Easy Sandwich Recipes That’ll Instantly Elevate You To 5-Star-Chef Status

You’ve refreshed your spring wardrobe and (hopefully) done a little spring cleaning, but what have you done to spruce up your spring-sandwich repertoire? If you’re over goopy egg salad — like we are — try mastering one of these new, easy-but-elegant recipes, including the ultimate diet-friendly Croque Madame. It’s primetime for some low-effort, high-reward cooking! Pack these sandwiches to go or eat ‘em at home. It’s entirely up to you.

Heat one tablespoon olive oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the flour and cook, stirring until bubbling and smooth, about three minutes. Whisk in the milk, then bring to a simmer and cook, whisking frequently, until thickened, about five minutes. Remove from the heat. Stir in the parmesan and Gruyère until melted. Season with nutmeg, 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper to taste.

Preheat the broiler. Spread one tablespoon mustard on one side of each bread slice and arrange, mustard-side up, on a foil-lined baking sheet. Divide ham among the four slices. Top each with 1/3 cup cheese sauce and broil until golden and bubbly, one to two minutes. Transfer to lower oven rack to keep warm.

Meanwhile, heat the remaining two teaspoons olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Crack eggs into small cups, then slide into the skillet and cook until whites begin to set. Cover and cook until whites are firm, about two more minutes. (If your skillet is too small, feel free to cook eggs one or two at a time instead.)

Top each sandwich with 1/2 cup watercress leaves and one fried egg.

The wedge salad can play more than just a supporting role at mealtime — trust us! We took the killer combo of cold iceberg lettuce, crisp bacon, and super-savory blue cheese dressing and nuzzled it between two slices of bread, turning the classic side into main-dish perfection.

Put the bacon in a skillet (cast-iron if you have it) and cook on medium heat, flipping once, until crisp, about six minutes. Transfer bacon to a paper towel–lined plate to drain.

Mix the mayonnaise, blue cheese, lemon juice, hot sauce, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a small bowl.

Spread blue-cheese dressing inside each hoagie roll, top and bottom. Divide the tomato, red onion, bacon, and iceberg lettuce slices between the rolls.

Think of this as the kitchen sink cookie of the spring sandwich world. Our apple-cider vinegar brine transforms a hodgepodge of vegetables into a tangy, vitamin-packed sandwich filling — feel free to swap in or add any other veggies you have, it’s a great way to use up odds and ends from the farmers’ market last week.

Bring the cider vinegar, sugar, salt, and bay leaves to a simmer in a saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally.

Put the beets in a small nonreactive bowl (glass works well). Pour 1/4 cup warm brine over the beets and toss to combine. Add the radishes, cauliflower, and asparagus to the saucepan with the remaining brine; set both the small bowl and saucepan aside until the brine is cool and the veggies are crisp-tender, about 30 minutes. Store separately in the brine in the refrigerator up to one week. If using immediately, drain veggies before adding them to the sandwich.

Split focaccia pieces in half and spread two tablespoons ricotta cheese inside of each. Divide the beets, radishes, cauliflower, asparagus, and hard-cooked eggs among the focaccia. Drizzle the inside of each sandwich with one tablespoon olive oil and one teaspoon balsamic vinegar.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Slice the baguette pieces in half; brush the insides with olive oil and arrange, cut-side up, on a foil-lined baking sheet. Toast until golden and crisp, about five minutes.

Meanwhile, put the chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring, until melted.

Spread melted chocolate on the bottom halves of the baguette. Drizzle each with 1/2 teaspoon olive oil. Sprinkle with Maldon sea salt.