In my opinion, a hot sandwich isn't really a sandwich so much as a sandwich-shaped meal. Here are 18 that make it worth busting out the fork and knife.
Classic French Dip with Au Jus
What distinguishes a good French dip really should be two factors: (1) meat that is sliced rather than stringy, and (2) a flavorful jus. Rib roast helps with the former, and good-quality beef stock with the latter.
Classic French Dip with Au Jus
Roast the beef as a whole piece and slice it thinly after resting, because a classic French dip should still feel like roast beef rather than pot roast pulled into strings. The ribeye gives you useful drippings for the jus, but skim the fat before adding the wine and broth or the dipping cup will taste greasy. There’s no cheese here to hide the meat. Toast the roll lightly on its cut faces and keep the jus thin enough to soak into one bite at a time. I’d rather have a modest cup of concentrated beef flavor than a large bowl of broth that tastes mostly of salt.
Ingredients
Method
- Heat oven to 425°F. Rub roast with oil, salt and pepper and sear in an ovenproof heavy skillet over medium-high heat for 2 to 3 minutes on each broad side.
- Add 1/2 cup of the measured stock around the beef and move the uncovered skillet to the oven. Roast for 35 to 50 minutes until the center reaches 145°F, checking early and adding a small amount from the reserved stock if the pan threatens to dry.
- Transfer beef to a board and rest for 10 minutes. Pour the pan liquid into a heatproof cup, skim excess fat and leave 1 tablespoon of the fat in the skillet.
- Cook shallots in the reserved fat over medium heat for 3 minutes. Add wine, scrape up the browned bits and simmer for 2 minutes, then add skimmed pan juices, remaining measured stock and thyme.
- Simmer for 10 to 15 minutes until the jus tastes concentrated, then strain and skim again if needed. Aim for about 2 cups for dipping, reducing a little longer if the flavor is weak.
- Split rolls, butter the cut faces and toast under the broiler for 1 to 2 minutes. Slice rested beef very thinly across the grain and divide among the rolls.
- Close the sandwiches and serve one per person with about 1/2 cup hot jus in a small dipping cup. Dip each bite just before eating rather than soaking the whole sandwich in advance.
Crockpot French Dip
I personally like sliced beef on my French dip, but for those of you who prefer a more slow-cooked texture, this Crock-Pot recipe should be just the ticket. Havarti adds extra richness.
Don't lose these recipes! Drop your email and we'll send them to you, so you've got them handy the next time you're planning dinner.
Crockpot French Dip
Short ribs make a slower, richer French dip, with lager and shallots in the cooking liquid and a little Havarti melted into the roll. Brown the ribs before they go into the crockpot so the strained jus has something deeper than the flavor of simmered meat. The bones and large seams of fat come out after cooking, when the beef should separate with gentle pressure. Keep the meat in broad pieces instead of stirring it into mush. Skimming the liquid is the step that makes this worth serving in a cup, because short ribs release more fat than a lean roast and the bread will pick up whatever you leave behind.
Ingredients
Method
- Season ribs with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and brown the ribs in batches for 2 to 3 minutes per meaty side, then transfer to a 6-quart slow cooker.
- Add shallots and garlic to the cooker. Pour lager into the hot skillet, scrape up the browned bits and pour over the ribs with stock and bay leaf.
- Cover and cook on LOW for about 8 hours until the meat separates easily from the bones; continue in 30-minute increments if it still resists a fork.
- Lift ribs onto a tray, remove every bone and any large fat seams and pull the meat into broad pieces. Strain the cooking liquid into a saucepan and skim the surface thoroughly.
- Simmer the strained liquid for 10 to 15 minutes to concentrate it, then spoon about 1/2 cup over the beef to keep it moist. Keep beef hot while preparing the rolls.
- Split rolls, add Havarti along the cut faces and broil for 1 to 2 minutes until the cheese melts and bread edges are lightly toasted. Divide the drained beef among the rolls.
- Close and serve one sandwich per person with about 1/2 cup hot strained jus alongside. Reserve any extra jus separately rather than pouring it into the bread.
Italian Beef Sandwiches
Italian beef is as Chicago as it gets. This recipe uses homemade giardiniera, which isn't necessarily required, but it isn't difficult either, and it gets even better in the fridge.
