squishy sandwiches

June 6, 2017 5:17 AM

I am a fan of the squishy sandwich - ie a sandwich with a filling that is wet enough to squish. e.g. egg mayonnaise, tuna mayonnaise, Nutella, PB&J. I am seeking ideas for more savoury or sweet sandwich fillings which have the desired consistency - ideally the type that I can assemble and refrigerate and eat, cold, later. What are your favourite squishy sandwiches? Go nuts with your suggestions. I eat anything and everything. Thanks guys.

Because the world may be falling apart around us but nothing keeps the despair at bay better than a good sandwich.

posted by Ziggy500 to Food & Drink (47 answers total)

Crab salad, lobster roll, chicken salad, sloppy joe. Fresh grilled cheese can be pretty squishy, come to think of it, especially with a cheese that's really soft when it's warm - like goat cheese. A grilled cheese sandwich made with goat cheese and a little smear of a tomato jam could be nice.

Non-grilled cream cheese sandwich with chopped apricots and walnuts, or jam. PB and banana, nutella and banana, fluffernutter.

I had a curried chicken salad sandwich yesterday and it was really nice. I think you're onto something.
posted by bunderful at 5:25 AM on June 6, 2017 [2 favorites]

I'd suggest you google tramezzini recipes — tramezzini are what you want :-)
posted by mumimor at 5:29 AM on June 6, 2017

Depending on how squishy you make it, this chickpea salad is pretty tasty and may work for your sandwiches.
posted by sciencegeek at 5:31 AM on June 6, 2017

Tomato sandwich with mayo and cheese and really fresh tomatoes, salt and pepper.

And the pimento cheese sandwich. Just pimento cheese and bread, you're done.

I've heard of a thing called ham salad, never tried it.
posted by bunderful at 5:37 AM on June 6, 2017 [1 favorite]

The classic fluffernutter: peanutbutter, banana, marshmallow fluff. Add bacon in honor of Elvis.
posted by Waiting for Pierce Inverarity at 5:40 AM on June 6, 2017

hummus and cucumber with grilled peppers inside pita bread
posted by coevals at 5:43 AM on June 6, 2017 [1 favorite]

A GOMER sandwich. Guacamole, Onion, Mayonnaise, fried Egg, and Romaine lettuce.
posted by MexicanYenta at 5:45 AM on June 6, 2017 [8 favorites]

Cream cheese and marmalade!
posted by theredpen at 5:48 AM on June 6, 2017 [1 favorite]

A riff on the PB&J -- substitute fresh fruit (raspberries, slices of strawberries, etc) for the J. Still squishy, tastier, healthier.

I find a lot of veggie sandwiches to be squishy - they normally include portabellos, roasted peppers, caramelized onions, roasted zucchini and eggplant, etc.

an eggplant parmesan sandwich would be super squishy
posted by Fig at 5:58 AM on June 6, 2017

A made this once and it was surprisingly...calm...Eggsalad, Sardines and Green Olives.
posted by Confess, Fletch at 6:02 AM on June 6, 2017 [1 favorite]

Not really a sandwich but in that general direction...Oreo Cookie with a slice of Banana inside.
posted by Confess, Fletch at 6:03 AM on June 6, 2017 [1 favorite]

Cream cheese with bacon. Chop up the bacon if strips are too unsquishy.*
Cottage cheese with chives, scallions, and radishes, S & P (omit radishes if too crunchy)*
Ricotta, S & P (I like it plain but I'm sure other sweet or savory would work well)*
A pizza sub or meatball sub, hold the meatballs
Seconding eggplant Parmesan.

*particularly great on fresh, seedless, Jewish Rye
posted by Room 641-A at 6:04 AM on June 6, 2017

Pâté! On a yummy soft roll.

Chip butty? I have read about them, never had one.
posted by dywypi at 6:04 AM on June 6, 2017 [1 favorite]

Cheddar cheese and fig jam. OMG so good.
posted by rabbitrabbit at 6:14 AM on June 6, 2017 [2 favorites]

Baba ganoush, thinly sliced cucumber, mint, and really good olive oil. On pita of course but wheatbread is good too.

Chopped liver and brown mustard on rye, an immortal classic.

