There’s an art to making a great sandwich. Cold sandwiches depend on the little details, from how you layer the ingredients to the spread you put on the bread. Sure, you could just throw together whatever deli meats and condiments you have lying around in your fridge door, but to avoid a bland sandwich, you need to take every element of it into consideration. Luckily, we’ve done the hard work for you with these cold sandwich recipes.
From Master’s Egg Salad Sandwich (which is pretty close to the original) to Mini Muffuletta Sandwiches, we’ve rounded up the best recipes that are perfect to take on a road trip or to your local park. Whether you’re looking for something classic or something a little different like an Open Face Tomato Sandwich, there are plenty of delicious options to choose from.
Caitlin Bensel, Food Stylist: Tory Cox
Everyone has their own way of making a tomato sandwich, but we think we’ve found the best recipe, and it starts, of course, with perfectly ripe tomatoes.
Caitlin Bensel, Food Stylist: Tory Cox
You don’t have to have high tea to enjoy these sandwiches, they make great picnic finger food or a great post-game snack for little ones.
Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Margaret Monroe Dickey, Prop Stylist: Caleb Clark
The original recipe is closely guarded, but I think I’ve gotten as close to the real thing as possible with this recipe.
Victor Protacio, Food Styling: Ruth Blackburn, Prop Styling: Audrey Davis
A miniature version of the New Orleans classic, it features capocollo, ham and salami sandwiched between a salty olive salad.
Alison Miksch
This isn’t a traditional Southern tomato sandwich, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try it: The small amount of bread allows the true star of this recipe, the in-season tomatoes, to shine through.
Caitlin Bensel, Food Stylist: Tory Cox
The smoky honey mustard is what really sets this ham sandwich apart from the rest, and the use of paprika in this spread is what really makes this sandwich special.
Caitlin Bensel, Food Stylist: Tory Cox
This sandwich isn’t commonly found outside the South, and it’s a combination that sounds a little odd to those who’ve never tried it before, but trust us, it works.
Greg Dupree, Prop Styling: Kay E. Clark, Food Styling: Cat Steele
The homemade spread on these tea sandwiches is a blend of cream cheese and our signature Summer Sauce. What is Summer Sauce? A herb-and-garlic flavored dressing that makes any dish 10 times tastier.
Jennifer Causey, Prop Styling: Kristin Keeley, Food Styling: Tory Cox
Salads aren’t always the most portable, but this classic salad-inspired sandwich is — and it’s made with rotisserie chicken, which makes it easy to transport too.
Victor Protacio, Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer, Prop Stylist: Christina Daly
You don’t have to go to a tailgate party to enjoy this football-inspired sandwich. Fresh chopped herbs rolled around the edges take this simple pimiento cheese sandwich to the next level.
Antonis Achilleos, Prop Stylist: Claire Spollen, Food Stylist: Emily Neighbors-Hall
This is the perfect sandwich to eat after Thanksgiving, but you can make it year-round – just make sure you use good quality crusty bread, and for extra credit, you can even make your own bread using our No Knead Buttermilk Bread recipe.
Victor Protacio, Food Styling: Tina Bell Stamos, Prop Styling: Kristin Keeley
Although these mini sandwiches were designed as appetizers, their snack size makes them perfect for munching on during a picnic—plus, everything looks a little cuter when it’s mini, right?
Victor Protacio, Food Stylist: Emily Neighbors-Hall, Prop Stylist: Kathleen Varner
What we love most about this chicken salad are the tart dried cranberries (you can also use apple chunks if you prefer), and the absolute must-have is a generous dollop of mayonnaise.
Photography: Victor Protasio, Food Styling: Torie Cox, Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke
This recipe shows you how to cook salmon from scratch, but it also works great with leftover cold or smoked salmon.
Caitlin Bensel, Food Stylist: Tory Cox
Kids and adults alike will go crazy for this swirled BLT, and what we love most about this recipe is the basil mayonnaise, which gives a grown-up twist to a classic flavor, but isn’t too spicy so even picky eaters won’t be put off.
Photography: Victor Protacio, Prop Styling: Lindsay Lower, Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer
This turkey sandwich can be eaten warm, but I think it’s just as good cold, on a picnic blanket in the sun with a glass of lemonade.
Monica Farber/Southern Living
This sandwich is delicious warm, but is equally delicious chilled straight from the fridge. What makes our sandwich special is that we mix freshly grated garlic into the mayonnaise.
Caitlin Bensel, Food Stylist: Tory Cox
Unlike other cold sandwiches, this one is seasonal because it uses Thanksgiving leftovers like green bean casserole (which we know you don’t always have on hand), but save this recipe for the week after Turkey Day because it’s an indulgent sandwich you’ll look forward to every year.
