Spice Up a Boring Sandwich: 7 Ideas for Flavored Mayonnaise

Admit it: Part of the charm of buying your lunch is eating a fancy sandwich. Sure, you know you could make it at home, but when it comes down to it, time is short and it just seems easier to fork over a small handful of cash at that adorable gourmet deli near work.

Homemade mayo is a whole other story (a very delicious story!), but even a store bought jar combined with the right ingredients can do wonders to spice up that sorry excuse for a turkey sandwich thrown together in the morning.

Work ahead and keep a tub of flavored mayo in the fridge for use all week. It’s best to keep the quantities small – think of how much you might need for a few days of sandwiches, for example, and adjust the mix-ins appropriately. What we’ve found though is that a zippy mayo in the fridge often finds its way onto all sorts of other things beyond sandwiches, like roasted potatoes. The options are endless!

Here are 7 ideas for flavored mayo mix-ins:

Herbs: An obvious favorite — dill, basil, and tarragon are all great. For an extra something-something, squeeze in a bit of lemon or lime.

Chili Sauce: Sriracha is a main staple, but we’ve had luck with sambal oelek, or my favorite: gochujang, a sweet and spicy fermented Korean chili paste.

Sesame Oil: A little goes a long way. Toss in a few sesame seeds for a sauce that takes roasted vegetables on a baguette to a whole new level.

Blue Cheese: Ever foolishly tried to get blue cheese to stay on a sandwich? Blend it into mayo.

Roasted Garlic: Another classic. Roast up a few cloves of garlic to mash into mayo.

Raid the Spice Drawer: Curry, herbs de provence, smoked paprika, or even coarsely ground pepper are all great.

Maple Syrup: Ok, hear this one out. Almost equal parts mayo and maple syrup, plus a slug of apple cider vinegar.

What are your favorite sauces to spice up a sandwich – mayo or non-mayo?