Italian Beef Sandwiches
Chill the roast before slicing so you can cut the eye of round thin enough to bend inside the roll instead of chewing through a thick slab. The low oven and quick final sear give you a different starting point from a pot of shredded chuck. Homemade quick giardiniera brings small crisp vegetable pieces and enough vinegar to wake up the beef, but drain it before spooning it onto the bread. Warm the beef gently in the seasoned jus at the end, because the cooking is already done and a hard boil will tighten the slices.
Ingredients
Method
- Heat oven to 250°F. Season roast with 3/4 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper and 1 teaspoon oregano; place on a rack over a small pan and roast for 90 to 120 minutes until the center reaches 135–140°F.
- Heat neutral oil in a heavy skillet over high heat and sear the roast for about 1 minute per side until browned. Check that the center reaches 145°F; if needed, return it to the low oven for 5 to 10 minutes, then rest for 10 minutes.
- Cut the roast into two shorter pieces, put in a shallow container and refrigerate promptly for about 2 hours until cold and firm enough to slice thinly. Reserve the resting juices in the refrigerator.
- Meanwhile, simmer vinegar, water, sugar and remaining salt in a small saucepan. Add cauliflower, carrot, celery and jalapeño, simmer for 3 minutes and cool for 20 minutes; drain, toss with olive oil and refrigerate.
- Add stock, smashed garlic, remaining oregano and pepper, crushed red pepper and reserved beef juices to a saucepan. Simmer for 10 minutes, then strain.
- Slice cold beef across the grain as thinly as possible. Warm the slices gently in the jus for 5 to 8 minutes until they reach 165°F, keeping the liquid below a hard boil.
- Split and lightly toast the rolls. Lift beef into them with tongs, spoon about 1 tablespoon jus over each filling and add the drained quick giardiniera.
- Close and serve one sandwich per person immediately. Keep any extra jus separate so each person can add a little more without soaking the whole batch.
Hot Roast Beef Sandwich with Gravy
Buttermilk biscuits are a favorite for biscuits and gravy, but they work great for sandwiches too. Roast beef is layered thickly on top of a split biscuit, and onion gravy soaks in.
Hot Roast Beef Sandwich with Gravy
A large buttermilk biscuit gives hot roast beef and onion gravy a different kind of dinner plate, with a tender middle that catches the sauce and a browned top that still has some structure. Cook the onions slowly before adding flour, then warm the leftover beef only after the gravy is ready so the slices don’t spend half an hour boiling while you wait for the biscuits.
Ingredients
Method
- Heat oven to 425°F and line a sheet pan with parchment. Mix 2 cups flour, baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt, then rub in the cold cubed butter until mostly pea-sized pieces remain.
- Stir in buttermilk just until the dough holds together. Pat into a 7-inch square about 1 inch thick, cut into four equal square biscuits and place about 2 inches apart on the pan.
- Bake for 17 to 20 minutes until risen and golden. Meanwhile, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter in a skillet over medium-low heat and cook onion for 18 to 20 minutes until soft and golden.
- Stir the remaining 2 tablespoons flour into the onions for 1 minute. Gradually add stock, mustard, remaining salt and pepper and simmer for 5 to 7 minutes until the gravy coats a spoon.
- Fold roast beef into the gravy and warm gently for 5 to 8 minutes until the meat reaches 165°F. Split the biscuits horizontally without crushing their layers.
- Divide hot beef and a modest spoonful of onion gravy among the biscuit bottoms, then replace the tops. Serve one large closed biscuit sandwich per person, with any extra gravy added at the table only as wanted.
Hot Turkey Sandwich
A hot turkey sandwich is a creative use for Thanksgiving leftovers, and particularly the underappreciated dark meat. A cider gravy finishes the sandwich, and I think a tart, cloudy English hard cider works so much better.
Hot Turkey Sandwich
Braise the turkey thighs until the meat comes away from the bone easily, then use the cooking liquid for a smooth cider gravy. Dark meat holds up well on a hot sandwich plate, and the cider brings a little sweetness without a layer of cranberry sauce or sliced fruit. This is an open-faced dinner, so the whole-grain toast should be firm enough to move with a spatula but not so dry that you need to saw through it. Spoon the gravy over the turkey after arranging it on the bread. Leaving some toast edge visible gives you a useful crisp bite before the middle softens.
Ingredients
Method
- Heat oven to 325°F. Season turkey with salt and pepper and brown in oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat for about 3 minutes per side.
