Seven All Time Favorite Sandwiches

I am so very sorry.

In advance, for what may happen to the interwebs as soon as this post is released...

THREE different lists(with a lot of similarities) in one post!

No, its not a listmania, since these are all the same topic. 


THREE PEOPLE have written about their favorite sandwiches for you today.  Me, KM, and our beloved Herc. 

We have all banded together in honor of August being National Sandwich Month.  They both submitted these posts, but I am the genius one that has sewn them all together into one massive, internet-breaking post.  I'd like to encourage you all to celebrate the month's end by enjoying one of your own favorite sandwiches.

You like sandwiches, right?  Don't even tell me if you don't.  I don't want to hear it.  Sandwiches are proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.  Believe me.

image from here

HERC EATS: My 7 All-Time Favorite Sandwiches

Many many people claim the classic PBJ as their first and best sandwich.  Others like a spicy chicken or a Dagwood, which as far as I can tell is one of those cartoony sandwiches piled high with EVERYTHING, the kind that Scooby and Shaggy used to make whenever they came across a kitchen in whatever haunted building they were exploring.  Sandwiches rank right next to pizza as the prefect combination of different food groups coming together to form a new food group.  (Sorry, stir fryers.)  And like pizza, there is ample room for creativity in constructing a sandwich - your rules rule.  Anything goes.  Here goes my list:

Home Division:

Jif Creamy Peanut Butter And Karo Light Corn Syrup Sandwich - I’m sure I was raised on traditional PBJs (ask My Moms) but somewhere along the way things done changed.  I used to be a Crunchy peanut butter man as well.  I experimented with Apricot Jam for a while and still enjoy honey as a spread with my peanut butter but my ultimate end-all, be-all make-it-myself sandwich consists of Jif brand peanut butter mixed in a small bowl with a small amount of Karo Light (clear) Corn Syrup spread over two slices of honey wheat bread.  Haven’t had one in years and years and, yes, years but I fondly remember them.

Oscar Mayer Ham and Cheese Loaf with Kraft Sandwich Spread and an extra slice of Kraft American Singles - The loaf is basically a processed ham with dots of cheese all over it.  Very organic, very natural.  The Sandwich Spread is basically a weak Thousand Island dressing, a mayo with relish concoction.  The American Singles - don’t call them “cheese” - merely amplify the tiny cheese nodules in the loaf.  

Tuna Salad Sandwich - This one’s been mentioned before, in the Essential Summer Foods post.  I like to dice up sweet onions, bread & butter pickles, red delicious apples and toss them with a few cans of tuna and a dollop or two of Miracle Whip.  I’ll make a huge batch and eat it all week.  My colon thanks me.  While I do enjoy a whole wheat pita pocket packed until its bursting at the seams, honey wheat bread is often the go-to choice.  And yes, I do often apply a slice of Kraft American Singles to each slice of bread or each side of the pita.

Away Division:

pretty much any BBQ brisket sandwich ever - As long as it is served either on a soft hamburger bun or white bread.  Pickle on the side and slaw on sandwich is optional, I can take them or leave them as the meat, the sauce and the bread are the star attraction.  A root beer or Dr. Pepper washes it all down so nice.

Sweet Onion Teriyaki Chicken Sandwich [Subway] - Foot long Honey Oat, double meat warmed but not toasted with American cheese, lettuce, bell peppers, onions and that tangy Sweet Onion sauce.  It all comes together nicely, very nicely.

Double Meat Double Cheese [Whataburger] - Aficionados may question the inclusion of a burger within a sandwich list but I would counter with the classic “write your own damn list” argument.  I like mine with no mustard but with ketchup and mayo instead.  A distant second is the Double Western from Carl’s Jr.

Albuquerque Turkey Sandwich [Baggins] - My dying wish is to unplug the machines/IVs keeping me alive and be force-fed these sandwiches by the gorgeous Mrs. Herc as if I were a toddler (“Open the hangar. Here comes the airplane”) until my heart cannot get any happier and simply stops trying.  It is a grilled slice of nirvana with turkey breast, sweet and hot peppers and onions and BBQ sauce and cheese coming together on a sub roll to make the ultimate sandwich.  Everything about it: the aromas, the texture, the consistency and the tastes are wonderful and delightful.  For the Ultimate Old Pueblo Meal, grab an Albuquerque Turkey, a Sonoran Hot Dog and a Cherry Cider eegee’s and find a shady spot with someone you love and a view of the mountains and enjoy it all.

KM EATS TOO! Seven All Time Favorite Sandwiches:

1. Roasted turkey sandwich from Panera. It's a simple sandwich that I get on sourdough with tomato, mayo, salt and pepper only. Simple but so delicious. I love it. The sourdough bread really makes it. If you've never had Panera, you should, it knocks Paradise out of the water. It is one place I always manage to go to when I'm back home.

2. Turkey Philly from Zuppa. This has to be one of my all time favorite sandwiches. It is AMAZING. It goes on this big giant white bread. Throw some sliced turkey on the flat top and throw some cheese on it. Put it on the bread and throw some ranch type dressing on it. So so so amazing. This was a go to place for me in high school. Sadly, it has since closed.

