I completely agree with this. If using lunch meats, there's usually enough salt already, so I just do oil, vinegar, and pepper. But that's for blood pressure.
Unless the crop is re-engineered I doubt that trend will change unfortunately. Sprout's growing conditions make it particularly susceptible to certain bacteria and it's come out that long term consumption of sprouts is linked to a lot of issues, so cheap sandwich shops just don't want to deal with it.
Superior ingredients: Red onion, olive oil, oregano, fresh basil grated Parmesan, peppercinis, ripe tomato, chopped or shredded iceberg lettuce, good quality meats and cheeses. Good quality bread. Bakery bread so it’s crusty.
Assembly is important. Personally I make a dressing with oil, vinegar, salt, pepper, oregano and garlic, lightly brush the bread with it. Then I layer in this order meat, cheese, onions, tomatoes, peppercini, Parmesan, and finally lettuce. I lay down more dressing, then wrap it tightly in parchment paper, and let it rest in the fridge for 30 minutes or so. The meat and cheese insulate the bread from getting too soaked with dressing. Wrapping tightly allows everything to meld and marinate during that rest.
If I do subs, and I don’t often do, I want a quality sub, one better than I can get from a sandwich shop or pizzeria.
Waiting that 30 minutes sounds painful. I get it, but if I were really hungry there wouldn't be more than a 5 minute wait.
Appreciate your attention to sandwich details though
Even 5 minutes will improve the sandwich 15 is better. Use the time to set out a plate. Crack open a beer, serve up some potato or pasta salad. If you call up a place to get a sub delivered. You will wait 15-30 minutes for it to arrive, so give the sub you made that long to rest.
The most critical thing that a good sub (or sandwich in general) needs is good bread. If the bread is bad, the sub will be bad.
Salty cured meats (salami, capocollo, pepperoni, etc) go with milder creamy cheeses like provolone, mozzarella, havarti.
Simple deli meats go with simple cheeses. Ham and Swiss. Turkey and Swiss. Ham and cheddar. But those meats also can go well with the creamier cheeses too.
Toppings need to be paired with appropriate meats/cheeses, IMO. Most toppings (lettuce, tomato, any peppers, olives) can go on anything, but to me, pickles don’t go with Italian meats. Onions don’t go with turkey. Avocados only go with sliced turkey or sliced chicken.
Also, in general, a good sub should have:
* something salty
* something creamy
* something moist
* something fresh
* something crispy/crunchy
* something acidic
* something savory
Very often I'll put red wine vinegar, pickles, mustard, mayo (or something mayo-like such as hummus), chimichurri sauce. Might not put all, but most. Meats and such can change but for a sub sandwich I need those things.
A girl I used to date used to make her own, she said it was pretty easy, and didn't take long. It was probably a simpler version than some people would do, but it was really good, and she could make a batch in about 20 minutes.
It’s so easy to make. Takes 10 minutes. Chimichurri is delicious and most home cooks always have every ingredient needed in their kitchen anyways. Every ingredient is a staple, in my kitchen.
I’m a pickle and mustard guy on most of my subs. Usually any sub. Usually lettuce as well.
Other sauces and Mayo depend on what proteins and cheeses I go with.
Pickled banana peppers and just a bit of the juice are a must. We usually go with ham, pepperoni, and Genoa salami. Sometimes use turkey instead of ham. But the real game changer is starting with garlic bread as your sub roll.
Neither cheap or healthy I'm thinking. But a classic spicy Italian does it for me. Besides the meats, good bread is key. Maybe some cheese. And other must haves are Italian dressing and shredded iceberg lettuce. Extra salt and pepper because my taste buds are dead from smoking.
I could and have assembled such masterpieces myself, but like I say, not cheap and healthy. And the sandwich shops make is so good, if not better, already, and so much easier.
If it's a cold one, I do a spicy Italian every time. Provolone is ideal but I use what I can. It's easy to make micro greens or use chopped lettuce to add crunch. I think meat, cheese, mayo, lettuce, tomatoes, salt/pepper, olive oil/vinegar is how I like it. Plus I frequently make the bread and that is super cheap.
Mortadella + another pork deli meat, provolone, shredded iceberg lettuce, tomato, pickle, deli mustard, mayo, red wine vinegar, olive oil, black pepper, Dutch crunch roll.
You can make a pesto of sorts with any kind of greens (basil is traditional, but I’ve also used arugula, cilantro, even the greens of radishes or beets) and any kind of nut. As long as you keep garlic, Parmesan, and olive oil around, it’s pretty easy to throw together and spread on anything.
