A sandwich is one of the most basic, and most versatile, dishes ever invented.

At its most basic, a sandwich is a bunch of food held together with an edible wrapper. Whether that wrapper is a pair of bread slices, a pita shell, a tortilla, or even a large piece of lettuce, all sandwiches are essentially the same.

The greatest thing about sandwiches is their flexibility and the staggering number of different possible combinations. But, as with the man who can wish for everything, the sheer number of possibilities can be paralyzing.

Luckily, the process of making a sandwich is incredibly flexible, it all depends on what you want to do.

Generally, a sandwich consists of:

• A base, which holds the food together. They can, but don’t have to, impart flavour. Most people choose a base for its structural properties.
• A filler, the metaphorical “meat” of the sandwich, provides the bulk of the flavour. The filler can be nearly anything you want, but common choices are meat, beans or other high-protein foods, and vegetables.
• A spread, which can add to the overall flavour and add moisture. A common sandwich mistake is making one that is dry. Always adding a spread solves this. Butter, one of the most common choices, provides a little flavour, but mainly allows for a moister sandwich. Some spreads, like peanut butter, can supplement or even replace the filler.
• While not technically an ingredient, your method of cooking helps define a sandwich. Either heated in the microwave, grilled on the stove, or left uncooked, you can transform a sandwich completely.

An important thing to note about sandwiches is that there is no one way to make a sandwich. Whatever you enjoy, you can put it between a couple of slices of bread, or even leave it open.

There are a few guidelines you should be aware of:

• First, cooking a sandwich does not necessarily cook your ingredients. All you ingredients should be able to be eaten on their own. So, basically, cook whatever needs to be cooked, like chicken, before you put it in the sandwich.
• Second, make sure you eat your sandwich relatively quickly. A sandwich is only as resilient as its weakest ingredients. If you have a sandwich with a yogurt based spread, the whole sandwich will go bad as soon as the yogurt spread goes bad.

We have created this graphic to help provide some inspiration for your next sandwich creation. Add or leave out any ingredients you like. Have fun and create something new today.

While experimenting make notes about things that worked or didn’t. Once you discover a variation you love, create your own recipe card so you won’t forget what you did. We have free printables to lend a hand.

Generator Steps

Step 1: Select your Base: Pita, Tortilla, Bread. There are even more options like lettuce or crepes.

Step 2: Add Spread: Tzatziki, Sour Cream, Mustard, BBQ Sauce, Tomato Sauce, Pesto, Mayonnaise, Cream Cheese, Humus. There are many more options. Add your favourites to the list.

Step 3: Add your Filling: Cooked Meat (Beef, Pork, Chicken etc.), Vegetables, Cooked Beans (Chickpeas, Re fried Beans.), Cooked/Canned Fish, Greens, Cheese, Tofu. If you are going to heat the sandwich, put the greens on after heating.

Step 4: Select your Method of Cooking: Uncooked, Grilled, Microwaved

We would love to hear about your unique creations. Let us know so others can give it a try.