3. Turkey sandwich from Eegee's. I see a turkey trend. I had never heard of this place until I became friends with Devyn and she took me to Tucson. It's more sub like than sandwich like but delicious none the less. I get mine with lettuce, tomato, no pickle and add provolone. This is one of the few sandwiches that I will eat lettuce on. The sandwich also has mayo on it and for some reason tastes so yummy to me. I love this sandwich.

4. Herby turkey from Bruegger's Bagels. Oh man do I love this. I am known to get two when I go here because it is so rare that I get it. Picture this...plain bagel, toasted with a garlic herb cream cheese, sun dried tomato spread, tons of turkey and a big piece of lettuce. It comes with red onion to, but I never get that. My mouth is watering just describing it. Mmmmm...

5. The Unforgettable Baggins and The Afternooner from Baggins. I know this is two sandwiches but they are both so good and from the same place. This was also introduced to me by Devyn since it's a Tucson place. I have never had anything bad there. The first is turkey, cream cheese, mayo, bacon, sprouts and avocado and sourdough bread. The second is ham, turkey, provolone, Parmesan and olives (which I forgo) and some sort of sauce all on a croissant. You put anything on a croissant and I am pretty sure I would eat it. Plus when you order anything from here you get a slightly under baked chocolate chip cookie in your bag. It is the perfect end to a perfect sandwich.

6. Chicken Carbonara from Quiznos. Oh yum. I love this one. I have been eating and enjoying this sandwich since high school. I used to eat it after school on Friday before a night of drinking. Their white bread with chunks of chicken, mushrooms, bacon, mozzarella and a creamy bacon Alfredo sauce. Then they put it through their magical oven and it comes out all hot and melty. The best is when they put a little too much sauce on and it just starts dripping down your hand....

7. BLT. From nowhere in particular. I love a good blt. Lightly toasted bread, mayo on both sides, crispy bacon, juicy thick cut tomatoes and crisp crunchy lettuce. Sonic has a pretty good one surprisingly. There is just something so simple and so perfect about this sandwich. As long as the ingredients are good, you really can't go wrong.


Devyn's All Time Favorite Sandwiches:




Those sandwiches are good and all, but I've clearly saved the best for last.  Here is my definitive list of the best sandwiches as I see them.  Guess what, I broke my own rule and made a list of eight.  Eight with Devyn today!

PB&H - Me AND PB&J - Grandma D.  This just has to be on the list to pay homage to the sandwich that made me the connoisseur that I am today.  I make a delicious peanut butter and honey sandwich(preferably with chunky pb).  Sometimes I have been known to make it a triple decker.  Then, my grandma d made me the best peanut butter and jelly sandwiches all through my childhood - sorry mom!  She would make us picnics for the backyard and give us lays potato chips and somehow me and my cousins or brothers decided to put the chips on our sandwich.  BEST.IDEA.EVER.
 
Anasazi Chicken - Baggins.  Baggins is a Tucson sandwich shop.  I love the vibe and pretty much anything from their menu.  I have sampled most of the menu through the years and the Anasazi chicken is my go-to.  Chicken breast cooked with whole mustard and lemon, green chilies, buttered and toasted sourdough bread and cheese.  I am honestly getting distracted just writing about this.  Its that good.  Come to Tucson and I will take you to Baggin's.
 
Herby Turkey - Bruegger’s Bagels.  Just like KM, I happen to love this sandwich.  I never loved turkey as a kid, but as a non-kid I have certainly embraced the non-ham.  This sandwich is not good for you though.  Too much goodness.
 
Chicken Carbonara - Quizno’s.  A sub, truth be told.  To me, a sub is a sandwich.  This one is melty and gooey and everything a toasted sub should be.  Its the perfect transformation of a meal that you eat with a fork into a sandwich.  I love the bacon bits and the sauce so so much.  And something about chicken chunks reheated in water is so incredible moist(must be the water - ha.ha.).  And the generous sprinkle of Italian seasonings. 


Fried Chicken - Lucille’s BBQ.  Lucille's is a BBQ chain and has a location in Tempe.  They make delicious barbecue but they are very good at southern food and southern hospitality.  Fried chicken is a southern staple but when you put a fried chicken breast on a soft potato roll with cheese and whatever else they slap on it, its pretty much heaven.  Served with a mason jar of sweet tea, I am in heaven. 

Chicken Caesar Sandwich - Panera.  I like the turkey sandwich that KM was telling you about, but I LOVE their chicken Caesar salad more than life itself so one day I ordered this sandwich.  I'm not gonna lie, it was divine.  Another example of fork food to sandwich food perfection. 

Pitts-burgher Cheesesteak(or anything really) - Primanti Brothers.  If you haven't heard of this place, scroll up to the top and take a look at that picture.  Those are french fries and coleslaw and tomatoes on top of the traditional sandwich innards.  You can get any sandwich you want there, really.  Its special because they put a handful of french fries and a handful of coleslaw on top of it and in between the soft Italian bread.  Its a Steel City tradition.  I had my first and HATED it.  I gave it a second try two days later and was in nirvana. 

Turkey with Provolone - Eegee’s.  Tucson's finest subs.  Their cold delicious Eegee's are the real draw here, but their sandwiches and french fries are also worthwhile.  Soft bread, ample amounts of mayo, turkey, too much lettuce, and pickles! Yes please!!!




And there you have it...the best sandwiches from the three top critics I could find!  Tell me your faves and let me know if you need further details on all of these.