The Maine Italian: Ham, cheese, tomato, green pepper, onion, pickle, salt, pepper, and oil. Black olives are an option too. The problem is the kind of bread rolls they use are seemingly impossible to find outside the area. At least I have been unable to. They are a lot softer than a normal sub roll, almost like the texture of a hotdog bun, and it makes all the difference.
We just had home made subs for dinner. We get pre sliced sub rolls- soft one. I brush olive oil on both cut sides. Put sliced cheese on one side. I like ham, sandwich pepperoni & salami on mine.
My husband puts turkey & capicola ham on his along with what I use on mine.
He pops it in a 450 degree oven until cheese melts & the bun is a wee bit golden .
After that, sliced tomato, torn up romaine lettuce & husband puts a cherry pepper sub spread on his.
We don't add any salt because there's enough in the lunchmeat.
Fresh tomatoes, lettuce, red onion, and a pickled veg (peppers, onions, radishes...) Then oil, vinegar, salt, pepper, oregano. I like a good smoked provolone, parmesano, salami, gabagool (spicy) and either turkey or ham. Once the bread is soaked, build the sandwich, wrap it up tightly in waxed paper and foil, and let it sit in the fridge for at least an hour. 🤌
My favourite sandwich at the moment is lots of fresh crunchy lettuce, sliced cucumber, plenty of avocado, and sliced roast chicken. With cracked black pepper and salt and salted butter.
For cheaper and healthier, skip the meat. There's an Australian traditional salad sandwich/roll, usually it contains tomato, cucumber, raw onion, lettuce, sweet pickled beets, grated carrot. Use a sturdy non-sweet roll like a bollilo and butter it liberally. If you're fancy, add avo and/or sprouts. Salt and pepper the veg. So good.
When it comes to pairing meats with pasta, I often opt for grilled chicken or shrimp for a lighter option, or Italian sausage for a heartier dish. As for cheeses, Parmesan is a classic choice that adds a nutty richness, while creamy cheeses like mozzarella or goat cheese can provide a luxurious texture. For oils, extra virgin olive oil is a must-have for its robust flavor, but you can also experiment with flavored oils like garlic-infused or chili oil to add a kick.
As for toppings, fresh herbs like basil or parsley add brightness, and toasted breadcrumbs or pine nuts can provide a delightful crunch. Special considerations depend on dietary preferences—consider gluten-free pasta options or dairy-free alternatives for those with dietary restrictions. What's your favorite combination so far, or are you open to trying something new?
We have PUBLIX supermarket (the best) and every week they have a different whole sub on sale, if Italian or ultimate I like little bit mayonnaise, mustard, onions, tomatoes, black olives, jalapeño, sweet peppers and oil and vinegar..
Just adding oil, vinegar, salt and pepper will elevate a regular sub
Anything with leafy greens on it goes 4 notches up if you add enough pepper.
Crunchy lettuce with everything else. Emphasis on the crunchy.
Dang, I'd straight eat plain lettuce with black pepper on it.
Even salt/pepper alone really makes a difference
I completely agree with this. If using lunch meats, there's usually enough salt already, so I just do oil, vinegar, and pepper. But that's for blood pressure.
What “oil” do I buy for this? Sounds dumb but there are so many!
Olive oil!
Sandwich dressings are also really good(imo). Like Boar's Head Deli Dressing or Beano's Submarine Dressing
I ALWAYS use Beano's. There are very few things I will splurge on grocery-wise but that is one of them.
Some mayo with that to turn it all into a beautiful saucy boi
Came in to say exactly this!! Soooo good.
Pickled onions are a game changer. When I make a batch of them I eat nothing but sandwiches for a week straight.
This but onions marinated in zesty Italian dressing. They’re SO good.
I like this! Especially for construction.
Yes!! I bought local onions and radishes recently, pickled them, and ate them on top of everything. Instant elevation.
No tacos?! Heresy!!
Tacos take preparation. I'm a man of action. I dont have time for that.
I love using that excuse 😂
I love adding alfalfa sprouts like some hippie grandma.
More sandwich shops need sprouts. Local Jimmy John's just took them off the menu and I was sad.
Unless the crop is re-engineered I doubt that trend will change unfortunately. Sprout's growing conditions make it particularly susceptible to certain bacteria and it's come out that long term consumption of sprouts is linked to a lot of issues, so cheap sandwich shops just don't want to deal with it.
I'll have to suggest this to my mom, she's a hippie grandma.
I see we have the same mother!
