Mayo or No Mayo? 20 Old Fashioned Sandwiches Grandma Made When Supper Was Just Bread and Love

Supper did not always mean a hot meal. Some nights it was two slices of soft white bread, whatever was left in the fridge, and a mother or grandma who knew exactly how much mayo was enough. These old fashioned sandwiches fed whole families for pennies, and most of us can still taste them. Every slide has the simple recipe, plus the one little detail families still argue about. So tell us the truth: how did your mama make hers..

The Scrambled Egg Sandwich, Where Old Fashioned Sandwiches Begin

When the pantry was low, there were always eggs. Grandma scrambled them soft in a little butter, piled them on white bread and called it supper. It is fast, cheap and somehow more filling than it looks. The big question is the mayo. Some families swear by a thin swipe on both slices, others say eggs need nothing but salt and pepper. Which side are you on: A) mayo, B) butter, C) ketchup, or D) nothing at all?

You will need: 3 large eggs, 1 tbsp milk, 1 tbsp butter, salt and black pepper, 2 slices soft white sandwich bread, 1 tbsp mayonnaise (optional).

How to make it: 1. Whisk the eggs with the milk, salt and pepper. 2. Melt the butter in a skillet over medium low heat. 3. Add the eggs and stir slowly until just set and still soft. 4. Spread mayo on the bread if you like. 5. Pile on the eggs, close the sandwich and cut it on the diagonal.

Old Fashioned Egg Salad Sandwich

Egg salad was the sandwich of church picnics, Sunday afternoons and school lunch boxes wrapped in wax paper. Grandma chopped the eggs by hand with a fork, so it stayed a little chunky. A spoon of mustard and a bit of sweet pickle relish gave it that tangy flavor everyone remembers. Do you like yours smooth or chunky? The answer usually depends on who made it for you first.

You will need: 6 hard boiled eggs, 1/3 cup mayonnaise, 1 tsp yellow mustard, 1 tbsp sweet pickle relish, salt, pepper, pinch of paprika, 8 slices white bread.

How to make it: 1. Peel the eggs and chop them with a fork in a bowl. 2. Stir in the mayo, mustard and relish. 3. Season with salt, pepper and paprika. 4. Chill 15 minutes if you have time. 5. Spread thick between slices of bread and cut in halves.

Fried Bologna, King of the Old Fashioned Sandwiches (Slit the Edge)

If you grew up in the South or the Midwest, you know the trick. Cut one small slit from the edge to the center of the bologna so it does not puff up into a dome in the hot pan. Fry it until the edges curl and turn brown, then lay it on white bread with mustard or mayo. Add a slice of cheese while it is still hot and it melts right in. Cheap, salty and pure comfort, like all the best old fashioned sandwiches.

You will need: 4 thick slices bologna, 1 tsp butter or oil, 4 slices white bread or 2 buns, yellow mustard or mayonnaise, 2 slices American cheese (optional), sliced onion (optional).

How to make it: 1. Cut one slit from the edge to the center of each slice. 2. Heat the butter in a skillet over medium heat. 3. Fry the bologna 1 to 2 minutes per side until the edges brown and curl. 4. Top with cheese for the last 30 seconds. 5. Stack on bread with mustard or mayo and onion.

Summer Tomato Sandwich, the Simplest of the Old Fashioned Sandwiches

This one only works with a real ripe tomato, the kind still warm from the garden or the farm stand. Thick slices, soft white bread, plenty of mayo, salt and black pepper. That is it. Many families ate them standing over the kitchen sink so the juice would not drip on the floor. Some add a pinch of sugar on the tomato. Did your family do that, or is that a step too far?

You will need: 1 large ripe tomato, 2 slices soft white bread, 1 to 2 tbsp mayonnaise, salt, freshly ground black pepper.

How to make it: 1. Slice the tomato about 1/2 inch thick. 2. Lay the slices on a paper towel and salt them lightly. 3. Spread mayo generously on both slices of bread. 4. Layer the tomato and add lots of black pepper. 5. Close, press gently and eat right away.

Pimento Cheese, the Queen of Old Fashioned Sandwiches

Pimento cheese is often called the pate of the South, and every family has its own recipe. Grandma grated sharp cheddar by hand, stirred in chopped pimentos and mayo, and kept a bowl in the fridge all week. It went on white bread for supper, on crackers for company and on celery for the ladies at bridge club. Some add a little grated onion or a dash of hot sauce. What goes in yours?

You will need: 8 oz sharp cheddar (freshly grated), 1/2 cup mayonnaise, 1 jar (4 oz) diced pimentos (drained), 1/4 tsp garlic powder, pinch of cayenne, salt and pepper, 8 slices bread.

