24 Satisfying Sandwiches to Make for Dinner

Go ahead. Eat sandwiches for dinner.

By
Robin Shreeves
Robin Shreeves
Robin Shreeves
Robin Shreeves is a food and beverage writer.
Learn about Simply Recipes' Editorial Process
Published June 26, 2023
Robin Shreeves
Three photos of summer sandwiches next to each other. To the left is a Pan Bagnat. The middle photo is Grilled Cheese BLT with bacon, lettuce and tomato visible. The photo to the right is two Cuban sandwiches stacked on top of each other.

There are so many reasons to embrace sandwiches for dinner.

  • It's hot out and you don't want to heat up the kitchen.
  • You forgot to defrost the chicken.
  • The kids have soccer/dance/basketball/play practice and you need something fast.
  • You baked up a loaf of sourdough sandwich bread on the weekend and need to use it up.
  • You cooked last night. And the night before. And you want a break tonight.
  • Sandwiches are yummy.

These 24 sandwiches are (mostly) cooking-free and come together quickly. If a sandwich only doesn't feel like a meal, add some easy, healthy sides like a green salad, pickles, baby carrots, applesauce, or quick-to-throw-together fruit salad.

  • Loaded Veggie Sandwich

    Loaded Veggie Sandwiches Stacked on a Cutting Board

    Simply Recipes / Alison Bickel

    Slice up fresh raw produce—Persian cukes, heirloom tomatoes, ripe avocados, lettuce—add some cheese, sprouts, and pickled onions and put it all between two slices of good bread slathered with both mayo and mustard. Toast the bread or not. Your choice.

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  • Grilled Chicken Caprese Sandwich

    Grilled Chicken Caprese Sandwiches on a Parchment Lined Tray With One Sandwich Cut in Half, and on the Counter Next to the Tray, Plates With Individual Ingredients and a White Kitchen Towel

    Simply Recipes / Hannah Zimmerman

    So summery! Ripe tomatoes, fresh basil, and creamy mozzarella come together for the timeless Caprese combo, bulked up with grilled chicken breast. A smear of pesto on the ciabatta punches up the flavor.

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  • Classic Muffuletta

    A Plate with Quarters of a Classic Muffuletta Sandwich Made with Cold Cuts, Cheese, and Olives

    Simply Recipes / Lori Rice

    The origins of this classic New Orleans sandwich may be in dispute, but you can't dispute how delicious it is. The sandwich in a hollowed out boule is briny with olives and marinated vegetables, smoky with cured meats, and creamy with Italian cheese. One sandwich serves four. Note—the sandwich doesn't take long to build, but it does need to rest for at least 1 hour for the flavors to marry and the oil to soak into the bread.

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  • Grilled Cheese BLT

    Four BLT Grilled Cheese sandwiches with toasty bread and crispy bacon
    Aaron Hutcherson

    What a mashup! All the things you love about a BLT, but with melty cheddar added to the mix. To keep it simple, microwave or air-fry your bacon.

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    Continue to 5 of 24 below.

  • Tuna Melt

    Grilled tuna sandwich cut in half and stacked on top of each other. The bread is toasted and tuna, melted cheese and tomatoes are visible in the filling.
    Sally Vargas

    A diner tuna melt is all well and good, but when you build it on sturdy rustic bread and add tarragon to the mix, you have an oozy, cheesy masterpiece.

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  • Caesar Chicken Wrap

    Chicken Caesar Wraps Cut in Half on a Plate with a Small Bowl of Dressing

    Simply Recipes / Alison Bickel

    Do you have bottled Caesar dressing? Do you have cooked chicken breast? Add Romaine and tortillas and you're golden. No worries, our recipe has a way to make it all from scratch, if you prefer.

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  • Ultimate Club Sandwich

    Side view of turkey club with garlic mayo on a plate. The bread is toasted and the mayo, avocado, bacon, tomato, lettuce and turkey are visible in the sandwich.
    Nick Evans

    Homemade garlic aioli in place of regular old mayo gives credence to this turkey club with roasted turkey, crispy bacon, and fresh veggies being the ultimate version of the sandwich. Also essential for making this the ultimate club—fresh, crisp romaine to give it a good crunch when you bite into it.

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  • Chickpea Panini

    Chickpea Paninis on Parchment Paper over a Circular Wooden Board Surrounded by Lemon Wedges and a Bowl of Arugula

    Simply Recipes / Ciara Kehoe

    So, it turns out that in Italy, a panini is not always grilled. This ungrilled panini, stuffed with a creamy yet healthful chickpea filling, ensures you have a no-cook meal.

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    Continue to 9 of 24 below.

  • Italian Sub Sandwich

    Side view of an italian sandwich on a platter that is cut into slices. Meat, cheese and toppings are layered on the sandwich.
    Nick Evans

    This sub (or hoagie, if that's what you prefer to call it) is so loaded with salami, turkey breast, pepperoni, and, of course, banana peppers that you have to rip out some of the insides of the roll to fit it all in. Made on a large loaf of Italian bread, it serves 6!

