AWESOME SANDWICHES WITH HEALTHIER SPREADS & FILLINGS...

An awesome Sandwich doesn't have to be stuffed with high-fat, cholesterol spreads and filling.... 

 first posted 11/2015; updated 2023 & 2024

 Hoisin Chicken Baguette: 
East meets west in a baguette stuffed with hoisin chicken & crunchy veg '.. by far the best sandwich of the lot!' Tasters

...and are a perfect vehicle for using up leftovers.

But anyone worried about calories knows they can be Trouble.  

First, there's potential for too much fat - butter, mayo or our favourite filling, cheese - and excess carbs.  You can get around the fat issue by using minimal butter, less mayo and a thinner layer of cheese but you can't do without bread.  

One ingenious solution for reducing bread was provided by a sandwich-loving, weight-watching top singer.  His sandwiches were made with loaves of artisan bread, sliced ultra thin (with a meat slicer) after freezing.  The defrosted bread was l unbuttered, covered with thinly sliced poached organic chicken and dabbed with a smear of mayo.  It was a clever low-fat/carb solution! 

Few dieters want a world without sandwiches.  Who can resist the ultimate comfort of fresh bread from a good bakery smeared with quality butter?  During the last two Covld years, many developed a reliance on bread for carbs. It's a struggle now to break the habit.
  
67 has developed meat, fish and vegetarian fillings which have less fat and more goodness but are as un-boring, tasty and satisfying as they could be.  

Please note:  2023 prices are soon to be updated

Stock Photo (courtesy of Waitrose)

But first...  

WHAT TO USE INSTEAD OF BUTTER & MAYONNAISE

1.  Yoghurt-mayonnaise sandwich spread

...offers the taste of mayonnaise but not its fat content.  It's a 50-50 blend  of mayonnaise with unsweetened low/no fat thick dairy or plant yoghurt  (ordinary cheap-as-chips plain yoghurt will make the bread soggy unless it is strained through a clean j-cloth or muslin for at least 3 hours.)  It's the best of both worlds and frankly tastes better than plain mayonnaise, even the best-loved brand!

Variations

    For every 4 tbsp yoghurt-mayo spread, a generous teaspoon or more to taste of: 

• grated garlic OR
• horseradish, grated or sauce OR
• balsamic vinegar OR
• cranberry sauce

2.  Avocado 

Ripe avocados are so creamy and rich, they can replace butter.  Make your sandwiches just before serving using toast or good wholemeal bread.   

Mash avocadoes , add lemon juice, salt & pepper and a little thick 0-fat plain yoghurt.  Or simply cover the bread with thin slices of avocado sprinkled with lemon juice and pepper.  (Warning: too many avocados can cause weight gain so are best used on a vegetarian day.)  

3. Better Butter

If you really must have butter, try this blend of whipped butter and extra virgin olive oil, often used in America.  It's ultra-smooth and creamy, a little sensuous even, but with fewer calories and more healthy fats than butter.  The usual proportions are 50-50 but 67 prefers roughly 2/3 butter to 1/3 oil.  Start with unsalted butter; add salt to taste later.  Store in the fridge door and it won't go hard.  This recipe also works with plant butter.

These tips will also reduce fat: 

• use a spread on only one slice of bread and cover the other slice with thoroughly dried lettuce to prevent sogginess from dressings or tomatoes 
• don't use butter at all, go for a good vegan spread (67 uses Tomor)
• slice high fat fillings like cheese thinly; spread peanut butter thinly

HEALTHIER INGREDIENTS 

• Ssourdough breads and those made from spelt flour are easier to digest
• yeast-free breads like soda breads aid gut health 
• bread or rolls enriched with 5-grains, olives or sweet potato add layers of flavour and extra food value
• use white bread only when you can't resist it 
• crusts add fibre, which aids digestion

ON A BUDGET?  

• reduce expensive protein fillings by adding salad or fruit to provide fibre for digestion, vitamins and minerals eg cheese with apple, beef with pickles or tuna with olives
• tubes of tomato or anchovy paste, or jars of pesto, add flavour to mayonnaise dressings
• Think out of the box: if you've used whole chicken for stock, don't discard the meat -- keep it for sandwiches but add flavour with salted or well-flavoured items like bacon, vegan bacon, pickles, pesto, cranberry sauce Or see Healthy Meat Sandwiches below
• mixed odds and ends of cheese make great grilled cheese sarnies

SANDWICHES FOR TRANSPORT

     Put filling in small sealable plastic bags and then into an air-tight container; add sliced bread/rolls, with or without butter.  Hard plastic containers are easier to transport.  