How to make it: 1. Grate the cheese into a bowl. 2. Add the mayo, pimentos, garlic powder and cayenne. 3. Mash and stir until creamy but still a little chunky. 4. Season with salt and pepper. 5. Spread thick on bread, close and slice.

Chicken Salad Sandwich From a Boiled Hen

Before rotisserie chickens, there was a big pot on the stove with a whole hen simmering for hours. The broth went to soup or dumplings, and the meat became chicken salad. Grandma pulled it into small pieces, added celery for crunch, a boiled egg or two and enough mayo to hold it together. Spread on soft bread, it fed a crowd on a hot summer evening. Do you add grapes or pecans, or keep it plain?

You will need: 3 cups cooked chicken (chopped), 2 celery stalks (diced), 2 hard boiled eggs (chopped), 1/2 cup mayonnaise, 1 tbsp sweet pickle relish, salt and pepper, 10 slices bread.

How to make it: 1. Simmer a whole chicken in salted water until tender (165F inside), then cool and pull the meat. 2. Chop the chicken into small pieces. 3. Mix with celery, eggs, mayo and relish. 4. Season and chill 30 minutes. 5. Spread on bread and cut into halves.

Ham Salad, Old Fashioned Sandwiches From the Holiday Ham

Nothing went to waste in grandma’s kitchen, especially not the Easter or Christmas ham. The last scraps went through the hand crank meat grinder that clamped onto the counter, then got mixed with sweet pickle and mayo. The result was pink, tangy and perfect on white bread. Today a food processor does the job in seconds. Do you remember that old grinder? It might still be in someone’s basement.

You will need: 2 cups leftover ham (cut in chunks), 1/3 cup mayonnaise, 2 tbsp sweet pickle relish, 1 tsp yellow mustard, 1 hard boiled egg (optional), 8 slices bread.

How to make it: 1. Pulse the ham in a food processor until finely chopped. 2. Add the egg if using and pulse twice. 3. Stir in the mayo, relish and mustard. 4. Chill until cold. 5. Spread on bread and serve with chips or a pickle spear.

Tuna Salad on Toast With Sweet Pickle

Tuna salad was the Friday supper in many homes, and the toast made it special. The warm, crisp bread against the cold creamy tuna is the whole point. Grandma used sweet pickles, not dill, and chopped them fine with a little onion. Lettuce was optional, but potato chips on the side were not. Quick poll: A) sweet pickle, B) dill pickle, C) celery only, or D) no crunch at all?

You will need: 2 cans (5 oz each) tuna (drained), 1/3 cup mayonnaise, 2 tbsp chopped sweet pickle, 2 tbsp minced onion, 1 tsp lemon juice, salt and pepper, 8 slices bread (toasted), lettuce leaves.

How to make it: 1. Flake the tuna into a bowl with a fork. 2. Stir in the mayo, pickle, onion and lemon juice. 3. Season with salt and pepper. 4. Toast the bread until golden. 5. Layer lettuce and tuna salad between the toast and slice on the diagonal.

Peanut Butter and Banana Sandwich

This was the sandwich kids could make for themselves, and the one moms made when the paycheck was a few days away. Peanut butter on one slice, sliced banana on the other, maybe a drizzle of honey. Some families toasted it in a hot skillet with butter until it got golden and gooey. It is filling, sweet and still a favorite with kids today. Did you have yours cold or toasted in the pan?

You will need: 2 slices bread, 2 tbsp peanut butter, 1 ripe banana, 1 tsp honey (optional), 1 tsp butter (for the skillet version).

How to make it: 1. Spread peanut butter on one slice of bread. 2. Slice the banana and lay it over the peanut butter. 3. Drizzle with honey if you like and top with the second slice. 4. For the warm version, butter the outside and toast in a skillet 2 minutes per side. 5. Cut and serve.

Cucumber and Cream Cheese Sandwiches

Not every old fashioned sandwich was a hard times supper. Cucumber sandwiches came out for showers, church teas and summer afternoons on the porch. Grandma trimmed the crusts, spread soft cream cheese with a little dill, and layered paper thin cucumber. On a hot night, a plate of these with iced tea felt fancy without turning on the stove. Did your family save the crusts for the birds or for bread pudding?

You will need: 1 English cucumber (thinly sliced), 4 oz cream cheese (softened), 1 tbsp mayonnaise, 1 tsp fresh dill (chopped), pinch of garlic powder, salt, 8 slices soft white bread.