- Lift turkey out, soften onion in the pot for 5 minutes, then add cider, 2 cups stock and sage. Return turkey, cover and braise in the oven for 1 3/4 to 2 1/4 hours until at least 175°F and tender enough to pull from the bone.
- Rest turkey for 10 minutes. Remove all bones and firm connective tissue and pull the meat into broad pieces.
- Strain the braising liquid, discard spent onion and skim the fat. Measure 2 cups, adding from the reserved stock only if needed to reach that amount.
- Melt butter in a saucepan and stir in flour for 1 minute. Whisk in the measured liquid and simmer for 5 minutes until the gravy lightly coats a spoon.
- Fold turkey into the gravy and heat gently to 165°F. Toast the bread on both sides under the broiler for 1 to 2 minutes total.
- Set one toast slice on each plate, divide turkey over it and spoon gravy over the meat. Serve the four open-faced sandwiches immediately with a knife and fork.
Meatball Parm Sandwich
Italian food nationalists be damned, ricotta makes a great addition to a meatball. The additional cheeses here are structural supports as much as they are toppings.
Meatball Parm Sandwich
Ricotta softens these beef meatballs without making them fragile, provided you mix gently and give them a short chill before shaping. The air fryer browns their surfaces while the fresh tomato sauce cooks on the stove. Keep the meatballs in one layer and work in two batches rather than stacking them in the basket. Three fit along a small ciabatta roll, with enough mozzarella and Parmesan to hold them together after a quick broil. This is a sauce-on-the-meat sandwich; the bottom of the roll shouldn’t be sitting in a red puddle before you pick it up.
Ingredients
Method
- Mix beef, ricotta, egg, breadcrumbs, half the Parmesan, 1/2 teaspoon salt and oregano just until combined. Refrigerate for 20 minutes, then shape into 12 equal meatballs.
- Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a saucepan and soften onion for 5 minutes. Add garlic for 30 seconds, then tomatoes, balsamic and remaining salt; simmer uncovered for 20 to 25 minutes until thick, crushing the tomatoes with a spoon.
- Preheat air fryer to 375°F and brush the basket with the measured teaspoon oil. Cook six meatballs in one layer for 14 to 18 minutes, turning halfway, until their centers reach 160°F; repeat with the remaining six.
- Turn the cooked meatballs in the hot tomato sauce and keep warm. Split the ciabatta rolls and toast their cut faces under the broiler for 1 to 2 minutes.
- Place three meatballs along each roll with a restrained spoonful of sauce. Add mozzarella and the remaining Parmesan, then broil for 2 to 3 minutes until melted.
- Rest for 2 minutes and close the rolls around the filling. Serve one sandwich per person immediately.
Chicken Parmesan Sandwich
With a chicken parm sandwich, timing is everything. You want to make sure to eat this screaming hot. Don't worry too much about the mozzarella, because if anything, the cheap low-moisture stuff works even better.
Chicken Parmesan Sandwich
Roll mozzarella inside the chicken before breading it, and the cheese becomes part of the filling instead of a slippery blanket over a flat cutlet. The breast needs to be pounded evenly so it can wrap around the cheese without a thick raw pocket, then baked until the center of each roll reaches temperature. Slice the rested rolls into thick rounds for the kaiser buns, keeping the tomato sauce measured so some of the Parmesan crumb stays crisp.
Ingredients
Method
- Heat oven to 425°F and set a wire rack over a rimmed sheet pan. Pound each chicken cutlet to an even 1/4 inch, then season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper.
- Put one mozzarella stick near a short edge of each cutlet, fold the sides inward and roll tightly around the cheese. Secure each with two toothpicks, keeping track of all eight.
- Put flour in one shallow dish, beat eggs in another and combine panko with 1/3 cup Parmesan in a third. Coat each chicken roll in flour, egg and crumbs, then place seam side down on the rack and brush with 1 tablespoon oil.
- Bake for 25 to 35 minutes until the center of each roll, including the filling area, reaches 165°F. Rest for 5 minutes, remove all eight toothpicks and slice each roll into four thick rounds.
- Meanwhile, heat remaining oil in a saucepan, cook garlic for 30 seconds and add tomatoes, oregano and remaining salt. Simmer for 15 minutes until thick.
- Toast the cut roll faces under the broiler for 1 to 2 minutes. Arrange the four chicken rounds from one roll on each bottom bun, spoon tomato sauce over the centers and sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan.
- Close with the tops and serve one sandwich per person while the cheese centers are still soft.
