount of olive oil. Add sardines. (Sometimes, I put half cup of tomato sauce.) Then, serve over steaming rice. Spoil yourself with a fried egg on top.
Yumm-O!

I started eating sardines after reading this article in the NYT that described them as "health food in a can." I agree with others that you might need to try different brands to find ones that you like best. Simple is also the way to go, when you possible: sardines and mustard (or lemon!) on warm or toasted bread, with or without fresh tomato and thinly sliced onion.

For recipes, I will sometimes use sardines in recipe that calls for canned tuna, such as this one from Fine Cooking: Fettucine with Tuna, Lemon and Fried Capers. I added julienned carrots. It was delish and hubs had seconds.

with very crisp lettuce on a rye cracker.

This pasta recipe has become a family favorite: http://www.grist.org/article/2010-04-05-pasta-con-sarde-the-gateway-drug-for-sardine-obsession, and this sandwich is lovely as well: http://www.pinkofperfection.com/2010/01/the-case-for-sardines/

just had a sardine sandwich for lunch! I love sardines (fresh and canned) especially love the ones in tomato sauce. I make a version of Alio olio with sardines.

pasta con sarde!

I love sardines (packed in oil) over hot rice topped with chopped red onion, sriracha, and soy sauce. Easy and delish!

My sardine-hating fiance loved this dish I made:
http://kelseyincleveland.wordpress.com/2011/01/16/lemon-garlic-sardine-pasta-with-parmesan-roasted-broccoli/

my family's been preparing them the same way as @mssquarepants for years. i thought we were the only ones!

i also do the pasta and bread crumb recipe. here's one from bittman:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/31/dining/31minirex.html

I enjoy making pasta sauce with them.
http://teczcape.blogspot.com/2010/10/brisling-sardines-pasta-ppn187-alton.html

Tried Brisling Sardines and Brunswick Sardines - both are good!

I also recommend trying many brands/types to find out what you like. Trader Joes sells smoked bristling sardines that I like to run under the broiler to crisp the skin and eat on a salad or open faced sandwich. Squirt lemon on top to cut the fishiness. I prefer skinless boneless in olive oil for eating straight up on crackers or with avocado on bread.

Try layering sardines, tinned or fresh tomato, onion, finely chopped garlic and sliced potato in an oven dish with seasoning to taste and some olive oil or butter on top. Bake in the oven until the potatoes are cooked through and the top layer is crispy.
My mum used to make this using tinned corned beef but I've found you can make a very satisfying and cheap meal in this way using various tinned meats or fish. Also very nice with other vegetables (peppers, carrots etc...) replacing or in addition to the meat or fish.
This is also a good way to use up leftover meats from a roast.
The Potatoes make up the bulk of the meal but they take on the flavour of the other ingredients meaning a small amount of a strongly flavoured ingredient like sardines will go a long way making this a very cheap meal.

This is one of my stand-bys - great for parties and so tasty!

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Sardine-Tonnato-Spread-232506