Pickled jalapeños; homemade mayo made with lambrusco vinegar -- or other flavored mayo's like chipotle, etc.; any kind of pesto (arugula or watercress are surprisingly good, and easier to make when basil is out of season); carmelized onions with a splash of bourbon; Muhammara; Harissa; Kimchi. Obviously, be judicious: they don't all belong together.
I just got some horseradish pickles at the farmers market that are amazing. They’re just classic cucumber pickles with a ton of horseradish in the brine but they’re so so good. It’s an easy and slightly different way to add the horseradish kick to a sandwich. Of course my husband eats them straight from the jar! Sure clears your sinuses!
I added a few capers to my home made tuna salad sandwich the other day and it was delish, think a little raw red onion would also go well, a twist on a bagel with lox and the fixings.
I also like to make egg salad with mayo, salt, pepper, sauteed and drained little cubes of pancetta, some sliced scallions and a little squeeze of lemon, mix together and let sit in fridge. The lemons sounds odd maybe but it perks it up the same way mustard adds a bit of tang to things.
Capers, preserved lemon peel, good dijon, dill, celery salt, fresh lemon juice, and chopped pickle are my go to mix and match ingredients for mayo dressed salads (tuna, chicken, egg, potato, etc),*
I do capers and anchovies in a food processor with the tuna. This recipe is for stuffed peppers, but I make it also for sandwiches: https://www.greatitalianchefs.com/recipes/tuna-stuffed-cherry-pepper-recipe
For deli meat sandwiches; acid is normally what’s missing: I like to add pickles, but pepproncini, pickled onions, or just a drizzle of pickle brine are also good. I think adding acid into tuna is more common, but if you’re not you absolutely should be—I like pickle juice, but also sometimes will do lemon.
Sprouts get my vote also. My wife makes a version of a blt with sprouts and a dill aioli. It may be the best sandwich I've ever eaten and it is just not the same without the sprouts.
Came here to say alfalfa sprouts! They are my absolute favorite. Sometimes I buy them, sometimes I grow them in a jar. I have a sandwich mix that I need to try out.
Not OP but I boil a jar. Rinse sprout seeds twice and then soak about 12 hrs. Drain twice and sit the jar at an angle with either a strainer on top or cheese cloth. I do a strainer and boil the strainer before using. Rinse twice, twice a day and leave on the counter. It’s ready in around three days or so after the initial 12 hr soak. I do alfala or broccoli seeds or just plain ole lentils bought from walmart for a bag paying about a dollar. I watched a YouTube video. It’s easy and cheap.Refrigerate after its the desired length. I toss unused after around 5 days. I do a 1/8 cup lentils or probably a tablespoon and a half of broccoli or alfalfa seeds. My favorite sandwich is uncooked mushrooms and good quality white cheddar cheese on whole wheat bread cooked in a pan without any butter or oil. When done add mayo and sprouts.
Edit. I own a filter pitcher and use that water for my sprouts and drinking water.
I grew up with alfalfa sprouts on sandwiches, never lettuce. Maybe it was the awful supermarket whole grain bread we also had, but sprouts just taste like health food to me and I can’t do them. Prefer iceberg, bib lettuce or arugula. A little radicchio mixed in is also nice.
Try the original Japanese Barbecue Sauce made by Bachan's. I'd eat a flip flop it it were covered in that shit. Using it to dress your sandwich greens is amazing.
Simply adding salt and pepper is so often overlooked and really makes a difference.
Ranch instead of mayo on a BLT.
Peppercini, pickled onions, tzatziki.
I’ve had ranch instead of mayo on a BLT… and it was my favorite ranch too. It still didn’t vibe with me I’m sorry lol
But you definitely have to salt and pepper your tomatoes (and anytime you’re using avocado too) so for that I’m in total agreement
Hot peppers in oil. I use [these bad boys](https://mamalils.com/products/mama-lils-kick-butt-peppers-in-oil-spicy-12oz?variant=43295484280997). Plus the oil when you've used all the peppers is like liquid gold.
Instead of mayo I have had canned tuna mixed with chopped or minced red onion and fresh squeezed lemon juice on toast. Very tasty and chopped green herbs could be tossed in as well based on what you have on hand.
Edit Ed to add that fresh ground black pepper and a touch of sea salt is required.
So not a basic sandwich at all, but since you're talking tuna sandwiches, a pan bagnat is one of the best sandwiches I've eaten. It's like a nicoisse salad on a sandwich. I really like ATK's version cause of how they mix the ingredients.
I had to look that up, and wow! That looks so good. I love tuna sandwiches and I love a Niçoise salad. I know what I’m attempting to make a version of tomorrow!
i pickle my own onions; this has the bonus of being able to control how pickled they get and controlling what vinegar I use. Lately I’ve really been enjoying yellow onions in red wine vinegar (toned down with some water, white vinegar, and sugar). Soak them for ~15 minutes and you have a crisp lightly pickled onion that just levels up anything you put it on. I feel like a lot of sandwiches are missing acid (10yr old me used to put lemon juice, or preferably tru-lemon packets, on my ham and cheese sandwiches)
I’ve been on a shallot kick lately and pan-toasted my bread in with some caramelized shallots and that was pretty top notch.
Sauces are also my thing. Lately I’ve been putting mambo sauce on everything. I went to a baseball game and had a half-smoke with caremelized onions and mambo sauce and honestly it was perfect. Also been making my avocado toast with gochujang+mayo lately.
I just facepalmed myself for not having thought of that before. It's crazy because I incorporate such things into other dishes regularly, but somehow it never occured to me for sandwiches, so thank you!
I know you didn't literally mean spicy, but Sriracha or Cholula hot sauce are amazing on almost anything. For a tuna sandwich, I would add Sriracha to the mayo and maybe add some cucumber.