Fig preserves, fresh sliced mozzarella, basil, and prosciutto with olive oil and fresh cracked black pepper is a sandwich I used to get on the east coast and regularly buy all the shmancy ingredients for here on the west coast to fulfill my intense cravings. I do this on a crusty French roll but for squish factor I think it would be great on something like a soft pretzel bun.
posted by Mizu at 6:20 AM on June 6, 2017 [1 favorite]

Brie
Liverwurst
posted by Room 641-A at 6:34 AM on June 6, 2017

Cream cheese and green olives for me! And any cheese sandwich is enhanced by the liberal addition of Branston pickle.
posted by Faint of Butt at 6:39 AM on June 6, 2017 [2 favorites]

I love peanut butter and honey sandwiches, but with the PB&H mixed up first and then spread on the bread. Extra gooey!
posted by spindrifter at 6:43 AM on June 6, 2017

Mint chutney. You get it in Indian stores but with a food processor, it's easy to make your own. Like PB&J, it's good on soft white bread. Goes well with some cucumber too.
posted by redlines at 6:44 AM on June 6, 2017

Cream cheese and cucumber, salt the cucumber. White bread and cut off the crusts.

If the sandwich has fat based items and water based items, put fat based (mayo, peanut butter) next to the bread on both sides and water based (jam, fruit) in the middle. The fat will keep the bread from getting soggy.
posted by sol at 6:46 AM on June 6, 2017

I know you said cold, but for a warm delicious thing, get a loaf of italian bread, make cuts widthwise across the top that don't go all the way through, and stuff a slice of apple and a slice of brie in each cut. Then stick it in the oven at 300 for 10-15 minutes. It is heavenly.
posted by rabbitrabbit at 6:49 AM on June 6, 2017 [5 favorites]

A GOMER sandwich. Guacamole, Onion, Mayonnaise, fried Egg, and Romaine lettuce.

An LGBT sandwich: BLT but sub the mayo out for guacamole.

Bonus: to avoid guac splooshing out the back due to textural impedance mismatch, and also to seriously up the squish factor, cook the bacon real crisp, crumble or chop it up small, and mix it in with the guacamole when you're making it. Use soft-leafed lettuce like Bibb and really soft sandwich bread. This is actually a fantastic application for wonder bread if it doesn't give you the heebie-jeebies.
posted by nebulawindphone at 7:08 AM on June 6, 2017 [5 favorites]

Cream cheese, shredded carrot, and (rinsed) pickled ginger. Whirled together in the food processor.

It's a little sweet, a little zingy. Refrigerates well.
posted by Sauter Vaguely at 7:08 AM on June 6, 2017 [2 favorites]

Also: the Benedictine sandwich is A Thing in Kentucky — cream cheese seasoned with cucumber and onion.
posted by nebulawindphone at 7:14 AM on June 6, 2017 [3 favorites]

I love chicken salad made from rotisserie chicken. Pull the meat off the bones and rough chop, then add mayo and honey mustard (I like actual mustard flavored with honey for this, not the super sweet kind you use for dipping chicken tenders). If you want a little crunch you can slice some celery in, and I like to add halved grapes too.
posted by brilliantine at 7:41 AM on June 6, 2017

I love a good cream cheese, avocado, and tomato sandwich. I also second the chickpea "tuna" sandwich. This one is our go-to recipe (the kelp powder is awesome in it!).
posted by LKWorking at 7:45 AM on June 6, 2017

Response by poster: Wow! Thank you for the great answers!

In return I'll contribute one of my own standbys - chopped up boiled eggs mixed with mayonnaise, a little mustard, creme fraiche (optional), a little vinegar, salt, pepper and smoked paprika. Squish central!
posted by Ziggy500 at 7:46 AM on June 6, 2017 [1 favorite]

This previous question about rillettes should be relevant!
posted by capricorn at 7:49 AM on June 6, 2017

You can make quick-pickled veg easily, try carrots onions, cabbage. Hummus and shredded carrots is good, better if the carrots get a little time in vinegar first. You can save pickle juice to quick pickle veg. Easy way to zing up mayo based sammiches.
posted by theora55 at 7:52 AM on June 6, 2017

Tofu makes a great squishy sandwich. I use tofu just lightly marinated with a shoyu or miso dressing. Don't bake or fry it; you can press it if it's really watery tofu. I put it in a pita with more miso dressing and some crunchy greens or sprouts and press down on it a bit to hold it together.
posted by BibiRose at 7:56 AM on June 6, 2017