Pulled Pork Sandwiches
The best way to make pulled pork for sandwiches is not to cook everything at once, but to use a simple braising liquid and then finish with the seasonings. Apricot preserves are used here, which have a pretty unique, if mellow, flavor.
Pulled Pork Sandwiches
Pressure-cook the shoulder until it pulls easily, then dress the meat after skimming its cooking liquid instead of trying to make barbecue sauce do the braising. Apricot preserves and mustard give the finished pork a sweet-sharp coating that doesn’t need a heavy layer on the bun. Keep a little clean sauce back for assembly before you toss the rest through the meat. The pretzel roll has enough chew to hold the warm shreds, while drained pickled onions give you crunch without another bowl of mayonnaise slaw. This is a good batch recipe, but freeze extra pork separately from the rolls so the bread doesn’t absorb all its moisture while it thaws.
Ingredients
Method
- Season pork with salt, paprika and garlic powder. Heat oil on the sauté setting of a 6-quart electric pressure cooker and brown the pork in batches for about 2 minutes per broad side.
- Return all pork to the pot with onion, cider and stock, scraping the bottom clean. Lock the lid and cook on HIGH pressure for 60 minutes, then allow a 20-minute natural release before releasing any remaining pressure according to the appliance instructions.
- Check that the pork pulls easily with a fork; if still firm, pressure-cook for 10 minutes more. Lift the meat out, discard large fat seams and shred, reserving the cooking liquid.
- Simmer apricot preserves, mustard, vinegar, ketchup, water, black pepper and cayenne in a small saucepan for 5 to 7 minutes until smooth and slightly thickened. Set aside 1/4 cup for the buns.
- Skim the pork cooking liquid thoroughly. Toss the warm shredded pork with 1/2 cup of the skimmed liquid and the remaining barbecue sauce until moist but not soupy.
- Toast the cut bun faces briefly under the broiler. Spread with reserved sauce, divide pork among the buns and add drained pickled onions.
- Close and serve one sandwich per person. Refrigerate any extra pork promptly in a shallow container and reheat cooked leftovers to 165°F.
Grilled Pork Tenderloin Sandwich
While I am partial to the Iowa-style fried tenderloin, grilled tenderloin makes for a refreshing change. It's actually quite low-cal as a cut, and the apple-celery slaw makes this feel pretty fresh and healthy on balance.
Grilled Pork Tenderloin Sandwich
Grill the tenderloin whole and slice it after resting, keeping the juices in the pork instead of leaving them on the cutting board. This version trades the oversized breaded cutlet for warm medallions and a sharp apple-celery slaw. Cut the apple into thin matchsticks so the sandwich closes without a stiff wedge pushing through the bun. The slaw can wait in the refrigerator while the pork cooks, but drain any liquid that collects before adding it to the bread.
Ingredients
Method
- Heat a grill to medium-high, about 400°F. Rub pork with oil, garlic, rosemary, 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper.
- Toss apple and celery with mayonnaise, vinegar, sugar and remaining salt. Refrigerate while the pork cooks.
- Grill the whole tenderloin with the lid closed, turning every 5 minutes, for 18 to 25 minutes until its thickest part reaches 145°F. Move to a cooler area if the outside browns before the center is ready.
- Rest pork for 8 minutes, then cut across the grain into 1/2-inch medallions. Toast the cut bun faces on the grill for about 30 seconds.
- Drain any collected liquid from the slaw. Divide warm pork and slaw among the buns, close and serve one sandwich per person immediately.
Hot Ham and Cheese Sandwich
Pretzel rolls aren't for everyone (they do taste a bit like baking soda…), and I think it's the topping that determines whether they are a success or a failure. Ham and melted cheese seem to be the perfect filling.
Hot Ham and Cheese Sandwich
Hollowing the pretzel rolls makes room for a warm chopped filling without forcing the sandwich into an open-faced bread bowl. Stir the diced ham and well-dried spinach into the cheeses while everything is hot, then bake just long enough to heat the filled rolls through and melt the smoked cheddar.
Ingredients
Method
- Heat oven to 350°F. Slice a lid from each roll and pull a little soft bread from the bottoms, leaving walls about 1/2 inch thick; reserve removed bread for another use.
- Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add ham and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, then add spinach and cook for 3 to 4 minutes until wilted and the pan is dry.
- Stir in cream cheese, half the smoked cheddar, mustard and pepper. Heat the filling to 165°F, stirring until creamy.