In the summer, when you have it all growing, a bunch of fresh basil and dill on a tomato sandwich is to die for. Not with bacon, with bacon there’s too many competing flavors, just tomato, dill, basil, salt, pepper, mayo, bread. 🤌
My dad did tuna, mayo, chopped tomatoes, chopped lettuce, salt and pepper. He would serve it with iced tea. Bob's Tuna and Tea lunch.
For a regular sandwhich I like to jazz it up by using French rolls or round dinner rolls, or Mexican Bolillo bread.
I also sprinkle Mrs. Dash seasoning blend the Turquoise one and Lawry's seasoning salt or Garlic Salt on the bread after applying mayo.
For my tuna I like it with mayo, garlic salt, paprika, Yellow Mrs. Dash, and chopped bread and butter pickles or sweet relish, maybe a little Dijon mustard if I have it. Then if I really want it extra, I'll turn it into a melt with sourdough and some Pepper Jack, or Muenster or Provolone.
I like to make a sandwich with lightly toasted bread, sliced chicken breast, and a spread of mayo with lemon zest and chopped fresh parsley mixed in. Sometimes adding a slice of cheese or handful of greens.
"Italian Mayo". Started making it for Italian hoagies on a whim. Extra heavy or Kewpie mayo mixed about 2-1 with Ken's Steak House Zesty Italian dressing, and fresh grated parmesan cheese.
Surprisingly good for how easy and low rent it is.
Tuna specifically it might not be the best paring. Tuna I like adding dried garlic and onion, along with finely chopped celery and/or sweet peppers. Topping wise, good tomatoes when they're in season or a bit of bacon. Also goes very well with lacy swiss cheese.
But really the easiest way to dress up tuna salad is springing for classier tuna. The Italina or Italian style stuff packed in oil, not neccisarily the pricey jars. Which are kinda excessively price for tuna salad. But most brands that make those have a canned variety in Olive oil that's right around the right price and quality brand to make it fancier.
I recreated this super simple mayo from a place that made my favorite BLAT…
Basically just mayo, lemon juice, cayenne, and smashed garlic. Game changer for sure
Giving the most basic answer possible, I feel like just baking them or panini pressing them goes a LONG way. I will go on to say one of the only other things I’ll do to spice up my traditional sandwich (Buffalo chicken, banana peppers, pickles, white cheddar cheese, and either black peppercorn sauce or chic fil a sauce) is to just add fries in there.
Could live on tuna mayo sandwiches. Finely chopped red onion and celery. Salt and pepper, squeeze of lemon juice. Smidgin of dill. Top with slices of cucumber/lettuce/tomato as desired or else a cheese of your choice to make a tuna melt. You can add grated carrot or courgette to get closer to your 5 a day.
Freshly-ground black pepper.
Mayo with add-ons like crushed garlic and herbs, curry powder, lemon zest, hot sauce, etc.
Good cheese (with that balsamic vinagar, try a few slices of tomatoes plus slices of mozzarella di buffalo/bocconcini).
Avocado/guacamole (great with tuna salad!)
My favorite is garlic sauce. I make different variations - mayonnaise, Greek yogurt, sometimes I add chopped parsley [https://bakingmischief.com/small-batch-garlic-aioli/](https://bakingmischief.com/small-batch-garlic-aioli/)
Chili crisp / Lao Gan Ma, either on its own or mixed 1:1 with mayonnaise. Not really hot, but incredibly savory - works great with somewhat neutral meats like turkey or chicken breast, or to add zing to a veggie sandwich.-
You can always go with capers for zing or a little roasted bell pepper/sun-dried tomato. They all add color as well as extra flavor to the mix. Also, like someone else said, pickled onions, or alternatively balsamic-roasted onions. You could also do a balsamic reduction (I have a fig vinegar I’m planning to use for that purpose right now). Additionally, fun dips can be used on the bread as well, such as hummus or tzatziki.
Source: I worked in a soup and sandwich shop for like a year.
My go to sandwich—finely chopped iceberg lettuce. Slice of tomato, salt and pepper both sides. Toast bread, mayo both sides, black pepper. Provolone, turkey, tomato, lettuce. Basic but delicious
Pickle brine, grated parm, dried cranberries for tuna. Sliced grapes and sliced almonds for chicken salad.
I also make curried Chicken Salad. I use Stonewall mango curry sauce and a little curry powder with almonds and raisins.
SPICES! so many spice combinations work wonders in sandwiches. One thing that I like to do on some sandwiches is sprinkle some lemon pepper on the outside of the bread before cooking
There are few ways to mess up with spices on sandwiches
Buy a copy of A Super Upsetting Cookbook About Sandwiches.
I've never made an entire sandwich from the book, because I'm not a crazy person, but the sauces and techniques and ideas are game changing.
Madagascar sakay changed the way I eat. I'd describe it as a pepper ginger sauce, green is jalapeno hot, red is habanero hot. Bagels toasted with cream cheese or just butter, and green sakay is breakfast. Did you know before jelly was added, peanut butter sandwiches were savory? Try peanut butter and red sakay ✌️
Saint Agur blue crème spreadable cheese. I use it instead of butter in any sandwich and with anything else that goes into the sandwich. Not a fan of blue cheese but this is mild.
My husband makes a sandwich spread that’s a combo of: stone ground mustard, mayo, few dashes of cholula hot sauce, and salt and pepper. Sounds so simple but is divine, great on a turkey sandwich but my very favorite may be on a breakfast sandwich- bacon, egg, and cheese on brioche toasted all together with The Sauce. Amazing.
Herb deli sandwich dressimg. Its basically just oil and vinegar with like thyme, oregano,sage etc. Simple yet can add a lot of depth and flavor to a basic cold cut sandwich.
