The Easiest Hacks For The Best Homemade Sandwiches

Getting a sandwich right is, in my opinion, an art. This is where I intersect with Subway, which famously calls its employees sandwich artists, and honestly, I get it! This simplest of meal styles (bread + filling) is so easy to mess up, and they never quite compare to the ones you get from cafés, bakeries, or sub sandwich stores. Yes, part of that is down to the fact that you may not have the ingredients that those kinds of places have, and another part of it is that not every sandwich needs to be a restaurant-worthy affair – but some of it is also down to technique.

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Well, a few tweaks to said technique can make your homemade sandwiches so much better. Here are my favorite ways to amp them up, without any need to buy a load of gourmet fillings.

Give It A Chopped Salad Vibe

One of the main problems with sandwiches can be filling distribution. One bite contains one flavor, another bite contains another – and before you know it, you’re through all the good stuff, and left with a big mouthful of lettuce and the memory of what came before. 

One easy way to fix that, though, is by taking a chopped salad approach to your sandwiches. Rather than layering in your ingredients, chop them all up and mix them in a bowl before throwing them in. Even if you’re not binding them together with a dressing or good mayo, you’ll more evenly distribute your ingredients, so that every bite has maximum flavor. 

Use A V-Cut

The V-cut was used by Subway before it was phased out, mainly because it caused bread wastage and was slightly riskier for employees to execute. To be honest, those are both good reasons why it’s no longer around at the chain – but at home, with a little care, you probably won’t have the same issues. Rather than slicing your sub roll in half horizontally, cut a V shape in the top, and remove the strip of bread created from the middle. 

Why, I hear you ask? Well, because this helps to hold your fillings in place much more securely, leading to a better eating experience. This is especially useful for chunkier, saucier sandwiches, like meatballs with marinara sauce, but it can also be a good move if you’re just trying to make something really stacked. 

Get Your Bread-To-Filling Ratio Right

A good balance of bread and fillings can, and will, transform your sandwich. If you have too much bread, you lose all flavor; if you have too many fillings, it becomes unwieldy. Hit the sweet spot, and your sandwich will be a harmonized balance of taste and bready vehicle. 

According to Lan Lam, who discussed this in a video for America’s Test Kitchen (seen via YouTube), you usually want your bread to make up 25% of your sandwich. Toasting your sandwich bread can increase its structural integrity to deal with the other 75% of filling-based goodness. Where you might want to tweak this ratio slightly is if you’re working with especially wet fillings: Use slightly more bread to ensure stability. 

Season Well

Seasoning is an unsung hero of sandwich-making. Even if you’re using flavorful ingredients, an extra dash of pepper or a sprinkling of salt can amp up your sandwich to no end. It’s also particularly important to season well if your sandwich is dominated by salad leaves or vegetables.

So, add a pinch of salt and pepper (or some dried herbs, vinegar, or oil) on each layer of your sandwich while you’re building it. This might not be necessary on ingredients like cold cuts, but anything that you know needs a boost should get one.