Move Over, Avocado Toast
Sandwiches have long been a staple of the American diet. In the USA, people never shied away from putting wacky combinations of ingredients between two pieces of bread. However, while peanut butter and jelly sandwiches will forever be part of our collective consciousness, others haven't stood the test of time, even if they were delicious. Here are 20 vintage sandwiches that we think deserve a comeback, or at least a moment of appreciation.j
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1. Coronation Chicken Sandwich
The coronation chicken sandwich is perhaps the most British sandwich ever created. It was invented by the chef at Le Cordon Bleu in London for the representatives planning Queen Elizabeth II's coronation in 1953. It combines chicken with a creamy curry sauce and raisins.
2. Creamed Corn Sandwich
The creamed corn sandwich is exactly what it sounds like: creamed corn between two pieces of bread with American cheese. When heated, the cheese would melt and the whole thing would become a creamy, fatty, and delicious mess.
3. Sloppy Joe
Sloppy Joes will never not make us think of school cafeteria lunches. Ground beef is combined with a sweet tomato sauce and slapped in a white bun to create probably the messiest sandwich known to mankind.
4. Peanut Butter & Marshmallow Fluff Sandwich
The peanut butter and marshmallow fluff sandwich, also known as the Fluffernutter, was a New England favorite that dominated school lunch menus through the 1960s. The sandwich was originally created to promote the then-new product: canned liquified marshmallows known as Marshmallow Fluff.
5. Fried Spam Sandwich
Remember when Spam, that strange, jiggly meat product, was a thing? It was the most available source of protein during the Great Depression. Perhaps the best way to eat it was grilled and slotted between two pieces of bread with some mustard and cheese.
6. Anchovy Paste Sandwich
The anchovy paste sandwich was the sandwich of the '50s and '60s, though it was admittedly polarizing due to the strong fishy flavor. It consists of a mixture of crushed anchovies, bread crumbs, milk, and pepper between two pieces of bread with cucumbers.
7. Egg & Sardine Sandwich
People back in the mid-20th century were not shy of pungent canned fish. The egg and sardine sandwich was no doubt the product of scarcity, but it was pretty darn tasty nonetheless. Just combine boiled eggs with chopped sardines and mayo to create the filling.
8. Chicken Liver Sandwich
People don't really eat liver anymore, but there was a time in the early to mid-20th century when organ meats made regular appearances on menus and in cookbooks. Marinated chicken liver is cooked and combined with mayo, chopped tomato, and lettuce on a bun to create this surprisingly tasty and satisfying sandwich.
9. Deviled Ham Sandwich
You definitely have to be of a certain generation to remember this old-school American sandwich, but you should consider yourself lucky if you are. The sandwich is made from an iconic canned meat product called Deviled Ham that's combined with mayo, mustard, and hot sauce.
10. Peanut Butter & Bacon Sandwich
Don't knock it 'til you try it! We know it sounds completely unhinged, but peanut butter and bacon sandwiches are the perfect combination of salty and sweet flavors.
11. Mock Ham Salad Sandwich
The mock ham salad sandwich wasn't made with ham at all, but bologna. It combined ground bologna with hard-boiled eggs, mayo, pickles, and onions. It came about at a time when it was hard to get your hands on real ham in the US and went out of favor as soon as different varieties of meats became affordable again.
12. Chicken & Cranberry Sandwich
The chicken and cranberry sandwich was part of a larger trend of people experimenting with combining sweet and savory flavors. Poultry and cranberry ended up being a stellar combination, especially when combined with arugula, pecans, and chives.
13. Bologna Salad Sandwich
Now, it's a little harder to come by, but everyone in America was eating bologna back in the mid-20th century. This one combines the salty processed deli meat with sweet relish, mayo, and boiled eggs, which may sound odd, but it actually slaps.
14. Peanut Butter & Pickle Sandwich
The peanut butter and pickle sandwich wasn't just a weird pregnancy craving; it was widely eaten in the Depression-era US, and we have to say, they might have been onto something. The tangy-saltiness of the pickle is nicely contrasted against the creamy, sweet peanut butter.
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15. Cream Cheese & Olive Sandwich
Cream cheese and olive sandwiches were what people in the 50s were making when they desperately needed to go to the grocery store, but you could honestly do worse. The vinegariness of the olives was nicely balanced against the creamy cheese.
16. Hot Dog Sandwich
Next time you have hot dogs but no buns, give this vintage sandwich a whirl. Cooked hot dogs get sliced lengthwise and placed between two pieces of bread with your preferred condiments. It's arguably even better than a regular hot dog, but that's just our take.
17. Spam & Pineapple Sandwich
We don't want to open another pineapple-on-pizza type of discussion, but spam and pineapple are a winning combination. Browned spam is combined with canned pineapple rings on a hamburger bun for a fun and tropical sandwich.
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18. Tuna & Apple Sandwich
Tuna salad sandwiches will probably never go out of style, but the weird combination with sweet additions like apples or raisins certainly did fade out of fashion. However, we remember this sandwich fondly, the tart apple adding a fresh and vibrant quality to the tuna.
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19. Cheese & Potato Chip Sandwich
The cheese and potato chip sandwich is as American as it gets. It's a salt bomb, but the potato chips actually add quite a pleasant crunch that we wouldn't mind revisiting.
20. Chicken Salad & Grape Sandwich
The chicken and grape sandwich was everyone's go-to diet sandwich back in the 80s. It may sound odd, but the grapes ad a sweet, fresh little surprise that's extraordinarily pleasant.