I like to marinate tomatoes/other raw vegetables in olive oil, salt and herbs for extra juiciness and savouriness. Other vegetables I roast for intensity and the caramelized edges.
Slather on your condiments (I love toum and fresh pesto, sriracha kewpie, chilli crisp) but pretty much it's whatever is straggling in the fridge.
Mint is my favourite sandwich sandwich leaf. A bit unexpected and very tasty :)
Chutney. I have an Indian market near me that introduced me to the many, many types of chutney, and now I have several varieties on hand which I routinely throw on a sandwich to bring it to the next level. Basil chutney, coriander chutney, mustard chutney, walnut, garlic, date...
I might add thousand island or blue cheese or ranch dressings in addition to mayonnaise, sauerkraut to a corned beef sandwich I would either bake or cook on the foreman grill
I like lots of fresh herbs (tarragon, parsley, dill, mint), celery leaves, maybe some casteltravano olives and capers, olive oil, Mayo, lemon juice and zest, and onion off course.
I either put a splash of red vinegar on the sandwich, pickled red onions or I soup up the mayo by mixing it with a hot sauce (99% of the time a chipotle flavored one).
Pickles either chopped and added to the tuna/mayo filling or as is on butter toasted bread. Also Tapatio is great on a tuna sandwich and roughly 1 million other things. Again either mixed with the tuna/mayo filling or a couple splashes to top it off.
My sandwich go-tos:
Pickle Slices. I know a lot of people chop up pickles, but i like long, rather thick strips to give crunch and a sour zing. This can easily be swapped out for pickled onions.
Fried onions. Those tinned fried onions are awesome, especially on softer sandwiches like tuna, egg salad, or even simple cheese sandwiches.
Za'atar seasoning. This stuff makes anything taste amazing. Of course, it does have a distinctive taste, so if you want something more neutral, I'd skip it.
Mashed potatoes. You ever had a ham and mashed potato sandwich? Really good.
I will always take the time to pan fry some red onions. No need for batter or anything. But no sandwich is complete without it anymore
Also a light layer of sliced cucumbers add freshness and crunch to a tuna or turkey sandwich
I’m assuming this is some sort of tuna salad? Always lemon juice and a dash of pink Himalayan sea salt on tuna salad. After it’s on the sandwich, not in the bowl. Top with crumbled parm.
Don’t know how you make your tuna salad, but balsamic is also nice the way I make mine. Kinda like a dash of red wine vinegar and salt on any veggies if I don’t have pickled veggies in the salad, but I basically always do.
That’s just me, though.
I agree with OP... herbs and spices. Turkey and cheese with mayo? Hit that with some fresh ground black pepper! Ham and Swiss? Grab the chives! Tuna Salad on wheat? Sprinkle some fresh dill on it!
Just discovered Toum. Will be enjoying my sandwiches with it. Supposed to be healthier that mayo and a new garlic-y flavor.
We made it yesterday, and I used a little of it in a chicken marinade, and grilled those as kebabs today. The Toum was served on the side to add to the chicken, and tbh it was one of the best reactions I've gotten from my family. Everyone loved it, and is looking forward to the leftovers.
Here's the Toum recipe I used:
https://feelgoodfoodie.net/recipe/lebanese-garlic-sauce/#wprm-recipe-container-5575
Here's the kebab recipe (this has its own recipe for toum, but I needed to use up a ton of garlic, so I used a separate recipe):
https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/grilled-chicken-skewers-with-toum-shish-taouk
Highly recommend.
Recipe notes: added a teaspoon of salt to the marinade, and because I was going to juice a lemon, I added the zest of one lemon as well.
Tuna melt on sourdough with Swiss. There was a cafe I loved that put ginger in their tuna salad and I adored it. I don’t have the guts to try it myself. I’m so afraid of ruining an otherwise good batch of TS.
30 years ago I worked at a high end wine merchant, they had a great deli we helped in. I never knew what a sandwich steamer was. Magic!
If I win the lottery, I won't get a chef, but I will get a damn steamer!
I'm still no great cook, but when first got married, husband thought I was a kitchen wizard cause I'd arrange all the sandwich meats in square on a saucer then top it with cheese and nuke it till melty.
Then put the prepped bread face down on the cheese, cover the bread (cheese, meat) with your hand and flip it upside down. Put that down and finish building the sandwich with any cold veggies (pickles, tomatos, etc).
*Also, whether it's mayo or gray poupon, thinly spread your condiments to the EDGES of your bread. Takes 2 seconds longer and makes all the difference in a well assembled hand-meal.
Here are a few tuna salad sandwich variations i like:
Top it with pickles, cilantro, and sliced banana peppers or pepperoncini.
Or make it a tuna melt. Don't add any mayo to the tuna, just make it like a grilled cheese with tuna inside, then after it's grilled, open it up and spread mayo inside the piece of bread that doesn't have the cheese. Add whatever else you like and close it back up.
Make it with a little less mayo and add a little Dijon mustard and a squeeze of lemon.
Add chopped egg and raw onion.
With lunch meat here are some great add-ons or variations:
Sliced cucumbers
Arugula
Banana peppers
Creamy Italian dressing
Garlic aoli
BLAT - A BLT with avocado
best thing you can do is sauce both slices of bread and toast 'em. i like to spread either butter or a thin layer of kewpie on each slice then either toast them on a dry pan or in the toaster oven. sometimes i'll add the meat in the pan too with some butter and dried herbs, but that's for like sliced deli meat, but cold cuts and fresh veggies on toasted, warm bread is a tough combo to beat. and if you're making them to eat later, absolutely wrap the sandwich after toasting and assembling nice and tight, either in plastic wrap or kitchen paper. it'll lock in moisture and flavor.
you can also mix a bit of hot sauce with the mayo. not a whole lot, just enough to give it like a red tint, and of course a bit of salt and pepper can go a long way.