Riffing on cream cheese... try smoked salmon, cream cheese, dill, capers with a squeeze of lemon over the filling.
posted by crazycanuck at 8:13 AM on June 6, 2017

Coronation chicken!
posted by HandfulOfDust at 8:20 AM on June 6, 2017 [1 favorite]

Coconut chutney
posted by tinymegalo at 8:22 AM on June 6, 2017

Roasted red peppers, cream cheese and some sprouts/alfalfa for just the slightest crunch. Some falling-apart (ie. natural) smoked turkey if you want some more protein.
posted by General Malaise at 8:24 AM on June 6, 2017

Cream cheese seems to be a winner. One not mentioned yet: cream cheese and olives.

Also: a sandwich I invented out of two British things I like: marmite and marmalade. It's called the mar-mar, and it is guaranteed to revolt most Brits (and maybe most people. But I like it :)
posted by SaltySalticid at 8:43 AM on June 6, 2017 [1 favorite]

Braunschweiger. People hate it, but they shouldn't.

http://www.post-gazette.com/life/food/2012/03/22/Braunschweiger-the-forgotten-pleasure/stories/201203220233
posted by Don Pepino at 9:00 AM on June 6, 2017 [3 favorites]

Also, put fruit and nuts in chicken salad. It is yum.
posted by Don Pepino at 9:01 AM on June 6, 2017

Peanut butter and banana, pulled pork barbecue and coleslaw
posted by bluebird at 10:30 AM on June 6, 2017 [1 favorite]

Perhaps something with Biscoff Cookie Butter.
posted by SemiSalt at 11:46 AM on June 6, 2017

Mashed chick peas and avocado with lime, salt & pepper, and some hot sauce. It makes a really nice sandwich spread. Add feta if you'd like cheese. It works better on sliced bread. (I learned this the hard way by trying it on a baguette and having it sploosh out the sides.)
posted by Cranialtorque at 12:17 PM on June 6, 2017

My mom is partial to poached chicken mixed in the food processor with almonds, mayo and herbs/seasonings of your choice to make a hybrid of chicken salad and pate.

There's a pre-made product called faux-gras, which is a soft lentil-pecan pate with thanksgiving-y seasoning, that's very delicious and would be a super good squishy sandwich filling. They sell it at whole foods near me, but any sort of lentil pate would likely be a good choice.
posted by snaw at 1:08 PM on June 6, 2017

oh! also! if we're just going for flavor and not protein content, thanksgiving stuffing and cranberry sauce on a roll.

you could add turkey too, but honestly, why?
posted by nebulawindphone at 3:12 PM on June 6, 2017 [2 favorites]

Mashed banana.
posted by HiroProtagonist at 7:26 PM on June 6, 2017

I have a suggestion that isn't a sandwich but is squishy!

So get a baguette or bloomer. That's for dipping.

Grate tomatoes (they'll grate until the skin is left, chuck that away) add olive oil and salt. Keep adding until you get the balance right - it's obvious when you have because it starts to taste really silky and just salty enough that the flavour of the tomato is at full force.

There you go. It's sloppy. But extremely tasty. And a good alternative in a packed lunch whilst still being squishy.

Also, when you have some time (this is not for a packed lunch but sounds like it would be right up your street) look into getting your hands on a Francesinha (Portuguese dish). It's the squishy sandwich to end all squishy sandwiches.
posted by TheGarden at 3:13 AM on June 7, 2017 [1 favorite]

Miso! In particular sweet white rice miso. It's like savory ice cream: all umami & salt. Excellent combined with peanut butter, grilled cheese, or anything that pairs well w salt. Applesauce & miso would be lunch & dessert at the same time.
posted by Jesse the K at 7:01 AM on June 7, 2017 [1 favorite]

I have alway loved ham salad sandwiches made from left over ham.
Run ham though a grinder (or a food processor), add enough mayo so that the mix is spreadable, then add some pickle relish (drained) if you want a bit of tart crunch in there.
posted by plinth at 4:25 PM on June 7, 2017

As plinth mentions above, something my grandmother used to always get from the deli was ham salad. I don't have a recipe, but it was essentially boiled ham and pickles, run through a food processor with probably a little mayo for binding. I haven't had it for years, but it really was nice, especially with rye bread.
posted by amusebuche at 4:05 AM on June 10, 2017