Classic Homemade Club Sandwich Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Should a club sandwich have cheese? ›

A club sandwich can be ham and turkey or just turkey. Along with bacon, mayo, lettuce, and tomato. And often a sliced cheese such as Swiss or cheddar. In addition to mayo, a honey mustard can be added.

Two toasted pieces of Graham bread, with a layer of turkey or chicken and ham between them, served warm." Several other early references also credit the chef of the Union Club with creating the sandwich.

María del Mar Cuadra is a food stylist, recipe developer, and art director. She has written three cookbooks and worked for America's Test Kitchen. The classic club is a triple-decker sandwich made up of three slices toasted white bread, deli-sliced turkey or chicken, bacon, lettuce, tomatoes, and mayonnaise.

When you order a club sandwich, you often get a plate with stacked, toasted bread layered with turkey or ham, bacon, ham, lettuce, tomato and mayonnaise. Although ingredients can vary, the composition is both simple and recognizable.

Cover each slice well with mayo

Evenly spread mayo across the surface of each slice. It acts as a "glue," helping the ingredients stick together and preventing the sandwich from falling apart.

The basic formula is this: bread, spread, filling, garnish. But there are many ways to analyze sandwich construction further. British sandwich chef Max Halley has a whole book dedicated to the “six-point formula for a perfect sandwich,” which requires hot, cold, sweet, sour, crunchy, and soft elements.

Here's a suggested layering technique from bottom to top:

Layer the densest vegetables, such as pickles, followed by lettuce and tomato. Add the cheese. Place the meat. Finish by spreading another layer of condiments on the top slice of bread.

Club sandwiches typically have three slices of bread for a few reasons: Structure and Stability: The extra slice of bread in a club sandwich provides structural support and stability. With two layers of fillings between three slices of bread, the sandwich is less likely to become soggy or fall apart.

Lay the bread flat on the plate, pile the meat, etc. on top of that and you have an open faced sandwich. Make a bread, meat, bread stack and you have a closed sandwich. Add a third slice of bread as in bread, filling, bread, filling, bread and you have a club sandwich.

The top half of the sandwich can mimic the bottom, or you might go a little lighter on the meat so it isn't top-heavy. Then, cut the sandwich into halves or quarters, secure it with some frilly toothpicks if you like, pour something carbonated so the bubbles dance around your mouth with each crunchy bite, and relax.

What is the etiquette for club sandwiches? ›

Table manners for eating thicker sandwiches. An unwieldy sandwich (over one inch thick), such as a club sandwich, is cut in quarters with a knife and eaten with fingers. Table manners for eating open-faced sandwiches. An open-face sandwich, such as a hot roast beef sandwich with gravy, is eaten with a fork and a knife.

FAQs about Club Sandwiches

A club sandwich is hearty sandwich filled with ham, turkey(or chicken), and bacon- plus some tasty additions like leaf lettuce, tomatoes, and mayo. That's a lot of stuff crammed into one sandwich- that's why you throw an extra slice of bread into the middle and cut it into quarters.

For me, cheese is an essential component of pretty much any sandwich that isn't a PB&J. That little touch of creaminess is an essential contrast to deli meat and mustard, especially when you're just making a simple sandwich at home.

The top half of the sandwich can mimic the bottom, or you might go a little lighter on the meat so it isn't top-heavy. Then, cut the sandwich into halves or quarters, secure it with some frilly toothpicks if you like, pour something carbonated so the bubbles dance around your mouth with each crunchy bite, and relax.

Lay the bread flat on the plate, pile the meat, etc. on top of that and you have an open faced sandwich. Make a bread, meat, bread stack and you have a closed sandwich. Add a third slice of bread as in bread, filling, bread, filling, bread and you have a club sandwich.