I thought my roommate got us a pet bunny. It was a good sandwich without though.
Superior ingredients: Red onion, olive oil, oregano, fresh basil grated Parmesan, peppercinis, ripe tomato, chopped or shredded iceberg lettuce, good quality meats and cheeses. Good quality bread. Bakery bread so it’s crusty. Assembly is important. Personally I make a dressing with oil, vinegar, salt, pepper, oregano and garlic, lightly brush the bread with it. Then I layer in this order meat, cheese, onions, tomatoes, peppercini, Parmesan, and finally lettuce. I lay down more dressing, then wrap it tightly in parchment paper, and let it rest in the fridge for 30 minutes or so. The meat and cheese insulate the bread from getting too soaked with dressing. Wrapping tightly allows everything to meld and marinate during that rest. If I do subs, and I don’t often do, I want a quality sub, one better than I can get from a sandwich shop or pizzeria.
Waiting that 30 minutes sounds painful. I get it, but if I were really hungry there wouldn't be more than a 5 minute wait. Appreciate your attention to sandwich details though
Even 5 minutes will improve the sandwich 15 is better. Use the time to set out a plate. Crack open a beer, serve up some potato or pasta salad. If you call up a place to get a sub delivered. You will wait 15-30 minutes for it to arrive, so give the sub you made that long to rest.
Olive salad
The most critical thing that a good sub (or sandwich in general) needs is good bread. If the bread is bad, the sub will be bad. Salty cured meats (salami, capocollo, pepperoni, etc) go with milder creamy cheeses like provolone, mozzarella, havarti. Simple deli meats go with simple cheeses. Ham and Swiss. Turkey and Swiss. Ham and cheddar. But those meats also can go well with the creamier cheeses too. Toppings need to be paired with appropriate meats/cheeses, IMO. Most toppings (lettuce, tomato, any peppers, olives) can go on anything, but to me, pickles don’t go with Italian meats. Onions don’t go with turkey. Avocados only go with sliced turkey or sliced chicken. Also, in general, a good sub should have: * something salty * something creamy * something moist * something fresh * something crispy/crunchy * something acidic * something savory
Very often I'll put red wine vinegar, pickles, mustard, mayo (or something mayo-like such as hummus), chimichurri sauce. Might not put all, but most. Meats and such can change but for a sub sandwich I need those things.
make your own chimichurri?
A girl I used to date used to make her own, she said it was pretty easy, and didn't take long. It was probably a simpler version than some people would do, but it was really good, and she could make a batch in about 20 minutes.
I think some people pre-cook the alliums but you can also just blender go brrr it. Similar to pesto
Yeah, she did it in the blender, worked great!
This is what I do - it's super easy and only takes a few minutes. Just dump some herbs, oil, salt+pepper, garlic, and acid into a blender and boom.
no i buy it
It’s so easy to make. Takes 10 minutes. Chimichurri is delicious and most home cooks always have every ingredient needed in their kitchen anyways. Every ingredient is a staple, in my kitchen.
scoop out some of the bread in the middle of the sub roll for maximum subness
This is the way. Bread is good but it’s a vehicle for a good sub
I’m a pickle and mustard guy on most of my subs. Usually any sub. Usually lettuce as well. Other sauces and Mayo depend on what proteins and cheeses I go with.
Pickled peppers.
Quality sub rolls cut in the old Subway canoe style.
Good bread 🥖 is step one
Good bread is the most important part. Can’t have a quality sub without quality bread.
Outstanding bread first and foremost :) then…pickled jalapeños!
Pickled banana peppers and just a bit of the juice are a must. We usually go with ham, pepperoni, and Genoa salami. Sometimes use turkey instead of ham. But the real game changer is starting with garlic bread as your sub roll.
Oregano
Roasted red pepper spread.
Neither cheap or healthy I'm thinking. But a classic spicy Italian does it for me. Besides the meats, good bread is key. Maybe some cheese. And other must haves are Italian dressing and shredded iceberg lettuce. Extra salt and pepper because my taste buds are dead from smoking. I could and have assembled such masterpieces myself, but like I say, not cheap and healthy. And the sandwich shops make is so good, if not better, already, and so much easier.
If it's a cold one, I do a spicy Italian every time. Provolone is ideal but I use what I can. It's easy to make micro greens or use chopped lettuce to add crunch. I think meat, cheese, mayo, lettuce, tomatoes, salt/pepper, olive oil/vinegar is how I like it. Plus I frequently make the bread and that is super cheap.