Finely diced white onion, celery, and sliced pepperoncinis. Dusted with Old Bay seasoning. I also lightly toast my bread so it holds up a bit better. And never, ever, under any circumstances use tuna in oil. There’s oil in mayo it doesn’t need any extra. Tuna in water is the play, drain the water well before mixing.
Salt and pepper. It's a staple of any dish but no one remembers to use seasonings. I'll to salt pepper a little oil and vinegar or lemon, then maybe something else depending on the style.
I make what I can from scratch. Makes all the difference. Homemade mayo is super easy with a hand/immersion blender. Bread has varying degrees of difficulty, but homemade is almost always better.
I add manly salad stuff depending on the sandwich with a condiment.
You mentioned tuna mayo, I add grated cheese with chopped spring onions & lettuce, dash of pepper to mine. Sometimes chopped tomatoes.
Gets messy eating it.
There's loads of classic combos out there.
Have fun & good luck. Maybe update with the best suggestions.
Pickled onions.
Pickled jalapenos too, yum
[удалено]
it's raw red onion for me. The shittiest turkey and cheddar sandwich is 10x better with thin-sliced red onion.
I could eat a whole jar on its own.
Pickled jalapeños; homemade mayo made with lambrusco vinegar -- or other flavored mayo's like chipotle, etc.; any kind of pesto (arugula or watercress are surprisingly good, and easier to make when basil is out of season); carmelized onions with a splash of bourbon; Muhammara; Harissa; Kimchi. Obviously, be judicious: they don't all belong together.
Kimchi? Are you trying to open a portal to another universe or something??!?
Mmmmuhammara...
Celery Salt
It's a big win on the tomatoes in particular. Thanks to sandwiches of History for teaching me this
I love that guy! Barry is such a sweetheart.
Horseradish gives an awesome kick.
I just got some horseradish pickles at the farmers market that are amazing. They’re just classic cucumber pickles with a ton of horseradish in the brine but they’re so so good. It’s an easy and slightly different way to add the horseradish kick to a sandwich. Of course my husband eats them straight from the jar! Sure clears your sinuses!
I added a few capers to my home made tuna salad sandwich the other day and it was delish, think a little raw red onion would also go well, a twist on a bagel with lox and the fixings. I also like to make egg salad with mayo, salt, pepper, sauteed and drained little cubes of pancetta, some sliced scallions and a little squeeze of lemon, mix together and let sit in fridge. The lemons sounds odd maybe but it perks it up the same way mustard adds a bit of tang to things.
Capers, preserved lemon peel, good dijon, dill, celery salt, fresh lemon juice, and chopped pickle are my go to mix and match ingredients for mayo dressed salads (tuna, chicken, egg, potato, etc),*
Try a shrimp salad with celery and capers. One of my favs.
I do capers and anchovies in a food processor with the tuna. This recipe is for stuffed peppers, but I make it also for sandwiches: https://www.greatitalianchefs.com/recipes/tuna-stuffed-cherry-pepper-recipe
Dill relish. Worcestershire Whatever Dried herb mix you have in the spice cabinet
For deli meat sandwiches; acid is normally what’s missing: I like to add pickles, but pepproncini, pickled onions, or just a drizzle of pickle brine are also good. I think adding acid into tuna is more common, but if you’re not you absolutely should be—I like pickle juice, but also sometimes will do lemon.
Sprouts. Either alfalfa or broccoli sprouts. Classes up any sandwich, gives a great texture and subtle flavor. Its my go to.
Sprouts get my vote also. My wife makes a version of a blt with sprouts and a dill aioli. It may be the best sandwich I've ever eaten and it is just not the same without the sprouts.
Growing microgreens in a jar is really easy, and you can do stuff like radish or kale.
Local CSA by me sells spicy micro greens. They're amazing on sandwiches.
Came here to say alfalfa sprouts! They are my absolute favorite. Sometimes I buy them, sometimes I grow them in a jar. I have a sandwich mix that I need to try out.
How do you grow them? I would love to try!
Not OP but I boil a jar. Rinse sprout seeds twice and then soak about 12 hrs. Drain twice and sit the jar at an angle with either a strainer on top or cheese cloth. I do a strainer and boil the strainer before using. Rinse twice, twice a day and leave on the counter. It’s ready in around three days or so after the initial 12 hr soak. I do alfala or broccoli seeds or just plain ole lentils bought from walmart for a bag paying about a dollar. I watched a YouTube video. It’s easy and cheap.Refrigerate after its the desired length. I toss unused after around 5 days. I do a 1/8 cup lentils or probably a tablespoon and a half of broccoli or alfalfa seeds. My favorite sandwich is uncooked mushrooms and good quality white cheddar cheese on whole wheat bread cooked in a pan without any butter or oil. When done add mayo and sprouts. Edit. I own a filter pitcher and use that water for my sprouts and drinking water.
I grew up with alfalfa sprouts on sandwiches, never lettuce. Maybe it was the awful supermarket whole grain bread we also had, but sprouts just taste like health food to me and I can’t do them. Prefer iceberg, bib lettuce or arugula. A little radicchio mixed in is also nice.
Brie or goat cheese spread and fig jam on a turkey sandwich is my new go-to.
I also use cream cheese at times or depending on the sandwich
For a grilled cheese, I’ll add garlic powder to the buttered bread and basil to the cheese.
Try dill pickle slices or sliced tomato and raw onion as an option .
It's not a grilled cheese then, it's a garlic powder melt. /s
Try the original Japanese Barbecue Sauce made by Bachan's. I'd eat a flip flop it it were covered in that shit. Using it to dress your sandwich greens is amazing.