MEAT, FISH & VEGETARIAN FILLINGS 

HEALTHY MEAT SANDWICHES 

Striped Turkey Meatloaf Sandwiches
'Strong meaty taste made you feel you'd eaten a proper meal; the light spicing was grand.  Excellent sandwiches!' 

CHICKEN/TURKEY

Shredding or cubing the meat makes it go further; mix with...

• tinned corn and olives
• avocado
• avocado and bacon (grilled on a rack and cooled on kitchen paper)
• raw, thinly sliced mushroom, tinned corn and avocado
• artichoke heart, sun blush tomato and olives (M&S)
• fresh herbs like finely chopped parsley or finely chopped tarragon add flavour without calories.  

                         

BEEF

This meat is not a low-cost filling unless your family rear cattle

Roast Beef & Carmelised Onion Baguette

1. Carmelise finely sliced onions -  cook in a little olive oil over moderate-to-low heat until pale brown and melting, at least 30 mins 
2. Split baguette without cutting into two; spread generously with horseradish yoghurt-mayo
3. On bottom slice, place a layer of sliced tomatoes sprayed lightly with olive oil & lightly salted
4. Add a generous layer of thinly sliced pink roast beef
5. Top with carmelised onions 

Beef & Sweet Pickle

 This filling was created when the only meat in the fridge was slightly dry roast beef.  The businessmen were ecstatic with the result!

1. Finely dice roast beef.
2. Finely chop sweet pickle
3. Mix with enough balsamic yoghurt-mayo to bind but not saturate
4. Butter one of two slices of brown bread; cover with soft English lettuce
5. Pile on the beef-pickle mix
6. Cover with second slice

BACON/HAM/TURKEY BACON

Ham & Celeriac Salad
Lower-carb root vegetable turns into one of the nicest sandwich fillings ever but it needs the saltiness of ham or cooked turkey bacon to balance flavours

BACON SANDWICH A LA CEASAR 
...is not healthy but was one of the most popular meat fillings on the Gourmet Sandwich Platter for senior execs at a major City institution.

1. For every sandwich, grill two rashers good quality thick-cut back bacon or tutkey bacon until cooked through.  Or bake in an oven, on a rack in a tray, at 350F/180c 20 mins. Allow bacon to cool.
2. Take two slices of soft white bread, pref from an artisan baker; butter both sides lightly
3. Cover one slice with rinsed and dried crispy lettuce (Iceberg is good)
4. Add a generous portion of Caesar dressing, in the well of the lettuce to prevent it slopping over onto the bread and making it soggy 
5. Cover the lettuce and dressing with the rashers
6. Cover with a second layer of dried lettuce
7. Top with second slice of bread

*****

TUNA & OTHER FISH FOR HEALTHIER SANDWICHES

Open-faced Devilled Tuna Sandwich
A creamy base of mashed tuna & cooked egg yolk with crunchy celery, spring onions and radish forms a lively backdrop for tabasco/chilli & mustard accents. 

Tuna as a sandwich filling is cheap, tasty and nourishing.  But it can use a little livening up - especially for adults.   

For a tuna base, empty the can into a fine-meshed sieve over a bowl; allow the liquid to drain.  Flake the largest bits and crush the lumpy bits with a fork to provide a mixture of textures.  The looser the fish is, the further it goes.  Add juice and zest (opt for kids) of one lemon plus plenty of black pepper.  Add sufficient yoghurt-mayo to generously moisten without overwhelming the tuna.  Taste.  A little salt might be needed.

Brighten it up and make it go further by adding:

• kids' perennial favourite: sweetcorn
• adults: finely chopped red onion, finely chopped red pepper and a little finely chopped chilli or chillli flakes 
• family: finely chopped red and green pepper 
• finely chopped hard boiled egg
• Skinnier Rose Marie Sauce -- dairy/plant yoghurt-mayo (as above) mixed with tomato paste or lower sugar tomato ketchup until the mix is rosy in colour.  

THE BEST TUNA SANDWICH EVER (BUT NOT THE CHEAPEST)

The Blogger once developed fillings for gourmet sandwiches in the Directors' Dining Room of a major bank in London.  The one filling which brought countless compliments (and occasional ravings of joy) was this one: Tuna Nicoise in Olive  Bread.  

