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13 Cold Sandwich Recipes for Your Lunchbox or Picnic Basket

Who says sandwiches are boring? Forget the usual PB&J or plain ham and cheese sandwich. It’s time to step up your game on your midday meal with one of these delicious cold sandwich recipes. Whether you’re packing a lunch to take to the work or stuffing a picnic basket full of goodies, these sammies are guaranteed to make your lunch a lot more exciting.

Italian Sub Sliders

Easy Italian Sub Sliders
Image Credit: Glue Sticks & Gumdrops

Get all the flavors of an Italian sub in a much more portable slider form. This sammie is stuffed with three deli meats, provolone cheese, tomatoes, lettuce, and onion with plenty of Italian seasoning and sub dressing to boost the flavor.

Get the recipe: Italian Sub Sliders

Chicken Salad Sandwiches

chicken salad on a bagel
Image Credit: Haute & Healthy Living

This isn’t any old chicken salad recipe. It’s healthier, but still jam-packed with flavor from the tangy, creamy dressing paired with crunchy and refreshing grapes, almonds, and celery. Using green onions ensures the onion flavor isn’t overpowering, and the dried cranberries bring a little sweetness to the table.

Get the recipe: Chicken Salad with Grapes and Almonds

Tuna Salad Sandwiches

tuna salad sandwich cut in half and stacked on white plate
Image Credit: Fantabulosity

Tuna salad sandwiches are a classic for a reason — they’re delicious! This recipe includes all the ingredients of a traditional tuna salad like mayo, sweet pickle relish, onions, and celery. But, the flavor is taken up a notch with a splash of lemon juice and a few basic seasonings.

Get the recipe: Tuna Salad Sandwiches

Egg Salad Sandwiches

egg salad sandwiches on wood cutting board
Image Credit: Valerie’s Kitchen

While there are plenty of egg salad recipes to try, nothing satisfies quite like the classic, which is what you’ll find here. Made with familiar ingredients like mayo, yellow mustard, red onion, celery, and a few spices, you simply can’t go wrong with it.

Get the recipe: Classic Egg Salad

Easy Crab Salad Sandwich

crab salad sandwiches on white plate with blue checkered napkin to the left
Image Credit: Glue Sticks & Gumdrops

Why go for tuna salad when you can up the ante with crab salad instead? Made with canned lump crab meat for convenience, it comes together in about 5 minutes. Spread on buttery croissants for the perfect brunch sandwich.

Get the recipe: Crab Salad Sandwich

Cucumber Sandwiches

cool cucumber sandwiches in glass dish
Image Credit: My Kids Lick the Bowl

What’s more refreshing than cool cucumbers on a hot summer day? Make this crunchy, creamy cucumber sandwich when you want something light and refreshing. They’re perfect for a tea party with the kids, too!

Get the recipe: Cucumber Sandwiches

TikTok Grinder Sandwich

close-up of TikTok grinder sandwich
Image Credit: In Krista’s Kitchen

This sandwich takes a little more time to prep since more ingredients are involved, but it’s totally worth it. Pack the crusty Italian bread with your favorite deli meats like pepperoni, ham, turkey, and soppressata. Top it off with an incredibly flavorful dressing, and this viral recipe will quickly become a favorite.

Get the recipe: TikTok Grinder Sandwich

Curried Chickpea Salad Sandwich

chickpea salad on bagel
Image Credit: The View from Great Island

Instead of chicken salad, try this flavorful curried chickpea salad on a hearty bagel. You can make it vegan or not (just swap out the mayo accordingly), but either way, it’s delicious and has great texture in every bite.

Get the recipe: Curried Chickpea Salad

Muffaletta Sandwich

muffuletta sandwich view of one wedge
Image Credit: XOXO Bella

If you live outside of New Orleans, you may have never heard of this sandwich, but in the city, it’s a classic. You’ll start with muffaletta bread (a large, round bun topped with sesame seeds) and pile it high with lots of fixings. Olive salad spread is the star of the show, and the huge stack of meats and cheeses doesn’t hurt, either.

Get the recipe: Muffaletta Sandwich

Pimento Cheese Sandwich

pimento cheese sandwich with olive and toothpick
Image Credit: Eating on a Dime

Any Southerner knows that a pimento cheese sandwich is the ultimate picnic or potluck food. But don’t settle for store-bought pimento cheese when you can whip up a much tastier homemade version in just 10 minutes. You’ll never go back.

Get the recipe: Pimento Cheese Sandwich

Turkey Cranberry Sandwiches

turkey cranberry sandwiches
Image Credit: Vintage Kitchen

You don’t have to wait for November to enjoy a mouthwatering turkey cranberry sandwich. It deserves to be on your menu outside of Thanksgiving! After all, deli sliced turkey and canned cranberry sauce are available all year round. Add the savory turkey and sweet cranberry sauce to toasted bread along with creamy mayo and crunchy lettuce.

Get the recipe: Turkey Cranberry Sandwiches

Mortadella, Burrata and Pesto Focaccia Sandwich

Mortadella, Burrata and Pesto Focaccia Sandwich
Image Credit: Chef’s Pencil

Have an Italian market near you? Grab everything you need for this recipe ASAP. Focaccia is spread with mozzarella burrata and pesto and then piled high with sliced mortadella, fresh tomatoes, and arugula and finished off with a flavorful balsamic cream. It sounds like a lot, but the flavors marry beautifully.

Get the recipe: Mortadella, Burrata and Pesto Focaccia Sandwich

Classic Club Sandwiches

club sandwich quarters top-down view
Image Credit: Cincy Shopper

The double-decker club sandwich is the one to make when you’re hungry and need something hearty and filling. Load it up with meats, cheeses, and veggies, and then do it again! Open wide to take in a bite of this tall sammie.

Get the recipe: Classic Club Sandwich

Author

  • I'm Donella, the voice, heart, and wit (sometimes) behind this blog. I homeschool my pre-teen son by day and moonlight as a blogger and freelance writer. I'm a Diet Pepsi aficionado with a bookshelf that's always overflowing. My two dogs—a German Shepherd and a Beagle—are my fluffy shadows. I love planning in my bullet journal almost as much as I love hoarding notebooks and pens. I may be an introvert who missed her calling as a desert hermit, but that just gives me more time to write, right?

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