How to make it: 1. Lay the cucumber slices on paper towels and salt lightly for 10 minutes. 2. Mix the cream cheese, mayo, dill and garlic powder. 3. Spread on every slice of bread. 4. Layer cucumber on half the slices and close. 5. Trim the crusts and cut into triangles or fingers.

Fried Potato, the Hard Times Hero of Old Fashioned Sandwiches

When there was no meat at all, there were potatoes. Families in coal country, on farms and in city apartments fried thin potato slices with onion in a cast iron skillet and piled them on buttered bread. It sounds plain, but with salt, pepper and a splash of ketchup it is crispy, soft and very filling. It is one of those old fashioned sandwiches people talk about with real pride. Did your family ever eat these? For another cheap and cozy idea, try these hot sandwiches for dinner.

You will need: 2 medium potatoes (thinly sliced), 1/2 onion (sliced), 2 tbsp oil or bacon grease, salt and pepper, 4 slices bread, butter, ketchup or mustard.

How to make it: 1. Heat the oil in a cast iron skillet over medium heat. 2. Add the potatoes and onion in a thin layer. 3. Cover and cook 8 minutes, then uncover and fry until golden, turning often. 4. Season well with salt and pepper. 5. Butter the bread, pile on the potatoes and add ketchup.

Sloppy BLT With Thick Tomato Slices

A real BLT should drip a little. Grandma made hers in late summer, with bacon fried in the big skillet, cold lettuce and tomatoes so thick they hung off the edges. Toasted bread is a must, and so is plenty of mayo. It is the kind of sandwich you eat over the plate with a napkin in your other hand. Do you toast your bread for a BLT, or keep it soft?

You will need: 8 slices thick bacon, 4 slices bread (toasted), 2 tbsp mayonnaise, 4 leaves iceberg or green leaf lettuce, 1 large ripe tomato (thick slices), salt and pepper.

How to make it: 1. Fry the bacon until crisp and drain on paper towels. 2. Toast the bread and spread with mayo. 3. Layer lettuce and tomato on two slices. 4. Salt and pepper the tomato and add 4 slices of bacon each. 5. Close, press gently and cut on the diagonal.

Cheese and Onion Sandwich With Butter

This is the sandwich working fathers often took in a lunch pail and the one many grandparents still make for a quick supper. Thin slices of sharp cheese, a few rings of sweet onion and real butter on soft bread. Some families used Vidalia onions, some used whatever was in the bin. Like most old fashioned sandwiches it is simple, but the sharp cheese and sweet onion are a perfect match. Raw onion on a sandwich: yes or no?

You will need: 4 slices bread, 2 tbsp soft butter, 4 oz sharp cheddar (thinly sliced), 1/2 sweet onion (thin rings), black pepper, sliced tomato (optional).

How to make it: 1. Spread soft butter on every slice of bread. 2. Layer the cheddar on two slices. 3. Add the onion rings and a few grinds of pepper. 4. Add tomato if you like. 5. Close, press and cut. Toast it in a skillet if you want it melted.

Fried Egg Sandwich With a Runny Yolk

The scrambled egg sandwich has a cousin, and it is just as loved. Grandma fried an egg in bacon grease, spooning the hot fat over the top until the white set, and slid it onto toast. The yolk runs into the bread with the first bite, which is exactly the point. Some broke the yolk so it would not drip. Runny or broken? This is one of the great kitchen table debates.

You will need: 2 large eggs, 1 tbsp butter or bacon grease, salt and pepper, 2 slices bread (toasted), 1 slice cheese (optional), mayo or ketchup.

How to make it: 1. Heat the butter in a skillet over medium heat. 2. Crack in the eggs and cook until the whites are set, spooning fat over the top. 3. Flip for a few seconds if you like the white firm. 4. Season with salt and pepper. 5. Slide onto toast with cheese and mayo and eat with a napkin close.

Cold Meatloaf Sandwich the Next Day

Ask anyone over 50 and they will tell you the meatloaf was better the next day. A thick cold slice on white bread with ketchup, mustard or mayo was the best part of meatloaf night. Some families warmed the slice in a skillet so the edges crisped up. It is one of those old fashioned sandwiches that turned leftovers into something people looked forward to. Hot or cold: how do you eat it?

You will need: 2 thick slices leftover meatloaf, 4 slices bread, 2 tbsp ketchup, 1 tbsp mayonnaise or mustard, sliced onion (optional), lettuce (optional).

How to make it: 1. Slice the meatloaf about 3/4 inch thick. 2. For the warm version, brown the slices in a skillet 2 minutes per side. 3. Spread the bread with mayo or mustard. 4. Add the meatloaf and a line of ketchup. 5. Top with onion and lettuce, close and slice.

