This recipe for our favorite classic egg salad sandwich was originally published way back in 2010 (yes I’ve been posting for over a decade!). I’ve refreshed it with a photo and a few slight modifications (most notably a link to my new method of hard-boiling eggs by steaming them). My husband loves egg salad- especially with a dusting of paprika- and every one of my kids will eat this without a fuss which is always a victory!
Because egg salad is all about the eggs, I think you should keep it simple. This is how egg salad should be done: gently chunked eggs, light on the mayonnaise (notice I’ve included a lighter alternative), chives for kick, and a splash of lemon to freshen it up. Serve it piled high on toasted whole wheat over a slice of smooth butter lettuce.
Egg Salad Sandwich
INGREDIENTS
8 large eggs 1/4 cup mayonnaise (or part mayo and part plain Greek yogurt) fresh chives, chopped squeeze of fresh lemon juice (about 1/2 tsp.) salt and pepper, to taste paprika, to garnish (optional) white or whole wheat bread, lightly toasted butter lettuce leaves
DIRECTIONS
1. Place the eggs in a large pot and cover with cold water. Place over high heat and bring to a boil. Immediately remove from the heat, cover, and let sit 10 minutes undisturbed. Remove the eggs from the water and rinse in cold water or set in a bowl full of ice water until cooled. Crack and peel each egg and place in a medium sized bowl. *OR try this steaming method which has become new my favorite!
2. Add the mayonnaise and a splash of lemon juice. Mash with a fork into bite-size chunks. Stir in the chives. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
3. To assemble the sandwich, place lettuce on one slice of the toasted bread. Top with some of the egg salad mixture, sprinkle with paprika (optional), then the second slice of bread. Repeat with the remaining sandwiches. Slice and serve.
These tuna melts are another frequently made dish around here that I’ve never shared before. I haven’t included amounts because I never measure and it all depends on how many people you’re serving and how much they eat. (And how you like your tuna- light or heavy on the mayo, extra pickles or onion, etc.) About the pickles… trust me on this one- diced dill pickles make tuna salad so much better! My husband is the one who first convinced me to add them and now it’s the only way we make it.
I’ve actually had an aversion to tuna since my last pregnancy (which ended ~2 1/2 years ago). Usually my many aversions ware off quickly after delivery, but for some reason tuna still isn’t very appetizing to me. So I make these same melts with canned salmon (I usually buy it at Trader Joe’s, which is where I also get our favorite kosher dill pickles) and they’re just as, maybe more, delicious!
Tuna (or Salmon) Melts
INGREDIENTS
canned tuna (or salmon), liquid drained mayonnaise (I often use half mayo and half plain Greek yogurt) kosher dill pickles, diced + pickle juice freshly chopped chives (if I have them) salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste English muffins, lightly toasted (or sandwich bread, sourdough, etc.) tomato, sliced Cheddar cheese (or Muenster), grated
DIRECTIONS
Place the tuna (or salmon) in a medium bowl and break it apart with a fork. Add just enough mayonnaise (and yogurt, if using) to coat the tuna and mix it together with the fork. Stir in some diced dill pickles and a drizzle of pick juice (trust me, it adds great flavor!) and fresh chopped chives (optional, but recommended). If the mixture seems a bit dry, add more mayonnaise. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste.
Preheat oven broiler. Place the lightly toasted english muffin halves on a baking sheet. Top each with the tuna mixture, then a slice or two of tomato, and sprinkle with grated cheese.
Broil for 1-2 minutes (watch them closely so they don’t burn!) until the cheese is melted and bubbling. Garnish with extra chives (optional) and serve immediately.
One of my very favorite restaurants in all of the Seattle area is DERU Market in Kirkland. It’s a catering business/bakery/restaurant all in one and makes the most amazing bread, cakes, sandwiches, pizzas, breakfasts, everything. Since we moved to a new town last summer we now live 45 minutes away and I still make the drive regularly because it’s WORTH IT. And they’ve been open throughout COVID and converted to a drive-through operation and it’s amazing.