Ingred for one sandwich:

   3-4 oz/104-140 gms drained tuna in large flakes, moistened with a little balsamic yoghurt-mayo; the mix is more dry than wet
   small handful trimmed fine green beans cooked in boiling water 3 mins or until tender but still crunchy   
  1/2 hard-boiled egg, thickly sliced
  1 - 1 1/2 tbsp sunblush tomatoes
  Olive sourdough (Or any brown bread but add a few chopped olives if plain) 

Method

1. generously spread one slice of bread with balsamic yoghurt-mayo
2. spread tuna mix to the edges
3. layer on slices of egg
4. scatter over green beans
5. scatter sunblush tomatoes
6. Top with second slice of bread, lightly buttered

Tip:  This can be served as an open-faced sandwich, eaten with a knife and fork, or a conventional sandwich.

AN ALL-TIME FAVORITE FILLING: SMOKED MACKEREL
(Sorry, it's not frugal!)

Smoked mackerel, especially those studded with red or black peppercorns, makes sensational sandwiches teamed with wholemeal bread.  

Beware, some mackerel brands are very salty. 

67goingon50 prefers the individual fillets sold loose at fishmongers.  However  smoked markeral fillets are no longer the bargain they once were because of concern over UK fish stocks.  So, for a special occasion, then.
  
For 2 sandwiches
Cost: £2-3

Ingred:
1-2 smoked mackerel fillets
zest and juice of a whole lemon
1 1/2 tsp cracked black pepper, if fish isn't already peppered
1 1/2-2 tbsp of yoghurt-mayo
2-3 tbsp flaked almonds
5 grain or other good wholemeal bread

Method:

1. Break mackerel into large flakes
2. Add lemon juice and zest, mixing well but trying not to break up the flakes.
3. Add yoghurt-mayo; mix lightly.  
4. Lightly butter two slices of good quality 5 grain bread; cover one slice with yoghurt-mayo.
5. Make a generous layer of mackerel pieces to the edges.  Season with black pepper
6. Sprinkle generously with flaked almonds.
7. Cover with 2nd slice of bread, unbuttered OR serve as an open-faced sandwich.  

****

VEGETARIAN SANDWICHES: A NEW TAKE ON OLD FAVOURITES

Lebanese Omelette, Avocado & Mint Wrap
Stunning Middle Eastern flavours for wraps during brunch, picnics or buffets...'Totally delicious; fresh mint makes the spicing come alive.'  

Egg, Cheese, Vegetables & Fruit are favourite vegetarian and vegan fillings; here are some new twists:


EGG & MUSHROOM 

Egg mayo is full of bad fats and often needs more salt than is good for anyone.  This intriguing Egg and Mushroom omelette has little fat and, made with good wholemeal bread (Light Soda Bread), pleases and satisfies.   

Cost:  £1.50 (bread is extra)
Makes: 2 sandwiches 


Ingred: 
1 large egg
4-5 mushrooms, thinly sliced
juice of 1/4 lemon
1/8 tsp thyme
(opt.) green or black olive tapenade or sprig of thyme

Method:

1. Spray a non-stick pan with olive oil and fry mushrooms over med to high heat.  When half cooked, squeeze over the juice of the lemon. Turn heat down to med and cook until liquid is gone.  Spread mushrooms over base of pan.  
2. Beat the egg well and pour it over the mushrooms, tilting the pan so the egg covers the bottom.  Season with a llittle salt, some pepper and thyme.  When the bottom of the omelette is lightly browned, turn it over.  (It doesn't matter if it breaks up.)  Cool.  
3. Spread one slice of each sandwich thinly with tapenade or yoghurt-mayo.  Top with 1/2 the omelette. Press bread firmly together. 
4. Wrap in greaseproof paper or cling film for picnics.

CHEESE   

Cream Cheese, recommended max 20-30% fat-reduced (OR full-fat if there are no cholesterol issues); good vegan cream cheeses are now available but at a price.

• Kid-friendly: Use a good solid bread for these and don't make them too far in advance.  Cover bread with a thin layer of butter; spread cream cheese on top. (Sourdough or Spelt bread are perfect.)  Cover with 3-6 halved, unseeded grapes.  Can also be served as an open-faced sandwich. 

