A sandwich is a classic picnic item, whether it’s a simple ham and cheese or a more unlikely pairing.Connect Images/BRETT STEVENS/Getty Images
You can’t go wrong with fresh local produce, a few homemade sandwiches and some cold drinks when packing for a picnic.
But if you’re looking to try something other than the PB&J or ham and Swiss you usually pack, consider these sandwich ideas shared by Globe and Mail readers – from classic egg salad, to a family favourite of peanut butter and yogurt, to a toasted focaccia sandwich inspired by a trip to Greece.
Later this summer, we’ll also feature Globe readers’ top picks for the best sandwich shops and menu items from across the country.
Until then, bon appetit!
– Globe staff
Just about as simple as it sounds, it’s been a favourite in my family for generations. Made preferably with white bread (we currently use sourdough), spread peanut butter on both pieces of toast and add two to three pieces of nice crispy bacon. That’s it, enjoy.
– John Allin, Goderich, Ont.
A fresh loaf of sesame white, sliced thick and lightly toasted. Buttered (just because) and followed by a thick layer of cream cheese, lots of traditional seafood sauce and a mega helping of shrimp from Matane, Que., consumed with gusto and napkin close by. Perhaps equal or a close cousin to a lobster roll – and softer on the wallet. A taste of maritime Canada, what could be better?
– Deryk Upton, Ottawa
Cook your trimmed asparagus as you would. Set aside in the fridge. At sandwich time, cut the asparagus into bite-sized pieces and add Miracle Whip or mayo, your choice, on your favourite bread with salt and pepper. Have as is or complement it with cucumber, cold meat, egg salad or whatever else. Delicious.
– Paul Morton, Belleville, Ont.
I was a child prodigy. When I was six years old, I invented the peanut butter and yogurt sandwich. I ate it as a kid so often, I would order it (from my mom) by asking for “the usual.” Over the years, I have experimented with many variations on this sandwich, but at its core it’s an open-faced sandwich on a slice of untoasted (to preserve clagginess), preferably crusty bread, with a layer of peanut butter followed by plain Greek yogurt. Often there’s an additional sweet component (jam or honey), sometimes there’s fruit (banana slices or strawberries), but regardless, the core remains the same. I still eat it. My kids eat it. I tell them it’s part of our heritage.
– Jesse McMullen-Crummey, Toronto
Two toasted pieces of sourdough bread, mayo and two slices of beefsteak tomato you have just brought in from your garden. Pure heaven.
– Robin Woodyard, Stratford, Ont.
The first sandwich sought at most public events is egg salad. It has to be the best sandwich in Canada – egg, mayonnaise, green onion, salt, pepper, maybe some sweet relish, maybe a little Dijon mustard on whole wheat bread.
– Joan Kruger, Saskatchewan
I was on a train once when two women behind me were talking about their husbands. One woman asked the other woman: Does your husband love sandwiches? My husband loves sandwiches! Any kind of sandwich, like peanut butter sandwiches.
It was then that I started thinking about my favourite sandwich. Smoked salmon on fresh fergasa bread – made with sharp cheddar cheese, garlic, green onions and a little Tabasco – with mayonnaise and Havarti dill cheese.
– Mac Horsburgh, Winnipeg
My husband makes the best sandwich on the planet. Sourdough bread with pumpkin seeds and dried cranberries from Kelowna’s Two Donkeys Bakery, jalapeño Havarti cheese, tomato, spinach and grilled with so much butter it will clog your arteries!
– Sue Ramsay-McKitrick, Kelowna, B.C.
PEI lobster rolls with chopped celery, iceberg lettuce and a Miracle Whip dressing.
– Irene Miller, Woodstock, Ont.
My new favourite sandwich is one I had in Naxos, Greece. I have since made it at home. It’s mortadella, gorgonzola and arugula on toasted focaccia. Simple but amazing!
– Robert Difrancesco, Hamilton
In the late 1970s, during my university years, I worked summers on a market garden in Woodbridge, Ont. At more than 100 acres it was a large farm, and at the peak of the summer growing season, the farm employed more than 100 workers. Most of the workers were women and most were first- or second-generation Italian-Canadians. It was through my co-workers that I was introduced to what I consider to be the best sandwich ever: a selection of Italian meats, hot banana peppers, tomato, lettuce and mustard, on thickly sliced, crusty white Italian bread. Washed down with cold espresso, it was a glorious cross-cultural experience for a kid whose ancestors were either Scottish or Irish.
– Tom Johnston, Lethbridge, Alta.
Submissions have been edited and condensed.