Five Bougie Sandwich Recipes

Move over, Subway. We’re about to get a little more creative with our sandwich-making skills – a little bougie, if you will. Here are a few of our favorite sandwich recipes that are over-the-top with flavor.

Croque Madame

(image via tastes better from scratch)

A ham and cheese sandwich – but make it Parisian-chic. This sophisticated croque madame from Tastes Better From Scratch is made with ham, Gruyère, Parmesan, and homemade béchamel and topped with a fried egg for a truly decadent brunch, lunch, or dinner option.

Ingredients:

For the Béchamel Sauce:

• ¼ cup unsalted butter
• ¼ cup all-purpose flour
• 1½ cups whole milk
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• ¼ tsp Dijon mustard
• Dash of ground nutmeg

For the Sandwiches:

• 8 thin slices white sandwich bread
• 5 oz ham (about 8 slices)
• 6 oz Gruyère cheese, grated (about 2½ cups)
• ¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 4 eggs

Instructions:

1. To make béchamel sauce, melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 3 minutes. Gradually add milk, stirring well until mixture is smooth. Cook, stirring, until sauce is slightly thickened. Season with salt and pepper.
2. Remove from heat and whisk in mustard and nutmeg. Set aside. Sauce can be made up to 1 week in advance and stored in the refrigerator.
3. To assemble sandwiches, preheat oven to 425° F. Line a baking tray with parchment paper and set aside.
4. Spread each bread slice with a thin layer of béchamel, spreading it all the way to the edges. Place 4 slices of bread, béchamel side up, on prepared baking sheet.
5. Top bread with a piece of ham and a sprinkle of freshly grated Gruyère and Parmesan. Top with another bread slice, béchamel side up, then sprinkle with remaining cheese.
6. Bake 5-6 minutes, until cheese is melted, then turn oven to broil and toast until cheese on top is lightly golden, 2-4 minutes.
7. While sandwiches bake, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Grease pan with butter or nonstick cooking spray and crack eggs into hot pan. Reduce heat to medium and cook for several minutes, until desired doneness. Place egg on top of each hot sandwich.

The Cubano

(image via the food charlatan)

The classics are classics for a reason, which is precisely how we feel about the Cubano, with its mojo-marinated pork, melty Swiss cheese, pickles, and tangy mustard. Check out this recipe from The Food Charlatan.

Ingredients:

• 6 oz thinly sliced boiled ham
• Softened butter, for brushing
• Six 6-inch soft baguettes or hero rolls, split lengthwise
• Yellow mustard, for brushing
• ¾ pound thinly sliced Cuban mojo-marinated pork or store-bought roast pork
• 8 oz thinly sliced Swiss cheese
• 3 half-sour dill pickles, thinly sliced

Instructions:

1. Heat a skillet over medium heat, and add sliced boiled ham. Cook 1 minute on each side, or until brown spots start to appear. Remove to a plate.
2. Brush or spread softened butter over cut side of each roll. Add to skillet and brown cut side of bread until golden.
3. When the bread is toasted, spread with mustard.
4. Layer pork, browned ham, Swiss, and sliced pickles. Top with bread. Brush top and bottom of the sandwich with butter.
5. Grill sandwiches in skillet, using another heavy skillet to press down. (Alternatively, use a panini press.) Cook 3 minutes, flip, and cook another 2-3 minutes. The outside should be crisp and golden and cheese should be melted.
6. Slice in half and devour immediately!

Veggie Sandwich With Dill Sauce

(image via food and wine/christina holmes)

This sandwich from Food and Wine is especially mouthwatering when you can incorporate tomato, onion, and cucumber from your local farmers market. Add some avocado, provolone cheese, and drool-worthy dill sauce to make a sandwich even carnivores can get behind.

Ingredients:

• ½ cup plain yogurt
• 3 Tbsp fresh dill, chopped
• 1½ tsp Dijon mustard
• 1 Tbsp cooking oil
• 1 tsp wine vinegar
• Salt and pepper
• 8 thick slices multigrain bread
• 8 lettuce leaves
• ½ pound sliced provolone
• 2 tomatoes, sliced
• 1 cucumber, peeled and sliced thin
• 1 small red onion, sliced very thin
• 1 ripe avocado, sliced
• 1 cup alfalfa sprouts

Instructions:

1. In a small bowl, stir together yogurt, dill, mustard, oil, vinegar, ¼ tsp salt, and ⅛ tsp pepper.
2. Spread 1 Tbsp of dill sauce on one side of each slice of bread. Top with lettuce, provolone, tomatoes, a sprinkling of salt and pepper, cucumber, onion, avocado, and sprouts.
3. Drizzle 1 Tbsp of dill sauce over each sandwich. Cover with remaining slices of bread.

Viral TikTok Grinder

(image via wellness by kay)

This hearty, fresh, and flavorful sandwich went viral for a reason – well, several reasons, such as the Italian cold cuts, the combination of provolone and Parmesan cheeses, and the tangy grinder salad. Check out this recipe from Wellness By Kay.

Ingredients:

For the Grinder Salad:

• ½ cup mayonnaise
• ½ head iceberg lettuce, shredded finely
• ½ red onion, sliced thinly
• ⅓ cup banana peppers, sliced
• 1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp oregano
• ½ tsp salt
• Pepper, to taste

For the Sandwich:

• 3 sub rolls
• ¼ pound salami
• ¼ pound pepperoni
• ¼ pound turkey
• ¼ pound provolone cheese
• 1 tomato, sliced
• ⅓ cup Parmesan cheese, grated

Instructions:

1. Start by preparing the grinder salad. In a large bowl, add mayo, red wine vinegar, garlic powder, oregano, salt, and pepper. Whisk to combine.
2. Add lettuce, red onion, and banana peppers. Combine thoroughly.
3. Assemble the sandwiches. Divide salami, pepperoni, and turkey among the rolls. Add cheese on top of meats.
4. Broil 2-3 minutes until cheese is melted and meat is crisped.
5. Remove subs from oven. Add tomato slices to the sandwiches. Season with salt and pepper.
6. Add a generous amount of grinder salad to each sandwich. Top with Parmesan.
7. Close the sandwiches, cut in half, and enjoy!

Garlic Bread Chicken Caesar Sandwich

(image via easy family recipes)

First of all, anything served on top of garlic bread is considered a win, in our opinion. It just so happens this garlic bread is topped with chicken Caesar salad. Check out this recipe from Easy Family Recipes.

Ingredients:

For the Toasted Garlic Bread:

• 1 loaf French bread
• ⅓ cup butter
• ½ tsp garlic salt
• ½ tsp Italian seasoning

For the Chicken Caesar Salad:

• 2 hearts romaine
• 2 cups shredded chicken
• ⅓ cup creamy Caesar dressing
• ¼ cup shaved Parmesan cheese

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350° F.
2. Cut French bread in half horizontally. Spread half of the butter on each side of loaf to coat. Sprinkle garlic salt and Italian seasoning evenly over butter.
3. Bake 8-10 minutes until the butter is melted. Broil 1 minute to get the edges golden brown and crispy.
4. To make salad, cut bottom 1-2 inches off the romaine to remove the core. Chop into bite-sized pieces and place in a large bowl.
5. Toss lettuce with dressing until evenly coated. Stir in the chicken and Parmesan.
6. Use tongs to place the salad mixture evenly down the length of the bottom piece of garlic bread. Place the top on and cut into 4-6 sandwiches for lunch or dinner or 8-12 sandwiches for an appetizer or finger food. Serve immediately.

Tried any of these sandwiches? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!