- Divide filling among the roll bottoms on a sheet pan and top with remaining cheddar. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes until the centers reach 165°F and cheese melts, adding the roll lids cut side up for the final 3 minutes.
- Set the lids over the filling, rest for 2 minutes and serve one closed hot roll per person.
Open-Faced Beef and Gravy
"Sandwich" is a stretch here, but it is delicious — rather, a nice piece of rye bread acts as the basis for brisket and mushrooms. And rye really is the move here, providing both flavor and a certain textural integrity.
Open-Faced Beef and Gravy
A fresh brisket gives this open-faced plate broad, tender pieces of beef instead of reheated deli slices. Let the covered braise do its work before you start the mushroom gravy; a roast that still fights the fork needs more time, even if the clock says dinner should be ready. Skim the cooking liquid and measure it before thickening so the gravy coats the meat without turning into paste. Rye toast brings enough flavor to stand up to the mushrooms, and its edges stay useful for dragging through the last spoonful. Set out knives and forks before plating because this is a hot dinner that won’t wait neatly in a sandwich basket.
Ingredients
Method
- Heat oven to 325°F. Season brisket with salt and pepper and brown in oil in a snug Dutch oven for 4 minutes per broad side.
- Lift out beef, soften onion in the pot for 5 minutes and add stock and thyme. Return beef, cover tightly and braise for 3 to 3 1/2 hours until a fork slides in easily, usually around 195–205°F; add a little extra stock if the pot starts drying.
- Rest beef for 15 minutes and pull into broad pieces, discarding firm fat seams. Strain the cooking liquid, discard spent onion and skim the fat; measure 2 cups, reducing excess liquid or adding a little water if needed.
- Brown mushrooms in butter in a skillet over medium-high heat for 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in flour for 1 minute, then gradually whisk in the measured braising liquid.
- Simmer gravy for 5 minutes until it coats a spoon. Add brisket and heat gently until steaming hot throughout.
- Toast rye on both sides under the broiler for 1 to 2 minutes total. Put one slice on each plate, divide brisket and mushroom gravy over it and serve immediately as four open-faced sandwiches.
Sausage and Pepper Sandwiches
There's a reason sausage and peppers so often go together on the grill. Tossing the hot roasted peppers with balsamic elevates this sandwich far beyond the usual barbecue skewers.
Sausage and Pepper Sandwiches
Roast the links with wide pepper strips, then split the cooked sausages lengthwise so they sit securely in the rolls. Red and yellow peppers sweeten as their edges brown, and a little balsamic stirred through the hot vegetables supplies the sauce. You don’t need cheese to hold this one together if the rolls are lightly hollowed and the peppers are lifted from the pan with tongs.
Ingredients
Method
- Heat oven to 425°F. Toss peppers and onion with oil, salt and pepper on a rimmed sheet pan, then nestle the sausage links among them.
- Roast for 30 to 35 minutes, turning sausages and stirring vegetables halfway, until the links reach 160°F and peppers have browned edges.
- Transfer sausages to a board and rest for 5 minutes. Toss the hot vegetables with balsamic vinegar and return them to the oven for 2 minutes.
- Split the rolls and remove a little soft bread from the centers. Toast the cut faces under the broiler for 1 to 2 minutes, watching closely.
- Split each sausage lengthwise after cooking. Set two sausage halves in each roll, lift peppers and onion over them with tongs, close and serve immediately.
Monte Cristo Sandwich
I've said it before, and I'll say it again: the Monte Cristo sandwich is overdue for a comeback. A light batter does so much more than the classic egg dip here.
Monte Cristo Sandwich
A light flour batter gives the Monte Cristo a crisp shell that’s different from bread simply dipped in egg. Build the sandwiches with two slices of brioche, press them gently and cut them before coating so the hot oil can reach the edges. Fry in small batches and use the oven finish to heat the ham, turkey and Gruyere all the way through. A little powdered sugar belongs on the crust, but it shouldn’t hide it. Keep the blackberry jam beside the sandwich so you can decide how much sweetness each bite needs.
Ingredients
Method
- Heat oven to 325°F and set a wire rack over a sheet pan. Spread bread with mustard and assemble four two-slice sandwiches with ham, turkey and Gruyere divided evenly.
- Press the sandwiches gently and cut each diagonally into two triangles. Whisk flour, baking powder and salt, then whisk in egg and milk to make a thick pourable batter.