Mortadella + another pork deli meat, provolone, shredded iceberg lettuce, tomato, pickle, deli mustard, mayo, red wine vinegar, olive oil, black pepper, Dutch crunch roll.
Don't put staples in your sandwich. There are safer ways to get iron in your diet.
Once the staples get in your stomach though, they can help you lose weight. Or so I hear.
You can make a pesto of sorts with any kind of greens (basil is traditional, but I’ve also used arugula, cilantro, even the greens of radishes or beets) and any kind of nut. As long as you keep garlic, Parmesan, and olive oil around, it’s pretty easy to throw together and spread on anything.
Deli dressing and spicy brown mustard.
The Maine Italian: Ham, cheese, tomato, green pepper, onion, pickle, salt, pepper, and oil. Black olives are an option too. The problem is the kind of bread rolls they use are seemingly impossible to find outside the area. At least I have been unable to. They are a lot softer than a normal sub roll, almost like the texture of a hotdog bun, and it makes all the difference.
publix
deli turkey, gouda, lettuce, pickles, mayo. i believe that is the perfect blend of cheap and tasty
A good cheese and good dressing or sauce is key. My favorite is turkey, mayo, and spicy brown mustard with Swiss or provolone cheese
Frilly toothpicks
I’m for ‘em!
Boars head cold cuts and cheese
Something to offset dry sandwich: Roasted red peppers, avocado, mango slices and horseradish sauce
shredded cabbage
Kewpie mayo
Roast beef, russian dressing.
We just had home made subs for dinner. We get pre sliced sub rolls- soft one. I brush olive oil on both cut sides. Put sliced cheese on one side. I like ham, sandwich pepperoni & salami on mine. My husband puts turkey & capicola ham on his along with what I use on mine. He pops it in a 450 degree oven until cheese melts & the bun is a wee bit golden . After that, sliced tomato, torn up romaine lettuce & husband puts a cherry pepper sub spread on his. We don't add any salt because there's enough in the lunchmeat.
Jersey Mikes #5 on white done Mike’s Way with mayo and light on the oil and vinegar.
Butter instead of mayo on crusty bread
Grated carrot and beets Pesto or hummus spread on the bread. Homemade or storebought Quick pickled cabbage Spinach
Fresh tomatoes, lettuce, red onion, and a pickled veg (peppers, onions, radishes...) Then oil, vinegar, salt, pepper, oregano. I like a good smoked provolone, parmesano, salami, gabagool (spicy) and either turkey or ham. Once the bread is soaked, build the sandwich, wrap it up tightly in waxed paper and foil, and let it sit in the fridge for at least an hour. 🤌
My favourite sandwich at the moment is lots of fresh crunchy lettuce, sliced cucumber, plenty of avocado, and sliced roast chicken. With cracked black pepper and salt and salted butter.
For cheaper and healthier, skip the meat. There's an Australian traditional salad sandwich/roll, usually it contains tomato, cucumber, raw onion, lettuce, sweet pickled beets, grated carrot. Use a sturdy non-sweet roll like a bollilo and butter it liberally. If you're fancy, add avo and/or sprouts. Salt and pepper the veg. So good.
Oil and vinegar is the must.
Pickles, tomatoes(salt and pepper ON the tomatoes), red onion, oregano, pickled jalapeños.
fresh cut onionsss😫
Fresh bread, crunchy greens (kale, lettuce, spinach, etc..), light oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper
When it comes to pairing meats with pasta, I often opt for grilled chicken or shrimp for a lighter option, or Italian sausage for a heartier dish. As for cheeses, Parmesan is a classic choice that adds a nutty richness, while creamy cheeses like mozzarella or goat cheese can provide a luxurious texture. For oils, extra virgin olive oil is a must-have for its robust flavor, but you can also experiment with flavored oils like garlic-infused or chili oil to add a kick. As for toppings, fresh herbs like basil or parsley add brightness, and toasted breadcrumbs or pine nuts can provide a delightful crunch. Special considerations depend on dietary preferences—consider gluten-free pasta options or dairy-free alternatives for those with dietary restrictions. What's your favorite combination so far, or are you open to trying something new?
toast and sauce both slices of bread. if you can't toast, still definitely sauce
We have PUBLIX supermarket (the best) and every week they have a different whole sub on sale, if Italian or ultimate I like little bit mayonnaise, mustard, onions, tomatoes, black olives, jalapeño, sweet peppers and oil and vinegar..
Step 1: Call it by it's correct name. A Grinder.
Tuna with yoghurt and a tiny bit of mayo. Don’t forget capers.