Salmon Patty Sandwich From a Can

Canned salmon was a pantry staple in many Southern and Midwest homes, and salmon patties were a weeknight supper favorite. Grandma mixed the salmon with crackers and egg, fried the patties golden in a skillet, and leftover ones went between two slices of bread the next day. With a smear of mayo or tartar sauce, it is a cheap and filling take on old fashioned sandwiches. Did your family pick out the little bones?

You will need: 1 can (14.75 oz) salmon (drained), 1 egg, 1/2 cup crushed saltine crackers, 2 tbsp minced onion, salt and pepper, 2 tbsp oil, 8 slices bread or 4 buns, mayonnaise or tartar sauce, lettuce.

How to make it: 1. Flake the salmon in a bowl, removing skin and large bones if you like. 2. Mix in the egg, crackers, onion, salt and pepper. 3. Shape into 4 patties. 4. Fry in oil over medium heat 3 to 4 minutes per side until golden. 5. Serve on bread with mayo and lettuce.

Hot Dog on Sliced Bread

No buns in the house? No problem. In many homes, a split hot dog folded into a slice of white bread was a perfectly good supper. Grandma split the hot dogs lengthwise, browned them in the skillet, then added mustard, onion and maybe a spoon of chili. Kids loved it, and it stretched a pack of hot dogs further. Did your family ever do this, or was it buns or nothing?

You will need: 4 hot dogs, 1 tsp butter, 4 slices soft white bread, yellow mustard, 1/4 onion (finely chopped), sweet relish or chili (optional), shredded cheese (optional).

How to make it: 1. Split each hot dog lengthwise, not all the way through. 2. Brown them cut side down in butter for 2 to 3 minutes, then turn. 3. Lay each hot dog on a slice of bread. 4. Add mustard, onion and relish or chili. 5. Fold the bread around it and eat while hot.

Olive Nut, the Church Luncheon Star of Old Fashioned Sandwiches

This one might be new to younger readers, but many grandmothers will smile when they see it. Cream cheese mixed with chopped green olives and toasted pecans was a favorite at church luncheons, wedding showers and ladies clubs in the mid 1900s. It is salty, creamy and crunchy, and it holds up well on a party tray. Have you ever tried an olive nut sandwich? Tell us if your family made them.

You will need: 8 oz cream cheese (softened), 1/2 cup chopped green olives with pimentos, 1/3 cup toasted pecans (chopped), 1 tbsp olive brine, 2 tbsp mayonnaise, 8 slices white or wheat bread.

How to make it: 1. Beat the cream cheese and mayo until smooth. 2. Stir in the olives, pecans and olive brine. 3. Chill 20 minutes to firm up. 4. Spread on bread and close the sandwiches. 5. Trim the crusts and cut into triangles for a tray.

Homemade Mayonnaise, the Secret to the Best Old Fashioned Sandwiches

Every sandwich on this list comes back to one question: how much mayo, and which kind? Many grandmothers made their own in a bowl with a whisk, or in a jar with a beater, and it was richer and more lemony than anything on a shelf. It takes about five minutes. Use very fresh eggs, or pasteurized eggs to be safe, and keep it in the fridge. Have you ever made mayo from scratch?

You will need: 1 large pasteurized egg yolk, 1 tsp lemon juice, 1 tsp white vinegar, 1/2 tsp Dijon or yellow mustard, 1/4 tsp salt, 3/4 cup neutral oil.

How to make it: 1. Whisk the yolk, lemon juice, vinegar, mustard and salt in a bowl. 2. Add the oil a few drops at a time, whisking hard. 3. Once it thickens, pour the oil in a thin stream. 4. Whisk until thick and glossy. 5. Taste, adjust the salt and refrigerate up to 4 days.

Grandma’s Sandwich Rules: White Bread, Soft Butter and a Diagonal Cut

Before you make any of these, here are the house rules most of us grew up with. Soft white bread, unless it was a tomato sandwich, then the softer the better. Spread butter or mayo all the way to the edges so every bite has some. Cut on the diagonal, because it tastes better that way, and everyone knows it. And always serve with something crunchy, like a pickle or chips. Which rule did your house never break?

You will need: 1 loaf soft white sandwich bread, soft butter or mayonnaise, your favorite filling, dill or sweet pickle spears, potato chips.

How to make it: 1. Let the butter soften on the counter so it spreads without tearing the bread. 2. Spread it all the way to the crust. 3. Add the filling in an even layer, a little thicker in the middle. 4. Close and press gently with your palm. 5. Cut corner to corner with a sharp knife and serve with a pickle.