- Heat frying oil in a deep heavy pot to 340°F, using a pot large enough that oil fills it no more than halfway. Keep a thermometer in place and adjust the heat between batches.
- Dip two sandwich triangles in batter, letting excess drip off, then lower carefully into the oil. Fry for 3 to 4 minutes, turning once, until golden; repeat in four total batches.
- Transfer fried triangles to the prepared rack. Bake for 8 to 12 minutes until the filling at the center reaches 165°F, checking more than one piece.
- Dust lightly with powdered sugar. Serve two triangles per person with 1 tablespoon blackberry jam alongside.
Cuban Sandwich
A Cuban sandwich is pretty over the top, but that's part of the charm. Whatever you do, don't throw out that cooking liquid — it has far too much flavor, so let it find new life in a braise.
Cuban Sandwich
Pressure-cooked shoulder gets a brief turn under the broiler before it joins the ham, salami and Swiss, giving the pork browned edges that survive inside the pressed bread. Save some of the citrus cooking liquid for moistening the meat, but leave the rest in the pot. Too much liquid makes the loaf steam from within before its outside can crisp. Use a second heavy skillet as a press and keep the burner moderate so the cheese melts before the bread scorches. Thin pickle slices spread the crunch across the sandwich without making the filling slide out when you cut it.
Ingredients
Method
- Put pork, orange juice, lime juice, stock, garlic, oregano, cumin, salt and pepper in a 6-quart electric pressure cooker. Lock the lid and cook on HIGH pressure for 55 minutes, then allow a 20-minute natural release before releasing the remainder according to the appliance instructions.
- Check that the pork separates easily with a fork; pressure-cook for 10 minutes more if still firm. Lift out, discard large fat seams and pull into broad pieces.
- Skim the cooking liquid. Toss pork with 1/4 cup of it, spread on a sheet pan and broil 6 inches from the element for 4 to 6 minutes until the edges brown, turning once.
- Cut the loaf into four 6-inch portions and split each horizontally. Spread cut faces with mustard, then layer with ham, salami, warm pork, Swiss and drained pickles.
- Close sandwiches and spread butter thinly over their outsides. Heat a large skillet over medium-low heat and cook two at a time under a second heavy skillet for 4 to 5 minutes per side.
- Check that the cheese has melted and the center reaches 165°F, reducing the heat and continuing if needed. Cut each sandwich diagonally and serve immediately.
Buffalo Chicken Sandwich
With all that sauce, it can be difficult to keep Buffalo-style chicken crispy, but a pretzel crust provides the solution. Brushing rather than pouring the sauce on ensures the Buffalo chicken experience.
Buffalo Chicken Sandwich
Crushed pretzels make a sturdy coating for these air-fried breast cutlets, with enough salt already in the crumbs that the chicken needs very little extra seasoning. Brush the Buffalo butter on after cooking so the coating has a chance to crisp first. Celery-seed ranch, iceberg and pickle chips keep the filling sharp and crunchy without a thick layer of blue cheese slaw. Don’t crowd the basket to save a batch; the exposed crumb needs circulating heat on both sides.
Ingredients
Method
- Season chicken with pepper. Put flour in one shallow dish, beat eggs in another and put crushed pretzels in a third.
- Coat cutlets in flour, egg and pretzel crumbs, pressing gently so the coating sticks. Brush both sides with the measured oil.
- Preheat air fryer to 375°F. Cook two cutlets in one layer for 12 to 16 minutes, turning halfway, until the centers reach 165°F; repeat with the other two. Keep the first batch on a rack in a 200°F oven while the second cooks.
- Warm hot sauce and butter in a small saucepan just until melted. Stir yogurt, mayonnaise, dill, garlic powder, celery seed and lemon juice together in a separate bowl.
- Toast the cut bun faces under the broiler for about 1 minute. Brush the cooked cutlets lightly with Buffalo butter, using the sauce evenly across all four.
- Spread ranch on the buns, add iceberg, one hot cutlet and drained pickle chips to each, then close and serve immediately.
Shrimp Po’ Boy
Fried shrimp are something an air fryer is seemingly made for, given how fickle deep frying can be. This po'boy mixes in capers with the remoulade, a French touch that works well.