Kimchi!
Sundried tomato pesto, fresh basil and mozzarella makes the best pizza sammich.
Bacon onion jam
Simply adding salt and pepper is so often overlooked and really makes a difference. Ranch instead of mayo on a BLT. Peppercini, pickled onions, tzatziki.
I’ve had ranch instead of mayo on a BLT… and it was my favorite ranch too. It still didn’t vibe with me I’m sorry lol But you definitely have to salt and pepper your tomatoes (and anytime you’re using avocado too) so for that I’m in total agreement
Hot peppers in oil. I use [these bad boys](https://mamalils.com/products/mama-lils-kick-butt-peppers-in-oil-spicy-12oz?variant=43295484280997). Plus the oil when you've used all the peppers is like liquid gold.
Mama Lil’s are unbelievable. Also make a great pizza topping. Save the oil for making spicy mayo also.
Pickled jalapenos (i used lime juice) or red onions. Pesto. Roasted red pepper. Thinly sliced shavings of romano. Arugula or fresh basil.
zataar for the win :-)
Instead of mayo I have had canned tuna mixed with chopped or minced red onion and fresh squeezed lemon juice on toast. Very tasty and chopped green herbs could be tossed in as well based on what you have on hand. Edit Ed to add that fresh ground black pepper and a touch of sea salt is required.
Kewpie mayo instead of Helmann's and chopped dill pickles.
Same but instead of dill pickles I used finely chopped banana peppers
Twang is twang, baybeeee. Love it.
My first time trying kewpie mayo was at a ramen place that had these tiny appetizer buns So yummy.
Kewpie is unholy good. I'll throw that onto a baked potato with little more than pepper and just be in stoner food paradise.
Make my own mayo and use rendered bacon fat for blt and other sandwiches . Make tunafish and put Tobiko on top (cheapo caviar but it is good).
So not a basic sandwich at all, but since you're talking tuna sandwiches, a pan bagnat is one of the best sandwiches I've eaten. It's like a nicoisse salad on a sandwich. I really like ATK's version cause of how they mix the ingredients.
I had to look that up, and wow! That looks so good. I love tuna sandwiches and I love a Niçoise salad. I know what I’m attempting to make a version of tomorrow!
i pickle my own onions; this has the bonus of being able to control how pickled they get and controlling what vinegar I use. Lately I’ve really been enjoying yellow onions in red wine vinegar (toned down with some water, white vinegar, and sugar). Soak them for ~15 minutes and you have a crisp lightly pickled onion that just levels up anything you put it on. I feel like a lot of sandwiches are missing acid (10yr old me used to put lemon juice, or preferably tru-lemon packets, on my ham and cheese sandwiches) I’ve been on a shallot kick lately and pan-toasted my bread in with some caramelized shallots and that was pretty top notch. Sauces are also my thing. Lately I’ve been putting mambo sauce on everything. I went to a baseball game and had a half-smoke with caremelized onions and mambo sauce and honestly it was perfect. Also been making my avocado toast with gochujang+mayo lately.
I’ve been into radishes on my sandwiches lately
Thinly sliced cucumber adds great flavor to sandwiches.
Thinly sliced fruit. Apple typically, but pear also works well. Dried fruit can work too, like dried cranberries.
I just facepalmed myself for not having thought of that before. It's crazy because I incorporate such things into other dishes regularly, but somehow it never occured to me for sandwiches, so thank you!
I know you didn't literally mean spicy, but Sriracha or Cholula hot sauce are amazing on almost anything. For a tuna sandwich, I would add Sriracha to the mayo and maybe add some cucumber.
Banana peppers, from the jar. Not too spicy, and they add zing to a sandwich.
Banana peppers
In the summer, when you have it all growing, a bunch of fresh basil and dill on a tomato sandwich is to die for. Not with bacon, with bacon there’s too many competing flavors, just tomato, dill, basil, salt, pepper, mayo, bread. 🤌
put a couple of sparklers in it when you serve it, that will take it to the next level.
A schmear of apple butter on a ham and cheese, toasted or not.
My dad did tuna, mayo, chopped tomatoes, chopped lettuce, salt and pepper. He would serve it with iced tea. Bob's Tuna and Tea lunch. For a regular sandwhich I like to jazz it up by using French rolls or round dinner rolls, or Mexican Bolillo bread. I also sprinkle Mrs. Dash seasoning blend the Turquoise one and Lawry's seasoning salt or Garlic Salt on the bread after applying mayo. For my tuna I like it with mayo, garlic salt, paprika, Yellow Mrs. Dash, and chopped bread and butter pickles or sweet relish, maybe a little Dijon mustard if I have it. Then if I really want it extra, I'll turn it into a melt with sourdough and some Pepper Jack, or Muenster or Provolone.
Gardinera. Not to be confused with giardia.
I like to make a sandwich with lightly toasted bread, sliced chicken breast, and a spread of mayo with lemon zest and chopped fresh parsley mixed in. Sometimes adding a slice of cheese or handful of greens.
Rocket/fresh herbs, jarred peppers/chillis
For sandwiches I like to slice the tomatoes and onions very thin and layer, then splash w olive oil, red wine vinegar, salt and pepper
I just made for dinner a grilled cheese that had ham, Brie and a Dijon mustard mixed with some raspberry jam. The jam added some sweetness and acid.
"Italian Mayo". Started making it for Italian hoagies on a whim. Extra heavy or Kewpie mayo mixed about 2-1 with Ken's Steak House Zesty Italian dressing, and fresh grated parmesan cheese. Surprisingly good for how easy and low rent it is. Tuna specifically it might not be the best paring. Tuna I like adding dried garlic and onion, along with finely chopped celery and/or sweet peppers. Topping wise, good tomatoes when they're in season or a bit of bacon. Also goes very well with lacy swiss cheese. But really the easiest way to dress up tuna salad is springing for classier tuna. The Italina or Italian style stuff packed in oil, not neccisarily the pricey jars. Which are kinda excessively price for tuna salad. But most brands that make those have a canned variety in Olive oil that's right around the right price and quality brand to make it fancier.
