9 of our all-time favorite sandwich recipes

Two vegetarian sandwiches by L.A. Times cooking columnist Ben Mims.

By Betty HallockDeputy Food Editor

Sept. 22, 2024 8 AM PT

We’re obsessed with sandwiches. Apparently the whole world loves sandwiches. Just ask Owen Han. I recently caught up with the internet’s Sandwich King to talk about all things between sliced bread.

Including his Nonna’s meatballs, a recipe from his Italian grandmother. The recipe is in his debut cookbook, “Stacked: The Art of the Perfect Sandwich,” set to be released Oct. 15.

Just look at Nonna’s sugo di pomodoro.

Owen Han makes his grandmother's recipe for meatballs with tomato sauce for a sandwich.

I made the meatballs in tomato sauce the other night, and they’re terrificly tender — thanks to Nonna’s meatball-making method.

“What I like about this is the Italian method,” Han says. “A lot of times, a meatball recipe — you’ll see breadcrumbs — but what you see in Italy is they’ll take old whatever bread you have lying around, you gut the inside and soak it in milk. As opposed to regular dry breadcrumbs. That adds to making the meatballs incredibly moist.” Plus, the meatballs are not browned before they’re added to the sauce. That helps keep them tender too, and imbues the sauce with their fat and flavor.

We’ve published two sneak-peek recipes this week from “Stacked”: Nonna’s Meatball Sandwich and the OG Spicy Chicken Sandwich With Avocado and Bacon, which rocketed Han to TikTok fame.

To celebrate the love of sandwiches, here are nine recipes from L.A. Times Cooking, including our favorite veggie; a fresh, surprising tuna salad; the Croque Matthieu (also known as the ultimate grilled cheese sandwich) from Pasjoli; Nonna’s meatball sub, of course; fried chicken with chili crisp mayo; and more.

Also, check out our new spice blends at Burlap & Barrel.

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Nonna’s Meatball Sandwich

The tenderest meatballs are so good in a sandwich, blanketed with melted cheese and sauced with tangy, rich sugo di pomodoro. These are hefty-sized meatballs, which aren’t browned before they’re dropped into the sauce; they almost collapse when you eat them. The sauce is long-simmered but low maintenance, and the great thing is you can use the leftover sauce for pasta.
Get the recipe.
Cook time: 3 hours. Makes 4 sandwiches.

Owen Han, known as the "Sandwich King," holds his completed meatball sandwich in his Venic kitchen.

Fried Chicken Sandwich With Chili Crisp Mayo

The key elements in this sandwich are: soft sweet bun, mayonnaise mixed with something spicy, a flat boneless piece of fried chicken and some pickled vegetables. You can otherwise customize it however you like, says former L.A. Times cooking editor Genevieve Ko. “Swap chipotles in adobo for the chili crisp, try an ensaymada for the bread, use leftover restaurant fried chicken or double the spice with pickled jalapeños.”
Get the recipe.
Cook time: 1 hour for the homemade chicken katsu, chili crisp and mayo. Makes 4.

Stack of three fried chicken sandwiches with chili crisp mayo.

Cold Artichoke Tea Sandwich

Who wouldn’t want a platter of these crustless sandwiches filled with an herby mayo-based artichoke salad? Especially with salty, crispy potato chips on the side. The key is serving them cold right from the fridge, says former cooking columnist Ben Mims. He says squishy sandwich bread works best (it stays moist under refrigeration), but use any type you like. You can even serve the sandwich filling open-faced on toast. These sandwiches are vegetarian; use vegan mayo if you want to make them vegan.
Get the recipe.
Cook time: 30 minutes, plus 2 hours chilling. Serves 8.

Italian Tuna and Shiso Sandwich

Shiso — the citrus-y, tangy, bright Japanese herb — makes a somewhat surprising appearance in this Italian tuna sandwich, to great effect. The Italian tuna salad with punchy capers and tart lemon is topped with julienned shiso, red onion, romaine and tomatoes. The recipe calls for English muffin, but use whatever bread you like.
Get the recipe.
Cooking time: 15 minutes. Makes 4.

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California Veggie Sandwich

Everything a vegetable lover could want in a sandwich: crisp cucumbers, creamy avocados and crunchy sprouts with cheddar and herby mayo on whole-grain bread. This is Southern California: Use the best ingredients you can find. Customize as you wish: maybe with shallots or pickled red onions instead of scallions; thinly sliced carrots or radishes can stand in for cucumbers. The bread, though, isn’t so negotiable: You want a hefty multiseed or multigrain bread to balance the avocado, cheese and mayonnaise.
Get the recipe.
Cook time: 10 minutes. Makes 2 sandwiches.

A vegetarian sandwich, prepared by L.A. Times cooking columnist Ben Mims.

Pasjoli’s Ultimate Grilled Cheese Sandwich (Croque Matthieu)

Dave Beran, chef-owner of Pasjoli in Santa Monica, recently stopped by the L.A. Times Kitchen for the video cooking series “Chef That!” He made Pasjoli’s famously delicious Croque Matthieu, which is the ultimate grilled cheese sandwich, two pieces of cheese-crusted griddled baguette, the filling bolstered with Gruyère-laden Mornay sauce and onions that have been caramelized for hours.
Get the recipe.
Cooking time: 2 hours 25 minutes. Makes 2.

Pasjoli chef-owner Dave Beran prepares his restaurant's croque Matthieu, or grilled cheese sandwich.

‘The Bear’ Italian Beef Sandwich

L.A. Times Food reporter Stephanie Breijo caught up with Chicago-raised culinary producer, Courtney Storer, from the Hulu series “The Bear” to make the home version of the show’s Italian beef sandwich. Storer uses beef chuck, but she’s also used top round or top sirloin roast. She suggests that you choose the cut of meat that best fits your budget. Soft, American-style French bread, not crusty sourdough, is a critical component. Pack as much of the thinly sliced beef as you can into the Italian roll before dousing it with jus and adding your choice of giardiniera.
Get the recipe.
Cooking time: 1 hour 30 minutes, plus several hours chilling. Makes 8.

Spring Crab Sandwich

A lemon-and-garlic vinaigrette binds together fresh crab meat — the cool filling between two warm, buttered brioche buns. Layered into the sandwich is a crunchy salad of sugar snap peas, gherkins and Castelvetrano olives, which complement the richness of the crab with their spring zing. Jumbo lump crab meat is the best for this sandwich, but the best kind you can find — whether it’s lump, backfin or claw meat — will work.
Get the recipe.
Cook time: 20 minutes. Makes 2 sandwiches.

Crab Sandwich photographed at the Los Angeles Times test kitchen.

Cheesy Smashed Potato Sandwich

Inspired by northern Indian aloo sandwiches, this version swaps smashed roasted potatoes for mashed boiled ones. Because sometimes you want a squishy soft-on-soft sandwich, spiked with fresh green chiles or maybe some fresh cilantro. If you have any chutneys in your pantry, smear those on the buns too.
Get the recipe.
Cook time: 50 minutes. Makes 4.