Shrimp Po’ Boy
Butterfly the shrimp before breading so more of the panko surface browns in the air fryer and the curved pieces sit flatter inside the roll. Caper remoulade gives the sandwich its punch, while dry romaine and sliced tomato supply the cool filling. Assemble as soon as the last batch is ready, because the crisp shrimp won’t improve under a lid or in a puddle of dressing.
Ingredients
Method
- Cut each shrimp partway along its back and open gently into a butterfly shape without separating the halves. Pat dry and season with salt and 1/4 teaspoon paprika.
- Put flour, beaten eggs and panko in three separate shallow dishes. Coat shrimp in flour, egg and crumbs, then brush gently with the measured oil.
- Preheat air fryer to 375°F. Cook eight shrimp at a time in one layer for 7 to 9 minutes, turning once, until golden and the thickest parts reach 145°F; repeat for three total batches. Keep cooked shrimp on a rack in a 200°F oven while finishing.
- Stir mayonnaise, capers, lemon juice, mustard, hot sauce and remaining paprika into a remoulade. Split the rolls and lightly toast their cut faces under the broiler.
- Spread remoulade inside each roll and add romaine and blotted tomato slices. Arrange six hot shrimp along each roll.
- Close gently without crushing the crumbs and serve one sandwich per person immediately.
Falafel Pita Sandwich
Falafel might be the only case where dried beans really are absolutely necessary as opposed to canned. The dry, crumbly texture works perfectly, ready to soak up all those tasty Middle Eastern sauces.
Falafel Pita Sandwich
Start with dried chickpeas and give them a full overnight soak; canned chickpeas are already cooked and won’t produce the same mixture. Dry the soaked beans well before pulsing them with the herbs, and stop while the mixture still has a fine, grainy texture. Chilling helps the balls hold together when they meet the oil. The finished falafel should be crisp outside and tender through the center, with enough room in each pita pocket for tahini sauce and chopped vegetables. Fry the whole batch before filling the bread so everyone gets a hot sandwich instead of waiting beside an empty pocket.
Ingredients
Method
- Cover dried chickpeas with the soaking water and refrigerate for 12 to 18 hours. Drain thoroughly and spread on a clean towel to dry; do not cook them before mixing.
- Pulse chickpeas, onion, garlic, parsley, cilantro, cumin, coriander and 3/4 teaspoon salt in a food processor until finely chopped and cohesive when squeezed, scraping down several times without turning into a smooth paste.
- Mix in chickpea flour and baking powder. Refrigerate for 30 minutes, then shape into 16 equal balls, about 1 1/2 inches across, pressing firmly.
- Heat frying oil to 350°F in a heavy deep pot that is no more than half full. Fry four falafel at a time for 4 to 5 minutes, turning gently, until deeply golden and cooked through; split one to check that the center is hot and tender rather than raw and pasty.
- Keep cooked falafel on a rack in a 200°F oven while finishing four total batches. Stir tahini, lemon juice, 3 tablespoons cold water and remaining salt until smooth, adding the extra tablespoon water only if needed for a drizzling consistency.
- Wrap pitas in foil and warm in the oven for 5 minutes. Cut each across the middle to make eight half-pockets and open carefully.
- Put two hot falafel balls in each half-pocket with tomato, cucumber and tahini sauce. Serve two filled half-pitas per person immediately.
Halloumi Sandwich with Harissa Honey
Now that hot honey is everywhere, variations seem worthwhile, and a North African harissa, with its fruity aromas, makes perfect sense. Pair it with Halloumi for the full Mediterranean package.
Halloumi Sandwich with Harissa Honey
Halloumi gives this meatless sandwich a hot, substantial center without needing a patty or a breaded filling. Brown the cheese just before assembly and use the harissa honey sparingly, letting the roasted zucchini and arugula fill the spaces between the slabs instead of stacking a slippery pile on top.
Ingredients
Method
- Heat oven to 425°F. Toss zucchini planks with 1 tablespoon oil, salt and pepper and arrange in one layer on a sheet pan.
- Roast for 20 to 25 minutes, turning halfway, until tender with browned edges. Mix harissa and honey in a small bowl.
- Pat halloumi dry. Heat the remaining teaspoon oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and sear four planks at a time for 2 to 3 minutes per side until golden; repeat with the other four.
- Toast sourdough lightly on both sides under the broiler. Spread the harissa honey thinly across four bottom slices.
- Layer each with two hot halloumi planks, roasted zucchini and arugula. Close with remaining bread, cut in half and serve four sandwiches immediately while the cheese is warm.