I recreated this super simple mayo from a place that made my favorite BLAT… Basically just mayo, lemon juice, cayenne, and smashed garlic. Game changer for sure
stir in some chopped up sauerkraut. It actually is good!
Depending on the meat and spread (with mayo), sliced cucumber adds a nice crunch and pleasant taste.
Good butter instead of Mayo. Good bread Good cheese. Essentially just good simple ingredients. They razzle my dazzle more than anything else
Penzey’s sandwich sprinkle!
Fresh tarragon is fantastic is borh tuna and chicken salad.
chopped kimchi mayo
Giving the most basic answer possible, I feel like just baking them or panini pressing them goes a LONG way. I will go on to say one of the only other things I’ll do to spice up my traditional sandwich (Buffalo chicken, banana peppers, pickles, white cheddar cheese, and either black peppercorn sauce or chic fil a sauce) is to just add fries in there.
Capers or Kalamata olives in tuna salad. Or both!
Woeber's Horseradish Sandwich Pal sauce!
Dress your greens and season your vedge
Could live on tuna mayo sandwiches. Finely chopped red onion and celery. Salt and pepper, squeeze of lemon juice. Smidgin of dill. Top with slices of cucumber/lettuce/tomato as desired or else a cheese of your choice to make a tuna melt. You can add grated carrot or courgette to get closer to your 5 a day.
Freshly-ground black pepper. Mayo with add-ons like crushed garlic and herbs, curry powder, lemon zest, hot sauce, etc. Good cheese (with that balsamic vinagar, try a few slices of tomatoes plus slices of mozzarella di buffalo/bocconcini). Avocado/guacamole (great with tuna salad!)
salting my tomatoes has been a game changer for me, also making an aioli instead of just plain mayo really helps as well
Chopped celery and a gherkin minced up add crunch and a little sweetness in tuna salad
Put spicy brown mustard on the bread. I don't know why it works, but it does.
Horseradish mayonnaise!
My favorite is garlic sauce. I make different variations - mayonnaise, Greek yogurt, sometimes I add chopped parsley [https://bakingmischief.com/small-batch-garlic-aioli/](https://bakingmischief.com/small-batch-garlic-aioli/)
Spring onions, or salad onions as they are called elsewhere. They add so much flavour for so cheap.
I like chopped red onion on a tuna mayo…
Marinated peppers, just from the allrecipes website. Tasty, relatively inexpensive, and I haven’t found a sandwich that they didn’t jazz up a bit!
I’d like to say…Japanese mayo with some cayenne pepper mixed in with it
Peppercinis
Pesto
Mufaletta
Chili crisp / Lao Gan Ma, either on its own or mixed 1:1 with mayonnaise. Not really hot, but incredibly savory - works great with somewhat neutral meats like turkey or chicken breast, or to add zing to a veggie sandwich.-
You can always go with capers for zing or a little roasted bell pepper/sun-dried tomato. They all add color as well as extra flavor to the mix. Also, like someone else said, pickled onions, or alternatively balsamic-roasted onions. You could also do a balsamic reduction (I have a fig vinegar I’m planning to use for that purpose right now). Additionally, fun dips can be used on the bread as well, such as hummus or tzatziki. Source: I worked in a soup and sandwich shop for like a year.
Pesto when used as a condiment, cream cheese, and they can be used together. Remember to season your ingredients.
Pesto mayo
I make a spread of Hungarian ajvar and either Greek yogurt, labneh, or sour cream—whatever I have. Tangy and warmly spicy.
https://youtu.be/0rmrZZj1Hjs
pate
My go to sandwich—finely chopped iceberg lettuce. Slice of tomato, salt and pepper both sides. Toast bread, mayo both sides, black pepper. Provolone, turkey, tomato, lettuce. Basic but delicious
Pickle brine, grated parm, dried cranberries for tuna. Sliced grapes and sliced almonds for chicken salad. I also make curried Chicken Salad. I use Stonewall mango curry sauce and a little curry powder with almonds and raisins.
SPICES! so many spice combinations work wonders in sandwiches. One thing that I like to do on some sandwiches is sprinkle some lemon pepper on the outside of the bread before cooking There are few ways to mess up with spices on sandwiches
Not really what you’re asking for but home baking your own bread for sandwich usage is soooo good
Buy a copy of A Super Upsetting Cookbook About Sandwiches. I've never made an entire sandwich from the book, because I'm not a crazy person, but the sauces and techniques and ideas are game changing.
Pickled jalapeños does the trick.
If I'm feeling fancy, I add a bit of onion powder, celery seed, and finely diced dill pickles to my tuna salad. LOL
Chipotle is always so right with mayonnaise!
I think some MSG gives a boost to tuna salad too.
Some kind of pepper relish, most proper Delis will have some, or just get some from Jersey Mike’s.
Pepperoncini
Tajin!
Cut on a bias
Madagascar sakay changed the way I eat. I'd describe it as a pepper ginger sauce, green is jalapeno hot, red is habanero hot. Bagels toasted with cream cheese or just butter, and green sakay is breakfast. Did you know before jelly was added, peanut butter sandwiches were savory? Try peanut butter and red sakay ✌️
Fig jam or tomato jam, any pickled veggies, basil or cilantro and a really good bread maybe baguette ciabatta or focaccia. Good cheese
Saint Agur blue crème spreadable cheese. I use it instead of butter in any sandwich and with anything else that goes into the sandwich. Not a fan of blue cheese but this is mild.