Their focaccia is to die for. I could eat an entire loaf and call if a meal. They make all of their sandwiches on that perfect focaccia and this roasted chicken and goat cheese version is one of my favorites. And since I can’t have it as often and I want, I decided it was time to recreate it at home. I bought focaccia from a local baker at our farmers market. Homemade focaccia is high on my list of recipes to conquer at home, but for now, I still buy it. (If you’re local to Seattle, Essential Baking Company has an excellent focaccia you can buy at various grocery stores -including Whole Foods- in the area.)
Alongside the focaccia, the other essential parts of this sandwich are creamy goat cheese spread (don’t bother with crumbles- they’re pretty dry and it won’t be the same), shredded rotisserie chicken (by all means you can roast your own chicken but store bought ones are delicious and so easy!), fresh peppery arugula, herb aioli (DERU makes theirs from scratch- I used prepared mayo as a shortcut and added lemon, garlic, and fresh herbs), and red onion jam. Recreating the red onion jam was the hardest part but I think it turned out just right. Most recipes I referenced called for a lot of red wine, which I’ve never bought/used so I opted for a bit of red wine vinegar. The slow-caramelized red onions are also simmered in balsamic vinegar and brown sugar. The jam is thick and tangy and sweet.
Last, I would like to note that this sandwich tastes better than it looks. Not that I’ve ever been a great photographer but it’s getting really hard to take a decent picture of anything now that it’s dark before dinnertime! So just trust me on this one. And if you’re in the area and have a chance to try DERU market, please invite me along!
Roasted Chicken Focaccia Sandwich with Goat Cheese, Red Onion Jam, and Herb Aioli
INGREDIENTS
rotisserie chicken (light and dark meat), shredded handful baby arugula focaccia, sliced horizontally creamy goat cheese spread (I used La Bonne Vie spreadable goat cheese, Trader Joes also has a goat cheese spread) extra fresh herbs (parsley, dill, and chives), chopped for garnish
Herb Aioli: 6 Tbsp. mayonnaise 1 1/2 tsp. lemon juice 1/4 tsp. lemon zest 1 clove garlic, minced 1 1/2 tsp. chopped fresh chives 1 1/2 tsp. chopped fresh parsley 1 1/2 tsp. chopped fresh dill pinch salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Red Onion Jam: 1 Tbsp. butter (or olive oil) 2 large red onions, thinly sliced 1/4 tsp. kosher salt pinch freshly ground black pepper 2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar 2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar 3 Tbsp. brown sugar
DIRECTIONS
To make the red onion jam, heat the butter (or olive oil) in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the sliced red onions, salt, and pepper and cook, stirring frequently, for about 20 minutes until soft and caramelized (turning down the heat as necessary to prevent browning). Stir in the vinegars and brown sugar and cook over low heat another 10 minutes to reduce and thicken. Adjust salt and pepper to taste if necessary. Onion jam can be refrigerated until ready to use.
To make the herb aioli, in a small bowl, whisk to combine the mayonnaise, lemon juice and zest, garlic, herbs, and salt and pepper. Adjust seasoning to taste. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Preheat oven to 400 F. Place the bottom slice of focaccia on a baking sheet and spread with goat cheese. Top the goat cheese with a thick layer of onion jam. Top the jam with shredded rotisserie chicken, seasoning it with a bit of salt and pepper and sprinkling with some extra fresh herbs. Spread a generous amount of aioli over the bottom of the top slice of focaccia and place on top of the sandwich. Cover the sandwich loosely with aluminum foil and bake for approx. 15-20 minutes until the sandwich is warmed through, uncovering for the last few minutes to crisp the top. Add a handful of fresh arugula to the sandwich, slice, and serve.
Makes enough aioli and jam for ~4 large sandwiches.
All of my favorite foods include carbohydrates with really good bread and pizza topping the list. Which must be why I love sandwiches so much as well! And all good sandwiches start with good bread. Even the best of sandwich fillings can be ruined by dry/dull/flavorless bread so always make the bread a priority in your sandwich building!