• Adults: cover wholewheat bread with cream cheese and scatter with sun-blush tomatoes (not sun-dried which are very salty)

• Showstopper: (Not Skinny!) Spread a thick layer of cream cheese to the corners of multi-seed wholewheat/sourdough Or Irish soda bread bread.  If you are really pulling out the stops, add a layer of solid honey. Scatter liberally with chopped (pref) fresh or dried dates.  (This filling is very popular with people from the Middle East but is a show-stopper for anyone -- though it is, of course, very high in fat & sugar.)

Hard cheese, 20-30% fat reduced for the cholesterol conscious (the quality of fat-reduced cheeses varies, 67goingon50 recommends Davidstow) or Vegan Cheese for the dairy-phobic

• Classic Cheese Sarnie: Thinly slice the cheese.  Spread a thin layer of wholegrain mustard on brown bread.  Cover with cheese slices then 1 to 1.5 tsp Branston pickle (opt).  Add thin slices tomato, then cucumber.  Top with a washed & dried leaf of (or shredded) crunchy lettuce.  Press down firmly with another slice of unbuttered bread.  

• Cheese with a twist: Layer thinly sliced Cheddar with Chive and Onion on lightly buttered white bread.  Add slices of Granny Smith apple lightly dipped in lemon juice.  Cover with second slice bread.  

VEGETABLES & FRUIT

Easy-peasy Beetroot Hummous is fabulous spread on bread/toast with nuts & seeds

VEGETABLE DIPS IN SANDWICHES/WRAPS 

Standard Hummous with grated carrot, lemon juice, sesame seeds and lettuce

Easy Frugal White Bean Pate on Toast (adapted from Nigella Lawson)
Take enough drained, rinsed tinned white beans to cover toast; squash a bit,  leaving some beans whole; add a touch of good olive oil, a sprinkling of chilli flakes or a bit of tabasco sauce; pepper & a bit of salt and a squeeze of lemon juice.  Pile on toast.

Aubergine Dip on Chickpea Flour Wraps (below),layered with stir-fried tenderstem broccoli and thickly sliced mushrooms seasoned with coarse black pepper and thyme.

Cost: £1.50

Serves: 3-4 (the recipe multiples well)

Ingred: 

1 medium eggplant, peeled

1/2 red pepper

1 small red onion

1 garlic clove, grated

1 tbsp olive oil

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1/2 tsp salt 

1/4 tsp cracked black pepper

1 -2 tbsp lemon juice

1 tbsp tahini

1 1/2 tbsp fresh chopped parsley or chives (opt)
small handful pine nuts

Method

1. Preheat oven to 400 F/200c/ga 6-7
2. Cut aubergine, pepper and onion into 1 inch/2.5 cm cubes; add garlic, olive oil, cayenne, s&p.  Mix lightly
3. Spread out on a tray; roast in the middle of the oven for 45 mins, turning once, until lightly browned & soft. Check it isn't getting too brown too quickly.  Cool slightly.
4. Add lemon juice and tahini.  Blend coarsely in a food processor  or with a stick blender.
5. Garnish with herbs and pinenuts if using 

Tips: 

• this mix will keep in the fridge 4 days
• it can be frozen but the texture softens and needs more seasoning

ALSO TRY: 

SENSATIONAL CHERRY SALSA & RICOTTA/COTTAGE CHEESE

Spread on flatbread or toast, it makes a fabulous vegetarian sandwich.

        1/2 cup cherries, halved, stones removed    

        1/2 cup cherry toms, quartered         
        1/2 cup cucumber, de-seeded &  finely chopped
        2 tbsp red onion or whites of spring onions, finely sliced
        1/2 red chilli, seeds & membrane removed, finely chopped 
   zest & juice of half a lime
       1 tbsp roughly chopped coriander or green of spring onion   
       
        2 tablespoons olive oil

        ricotta or cottage cheese
        
        flatbread, bought or made (15-minute flatbread) OR toast

Method:

1. Combine all salsa ingred in a large bowl; take half and roughly process with a blender (or chop further into tiny pieces)
2. Fold mix from processor into the rest of the salsa; stir in oil
3. Refrigerate 30 mins
4. If using cottage cheese, mash or process until smooth.  Spread ricotta/cottage cheese on flatbread or good toast
5. Top with salsa
6. Probably best served with knife & fork 

These recipes have been developed by B  Lee/ Bright Sun Enterprises.  They may not be reproduced, in any form, without the author's written permission.  Any information not attributed to a second party is the copyright of the author.