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  • Quick and Easy Egg Salad Sandwich

    Egg Salad Sandwich

    Simply Recipes / Mihaela Kozaric Sebrek

    If you have eggs in the fridge, you always have a sandwich filling. A dash of curry powder adds some zing to traditional egg salad. Want to make it even more interesting? Add some optional chopped bell pepper, pickles, capers, or chopped cooked bacon.

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  • Best Tuna Salad

    Classic Tuna Salad Sandwich on a Plate with a Side Salad

    Simply Recipes / Sally Vargas

    Make this classic tuna salad with canned tuna, mayo, celery, onion, and lemon. You can customize it with chopped apples, grated carrots, scallions, and other mix-ins to your liking.

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  • Pan Bagnat (French Tuna Sandwich)

    Pan Bagnat (French Tuna Sandwich) on Parchment Paper with Three Drinks Next to It

    Simply Recipes / Sally Vargas

    This French picnic sandwich on a baguette is full of canned tuna, anchovies, olives, tomatoes, onions, and hard-boiled eggs. It's like the classic salade Nicoise in sandwich form. Its name means bathed bread. What is the bread bathed in? Olive oil.

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    Continue to 13 of 24 below.

  • Chickpea Salad Sandwich

    chickpea salad sandwich on whole bread with chips and a side salad
    Sally Vargas | Art Banner Credit: Elena Resko

    This vegetarian take on chicken salad subs a can of drained chickpeas for the chicken. Mash the chickpeas and mix them with celery, capers, mayo, and mustard. Add the salad to a sandwich along with mashed avocado, tomato, and crunchy almond slivers. (Don't throw away the liquid drained from the chickpeas. It's called aquafaba and it has many culinary uses!)

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  • Grilled Cheese With Peppers and Arugula

    Grilled cheese sandwiches with arugula and roasted peppers
    Alison Bickel

    Put your pantry jar of roasted red peppers into action with a sandwich you can easily swap different cheeses or baby greens in.

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  • Avocado Tuna Salad

    Tuna Avocado Sandwich on a Marble Counter

    Simply Recipes / Elise Bauer

    This tuna salad skips the mayo and uses avocado to add creaminess to the tuna, red onions, and celery. The recipe makes enough for two sandwiches and comes together in just 10 minutes.

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  • Ham Salad

    Ham Salad on a bun
    Elise Bauer

    Use up leftover ham in this savory salad that's full of hard-boiled eggs, pickle relish, mayo, onion, celery, bell pepper, and mustard. It works between two slices of bread of your choice, and it's also delicious all on its own.

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    Continue to 17 of 24 below.

  • Avocado Lettuce Tomato Sandwich (ALT)

    Avocado Lettuce Tomato Sandwich
    Elise Bauer

    No b with your l & t? Them's fighting words. Unless you replace the bacon with avocado. Then you have a fresh spin on a classic sandwich. Of course, you can also add some bacon. No one's stopping you.

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  • Cuban Sandwich (Cubano)

    A grilled cuban sandwich is stacked on top of each other with shredded pork, mustard, cheese and pickles visible. Pickle spears and ridged potato chips are to the right of the sandwich.
    Marta Rivera

    There are plenty of ways to make a Cuban sandwich, but some are non-negotiable: slices of roast pork in particular. If you make a pork roast, this is THE way to use up your leftovers.

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  • Tuna Salad Sandwich (With a Twist)

    Open Face Tuna Salad Sandwich

    Simply Recipes / Elise Bauer

    What differentiates this tuna salad from the tuna salad mentioned above? The addition of cottage cheese. It adds more protein, plus a creaminess and richness. The salad also gets some crunch from chopped celery and chopped red onion.

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  • Philly Cheesesteak Sloppy Joes

    Philly Cheesesteak Sloppy Joes

    Nick Evans / Simply Recipes

    Don't tell anyone from Philly! They might balk at this concept, but marrying Philly cheesesteak toppings with an easy sloppy joe filling is genius.

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    Continue to 21 of 24 below.

  • Tarragon Chicken Salad

    Plate of Tarragon Chicken Salad

    Simply Recipes / Annika Panikker

    Inspired by the popular tarragon chicken salad Starbucks used to have on its menu, this version is even better. The aromatic green herb tarragon adds flavors of licorice, eucalyptus, vanilla, and pepper. Dried cranberries add a little sweetness. This salad works great between two hearty slices of whole grain bread, or whatever bread is your fave.

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  • Deviled Ham with Pickled Jalapeños

    deviled ham sandwich on white bread
    Elise Bauer

    This retro sandwich filling deserves to make a comeback. The 1960s party staple gets a Southwestern upgrade with the addition of spicy pickled jalapeños. Serve on the bread of your choice, but good old-fashioned white bread adds to its retro vibe.

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  • Liverwurst Sandwich

    liverwurst sandwich
    Elise Bauer

    If you hated liverwurst as a kid, even though you never tried it, it's time to give this sandwich meat a chance now that you have a grown up palate. You may be pleasantly surprised. This simple sandwich is good on white or rye bread with just a smear of mayo and a slice or two of lettuce.

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  • Greens, Egg, and Ham Sandwich

    Greens Eggs Ham Sandwich

    A Seussian sandwich that proves we not only like green eggs and ham, but love it. The greens in question are wilted baby spinach, but any old green could work in the clean-out-the-fridge bonanza.

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