Today’s turkey sandwich is piled high on a chewy ciabatta roll, one half spread with a spicy chipotle mayo (the star of the show!) and the other half with mashed avocado. About that chipotle mayo (or aioli if you want to get fancy)… it’s so delicious. I promise it’s worth the effort. It adds a smoky garlicky heat to this sandwich and you’re going to want to spread it on everything. I went with Havarti cheese when I photographed this recipe but you can choose any mild cheese that melts well- I listed some suggestions below. The tomato and lettuce/spinach/arugula are optional add-ons. I chose tomato this time. I’m now realizing that adding bacon wouldn’t be a horrible idea… by all means throw some bacon on as well!
Turkey Avocado Sandwich with Chipotle Mayo
INGREDIENTS
Chipotle Mayo: 1/2 cup mayo 2 Tbsp. + 2 tsp. chipotle in adobo, minced 1 tsp. lime juice 1 Tbsp. fresh chopped chives 1 clove garlic, minced salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
crusty white or wheat bread, sliced (I used ciabatta rolls) roasted turkey, thinly sliced cheese, thinly sliced (I used Havarti- Colby Jack, Provolone, Cheddar, and Gouda would also be delicious) avocado, thinly sliced salt and freshly ground black pepper tomato, thinly sliced (optional) lettuce/baby spinach/arugula (optional)
DIRECTIONS
To make the chipotle mayo, in a small bowl whisk to combine all ingredients. Adjust salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. (Or you can combine the ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth.)
To make the sandwich, spread chipotle mayo on a slice of bread. Top with roasted turkey, cheese, tomato (if using), and lettuce/spinach/arugula (if using). Layer the avocado on a second slice of bread (I like to mash it down a bit with a fork so it doesn’t slide off the sandwich when I bite into it), season the avocado with a bit of salt and pepper, and place on top of the sandwich, avocado side down.
If, like me, you prefer your sandwich served warm, grill the sandwich (or place open-faced under the broiler) until the cheese melts and the bread is golden and crisp, then slice and serve.
I’ve been making this sandwich combination of turkey/chicken with a creamy pesto mayo for years and it’s about time it made it to the site! There are lots of options for how to prepare it- crusty sliced sourdough, ciabatta, and herb focaccia (as pictured) are all favorite bread choices. You can add arugula and tomatoes as I’ve done. Sliced red onion and bacon are also a good idea. And pick a cheese that melts well as this sandwich is best served hot! You can make your own pesto (I linked to a recipe below) or I often buy it prepared (Costco has great pesto) and what I don’t use right away I stash in the freezer for later.
Pesto Turkey (Or Chicken) Sandwich
INGREDIENTS
thinly sliced or shredded turkey or chicken (here I used a rotisserie chicken) crusty bread or rolls, sliced (here I used an herb Focaccia) basil pesto mayonnaise (can use half mayo and half plain Greek yogurt) sliced cheese, such as Provolone (smoked Provolone is especially delicious), Fontina, Havarti, etc.
optional add-ons: thinly sliced red onion arugula or baby spinach sliced tomato or roasted red pepper bacon
DIRECTIONS
In a small bowl, miix equal parts mayo (can use half Greek yogurt) and basil pesto until well combined.
Spread the pesto-mayo on one side of the top and bottom slices of bread/roll. Top with sliced cheese, turkey/chicken, and any optional add-ons (red onion, arugula, tomato/roasted red pepper, and/or bacon). Top with the second slice of bread (spread side down). Repeat to make as many sandwiches as needed.
To bake*, preheat oven to 350 F. Place sandwiches on a baking sheet and cover with aluminum foil. Bake for 10-15 minutes, until the cheese has started to melt. Uncover and bake for 5 more minutes until the top is crisp and the sandwich is warmed throughout. Slice and serve.
*Or sandwiches can be grilled on a pan/panini press or placed open-faced under the broiler (watch closely- they’ll go quick!) until the cheese is melted and the bread is toasted.
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