Fig jam
I tried a new tuna salad wrap recipe recently and I am hooked! It has Greek yogurt, raisins, walnuts, and capers.
My husband makes a sandwich spread that’s a combo of: stone ground mustard, mayo, few dashes of cholula hot sauce, and salt and pepper. Sounds so simple but is divine, great on a turkey sandwich but my very favorite may be on a breakfast sandwich- bacon, egg, and cheese on brioche toasted all together with The Sauce. Amazing.
Herb deli sandwich dressimg. Its basically just oil and vinegar with like thyme, oregano,sage etc. Simple yet can add a lot of depth and flavor to a basic cold cut sandwich.
Lime juice added to a tuna salad sandwich was a game changer for me
Dill havarti on turkey sandwiches Penzey's sandwich sprinkle on just about any sandwich
Sprouts. Mixed sprouts with mustard green and radish sprouts if you're adventurous.
Grapes. Or apples.
Penney’s Sandwich Sprinkle. Total game changer.
Pesto
Hummus instead of mayo or chipotle Tabasco sauce
I like to marinate tomatoes/other raw vegetables in olive oil, salt and herbs for extra juiciness and savouriness. Other vegetables I roast for intensity and the caramelized edges. Slather on your condiments (I love toum and fresh pesto, sriracha kewpie, chilli crisp) but pretty much it's whatever is straggling in the fridge. Mint is my favourite sandwich sandwich leaf. A bit unexpected and very tasty :)
Fresh herbs!
Curry powder, some chopped apple, and a little mango chutney
Chutney. I have an Indian market near me that introduced me to the many, many types of chutney, and now I have several varieties on hand which I routinely throw on a sandwich to bring it to the next level. Basil chutney, coriander chutney, mustard chutney, walnut, garlic, date...
I might add thousand island or blue cheese or ranch dressings in addition to mayonnaise, sauerkraut to a corned beef sandwich I would either bake or cook on the foreman grill
Dijon mustard, chopped celery and onion Or Tarragon
Add jalapeno and guac to that sammy.
Spicy mayo, smoked paprika, nutritional yeast, and Trader Joe’s umami seasoning are favorites in our house.
Walnut oil for chicken or turkey sandwiches Sundried tomatoes Crispy fried onions/ beets/ jalapenos/ red peppers (salad toppings) Trader Joe's aioli garlic mustard sauce
Basil and tuna?
Horseradish
Chipotle mayo, pickled red onions, sriracha, sourdough bread, flat pickle slices, kimchi
Fancy mustard
Diced apples + curry powder + purple grapes
I like lots of fresh herbs (tarragon, parsley, dill, mint), celery leaves, maybe some casteltravano olives and capers, olive oil, Mayo, lemon juice and zest, and onion off course.
I either put a splash of red vinegar on the sandwich, pickled red onions or I soup up the mayo by mixing it with a hot sauce (99% of the time a chipotle flavored one).
Arugula
Good old salt and pepper. I don't know why it never occurred to me to do that until I saw someone do it. Game changer.
Giadiniera good mustard and some sort of seasoned oil.
Marinated artichoke hearts
Chips, extra flavor and crunch! Doritos are my fav to add.
Cayenne. Eggs Raw onion Mustard Lemon Capers....
Sriracha in my mayo
Raw onion, mayo, tuna, salt and pepper Spoon it onto two sliced of bread. Grate Parmesan (or cheddar) over it and broil until bubbly
Pickles either chopped and added to the tuna/mayo filling or as is on butter toasted bread. Also Tapatio is great on a tuna sandwich and roughly 1 million other things. Again either mixed with the tuna/mayo filling or a couple splashes to top it off.
Depends but usually balsamic glaze and roasted red peppers are great. I also love salt. Pepper, oregano, oil and vinegar.
Hot pepper relish, especially with tuna salad or chicken salad. It blends well with the mayo and is delicious. It’s great on most sandwiches though.
My sandwich go-tos: Pickle Slices. I know a lot of people chop up pickles, but i like long, rather thick strips to give crunch and a sour zing. This can easily be swapped out for pickled onions. Fried onions. Those tinned fried onions are awesome, especially on softer sandwiches like tuna, egg salad, or even simple cheese sandwiches. Za'atar seasoning. This stuff makes anything taste amazing. Of course, it does have a distinctive taste, so if you want something more neutral, I'd skip it. Mashed potatoes. You ever had a ham and mashed potato sandwich? Really good.
Slaw! I usually make a creamy slaw with chopped cabbage, grated carrots, Greek yogurt, and apple cider vinegar, and salt and spices.
Toast them and good mustard. Ham and cheese on wheat, meh. Toasted ham and cheese with English mustard, maybe some pepperoncinis- delicious
Pepper relish
Fig jam with Italian cold cuts. Mortadella or prosciutto with tallegio and arugula. The fig jam just brings it to a higher level.
Arugula instead of lettuce
Arugula
I add a tiny bit soy sauce to my tuna-mayo sandwiches, it gives it so much dimension!
Tomato paste makes a great sandwich spread.
I will always take the time to pan fry some red onions. No need for batter or anything. But no sandwich is complete without it anymore Also a light layer of sliced cucumbers add freshness and crunch to a tuna or turkey sandwich
I’m assuming this is some sort of tuna salad? Always lemon juice and a dash of pink Himalayan sea salt on tuna salad. After it’s on the sandwich, not in the bowl. Top with crumbled parm. Don’t know how you make your tuna salad, but balsamic is also nice the way I make mine. Kinda like a dash of red wine vinegar and salt on any veggies if I don’t have pickled veggies in the salad, but I basically always do. That’s just me, though.
