The 13 Most Epic Sandwich Fillings

Brussels Sprout Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Yeah, we know. Brussels sprouts. But they’re seriously underrated as a sandwich veggie. Here, they’re combined with melted Gouda cheese and ‘slightly caramelised’ red onions. Heather Christo, who created this recipe, says its the Brussels sprouts that ‘take it over the edge’.

Lighter Fried Fish Sandwich with Creamy Coleslaw

It was a disappointing visit to a fast food restaurant that led Andie, from the blog Can You Stay for Dinner to create this sandwich. Hot, fried fish, seasoned with garlic and parsley and placed in a bun with cold, creamy - and slightly lemony - coleslaw. Beautiful.

Fully-Loaded Ploughman’s Sandwich

Ah, the Ploughman’s - a classic British pub favourite. Here, there’s all the great elements of a Ploughman’s lunch: crusty bread, pickled onions, ham, mature Cheddar, pâté, a tomato slice - even apple chutney and pea shoots to remind us of the beautiful British summer - all packed into one sandwich.

Mediterranean Loaded Veggie Sandwich

Looking for a vegetarian sandwich that’s packed with nutrients? Then look no further than this one, put together by Alex and Sonja, over at the blog A Couple Cooks. It’s the kale pesto white bean dip that brings together the other ingredients: carrots, red onions and pea shoots - and of course, that fluffy, crumbly Feta cheese, too.

Open-Faced Tofu and Garlicky Greens Sandwich

Lightly-wilted greens - spring greens, kale, chard - can really transform a sandwich, and so we shouldn’t only reach for lettuce to add greenery to our favourite sarnies. In this recipe, from VK Rees Photography, a slice of golden tofu is placed on crusty bread piled with greens wilted in olive oil and garlic. You could also try a variation of this sandwich with some thick-cut ham instead of the tofu. A runny fried or poached egg would be terrific here, too.

The Reuben

The Reuben sandwich - packed with sauerkraut, Swiss cheese and corned beef - is popular in the US, and we think it should be a staple sandwich over here, too. This version, from The Framed Table, uses rye bread for the sandwich, drizzling the lot in a Russian dressing. Crunchy and fresh, it’s got to be tried.

Slow-cooked Beef Brisket with French Dip

Tender, fall-apart, slow-cooked beef, pressed into a bun and then dipped in the juices from the slow-cooker. And there’s Swiss cheese in there, too. Check out the sandwich recipe on the Neighborfood blog, run by Courtney.

Smoked Salmon, Avocado and Egg Sandwich

This sandwich is rich, with all that buttery avocado, soft, runny egg yolk and smoked salmon. But this trio of ingredients does make a sublime sandwich. This one, from Once Upon a Cutting Board, uses a scattering of rocket leaves to add pepperiness and balance the richness of the other ingredients.

Spicy Roasted Shrimp Sandwich with Chipotle Avocado Mayonnaise

The shrimps in this sandwich are quickly roasted in cumin powder, chilli powder and garlic and then layered into a baguette with lettuce and an avocado mayonnaise that’s flavoured with chipotle chilli. Certainly puts a twist on the regular prawn mayo sandwich, doesn’t it? The recipe was created by Chung-Ah, of the blog Damn Delicious.

Banh Mi with Lemongrass Pork

Fresh, crunchy pickled vegetables, marinated meats that are big on flavour, heaps of fresh coriander - all served on a crisp baguette. This Banh Mi sandwich, from Bee at Rasa Malaysia, uses pork that’s been flavoured with a lemongrass marinade.

Chocolate, Stilton and Bacon Sandwich

Yep, you just read that right. This sandwich, created by chocolatier Paul A Young, was featured in his book Adventures with Chocolate (Kyle Books, £14.99). Salty and sweet, it combines honey-cured bacon, Stilton cheese and, of course, chocolate. (Photography: Anders Schonnemann)

Guinness-Glaze Chicken Sandwich

Grilled chicken in a Guinness glaze. Oozing cheese. Mushrooms. Crisp bacon. This truly epic hot sandwich was created by Lyuba from the blog Will Cook for Smiles. She says, “It’s one of those occasions that you should not be afraid to get messy - the good kind of messy.” Pass us a napkin. Or maybe three.

Steak and Chimichurri Sandwich

This sandwich was featured on the food website Serious Eats. And if you’ve never tried the grassy, pungent flavours of garlic and parsley with griddled steak, then, quite frankly, you’ve been missing out. The chimichurri cuts any fattiness in the meat too - but don’t take our word for it. This sandwich is gorgeous hot or cold.