Sandwich Recipes

While historians don’t have a date for the invention of the sandwich or specific information on who invented the sandwich, we know that sandwich-style eating has been around since at least the first century BCE. An early record of this is found in the Haggadah, which tells the story of the Jewish people’s exodus from Egypt and is the guidebook for the Passover seder. The text notes how rabbi and scholar Hillel the Elder made sandwiches using lamb, bitter herbs and matzah, a type of unleavened bread similar to a cracker.

This record meshes with the long history of Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cuisines featuring meats and other foods on flatbreads—a predecessor to pizza as well as a variation on the sandwich.

John Montagu, 4th Earl of Sandwich

Why is a sandwich called a sandwich? Though we may not be able to credit anyone as the original sandwich inventor, John Montagu, 4th Earl of Sandwich, is the lucky fellow whom the sandwich was named after.

While the classic meat-on-bread sandwich is how this concoction began, it’s come a long way since John Montagu sat nibbling on one while gambling. Today, sandwiches come in infinite varieties, from the lamb steak sandwich to the saucy honey chicken sandwich and is a popular choice at events such as a picnic day. But there are a handful of classics that we turn to time and time again:

1. The Reuben Sandwich

One of the most popular American recipes, the Reuben sandwich has been a staple dish in many kosher restaurants and delis across the country.

The main ingredients of this sandwich include corned beef, sauerkraut, Swiss cheese and Russian dressing (or Thousand Island as a common alternative), served between two slices of rye bread.

2. Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich

This lunchbox favourite started out as a fancy treat designed to promote good health. The late 19th century saw elegant ladies snacking on small, crustless tea sandwiches at their lunches. Around that time, health food advocates suggested peanut products as a replacement for animal-based foods, so the peanut butter sandwich seemed a perfect fit for lunching those who wanted a healthy option.

The first known recipe for a PB&J sandwich appeared in 1901 via The Boston Cooking School Magazine of Culinary Science & Domestic Economics. And, in the 1920s, manufacturers started mass producing the nutty spread and targeting children as potential customers—hence, its popularity today with the elementary school set as a food that kids love. (Not that adults are immune to the charms of a PB&J.)

4. Tuna Salad Sandwich

Another Australian classic, this sandwich began with the “salad” part of its moniker, not the “tuna” part. As such, it was a great choice for vegetarian recipes or those on a flexitarian diet.

In the 19th century, thrifty homemakers scrupulously avoided food waste by combining leftovers —often celery, olives, and pickles—with mayonnaise and serving the resulting salad-like relish with lettuce. Fish sometimes entered the picture, but tuna was relatively unknown in Australia.

Fast-forward to the 1920s. Women were entering the workforce in greater numbers, and they needed a quick, on-the-job lunch.

Sandwich counters served up the relish salads their foremothers had created—stuffing it between two slices of bread for a tidier, quicker meal. Around the same time, canned tuna became popular, and the accident of timing resulted in the rise of the tuna salad sandwich.