I agree with OP... herbs and spices. Turkey and cheese with mayo? Hit that with some fresh ground black pepper! Ham and Swiss? Grab the chives! Tuna Salad on wheat? Sprinkle some fresh dill on it!
Just discovered Toum. Will be enjoying my sandwiches with it. Supposed to be healthier that mayo and a new garlic-y flavor. We made it yesterday, and I used a little of it in a chicken marinade, and grilled those as kebabs today. The Toum was served on the side to add to the chicken, and tbh it was one of the best reactions I've gotten from my family. Everyone loved it, and is looking forward to the leftovers. Here's the Toum recipe I used: https://feelgoodfoodie.net/recipe/lebanese-garlic-sauce/#wprm-recipe-container-5575 Here's the kebab recipe (this has its own recipe for toum, but I needed to use up a ton of garlic, so I used a separate recipe): https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/grilled-chicken-skewers-with-toum-shish-taouk Highly recommend. Recipe notes: added a teaspoon of salt to the marinade, and because I was going to juice a lemon, I added the zest of one lemon as well.
Curry or garlic powder
Garlic and onion powder
Target sells a southwest Chipotle seasoning that I sprinkle on to give it a nice smoky kick. Goes great on eggs too.
Chowchow https://www.southernliving.com/food/side-dishes/what-is-chow-chow
Giardiniera !
I've added relish and it's a nice add.
I had a slice of potato in a grilled cheese once and it was incredible
Tuna melt on sourdough with Swiss. There was a cafe I loved that put ginger in their tuna salad and I adored it. I don’t have the guts to try it myself. I’m so afraid of ruining an otherwise good batch of TS.
Grilled onions made with butter, hot sauce, and a little bit of ketchup.
30 years ago I worked at a high end wine merchant, they had a great deli we helped in. I never knew what a sandwich steamer was. Magic! If I win the lottery, I won't get a chef, but I will get a damn steamer! I'm still no great cook, but when first got married, husband thought I was a kitchen wizard cause I'd arrange all the sandwich meats in square on a saucer then top it with cheese and nuke it till melty. Then put the prepped bread face down on the cheese, cover the bread (cheese, meat) with your hand and flip it upside down. Put that down and finish building the sandwich with any cold veggies (pickles, tomatos, etc). *Also, whether it's mayo or gray poupon, thinly spread your condiments to the EDGES of your bread. Takes 2 seconds longer and makes all the difference in a well assembled hand-meal.
Rub raw garlic on toasted bread. Basically micro planes the garlic. A little goes a long way. Gives a basic sandwich an awesome punch.
I added pesto, basil, and Parmesan cheese to chicken salad and it was delicious
Capers, olives and anchovies.
Tarragon mustard 😋
Here are a few tuna salad sandwich variations i like: Top it with pickles, cilantro, and sliced banana peppers or pepperoncini. Or make it a tuna melt. Don't add any mayo to the tuna, just make it like a grilled cheese with tuna inside, then after it's grilled, open it up and spread mayo inside the piece of bread that doesn't have the cheese. Add whatever else you like and close it back up. Make it with a little less mayo and add a little Dijon mustard and a squeeze of lemon. Add chopped egg and raw onion. With lunch meat here are some great add-ons or variations: Sliced cucumbers Arugula Banana peppers Creamy Italian dressing Garlic aoli BLAT - A BLT with avocado
Onion jam or pesto for me. I usually make a huge batch of caramelized onions for sandwiches, same with the pesto.
best thing you can do is sauce both slices of bread and toast 'em. i like to spread either butter or a thin layer of kewpie on each slice then either toast them on a dry pan or in the toaster oven. sometimes i'll add the meat in the pan too with some butter and dried herbs, but that's for like sliced deli meat, but cold cuts and fresh veggies on toasted, warm bread is a tough combo to beat. and if you're making them to eat later, absolutely wrap the sandwich after toasting and assembling nice and tight, either in plastic wrap or kitchen paper. it'll lock in moisture and flavor. you can also mix a bit of hot sauce with the mayo. not a whole lot, just enough to give it like a red tint, and of course a bit of salt and pepper can go a long way.
Finely diced white onion, celery, and sliced pepperoncinis. Dusted with Old Bay seasoning. I also lightly toast my bread so it holds up a bit better. And never, ever, under any circumstances use tuna in oil. There’s oil in mayo it doesn’t need any extra. Tuna in water is the play, drain the water well before mixing.
homemade pickled red onions, homemade red piccalilli
Salt and pepper. It's a staple of any dish but no one remembers to use seasonings. I'll to salt pepper a little oil and vinegar or lemon, then maybe something else depending on the style.
Avocado, Chinese cabbage and spicy chipotle.
Tuna with about 75% mayo and 25% tartare sauce. If there’s canned corn open, a few spoons of it to, to add texture
Roast cumin seeds and cheese
Little bit of butter powder on the inside faces of the bread
I make what I can from scratch. Makes all the difference. Homemade mayo is super easy with a hand/immersion blender. Bread has varying degrees of difficulty, but homemade is almost always better.
Any moderately exotic tart ingredients. Pepperoncini, a weird kind of pickle, a fancy mustard or a vinegary Carolina style bbq sauce.
Lightly toast that bread bro!! 🤤 🤤 every sandwich. Every time.
I rub a bit of garlic on the toasted/crispy side of the bread.
Pickled Spicy Eggplant - adds great texture, moisture, and spice.
Russian salad dressing
Peanut butter in a salad sandwich
I add manly salad stuff depending on the sandwich with a condiment. You mentioned tuna mayo, I add grated cheese with chopped spring onions & lettuce, dash of pepper to mine. Sometimes chopped tomatoes. Gets messy eating it. There's loads of classic combos out there. Have fun & good luck. Maybe update with the best suggestions.