CULTURE FOOD HISTORY 15 Vintage Sandwiches That Nobody Remembers Anymore By DB Kelly April 19, 2025 10:15 am EST
Static Media / Shutterstock / Getty Any way you slice them, sandwiches are a great option for a quick lunch on the go, and we're also big fans of the kind of hot and hearty sandwich that's perfect for a delicious, filling, and fast dinner. Chopped cheese-style pastrami sandwich, anyone? The great news for sandwich lovers is that it seems like there's a new kind of sandwich taking social media by storm on an almost daily basis, and some do prove to have some serious staying power. Still, there are plenty of once-popular sandwiches that have gone the way of the dodo, and honestly? That's not always a bad thing.
When we started wondering if there were any vintage sandwiches that we might like to see make a comeback, we found some really weird stuff. For example, did you know that ketchup originally started not as a tomato-based sauce but as a fish-based one? That's kind of what we're talking about here, so on that note, let's take a walk down memory lane and check out some of the vintage sandwiches that have fallen out of favor — for reasons that might become almost immediately clear.
- Tomato and onion sandwich
Westend61/Getty Images In the South, there's an art to making the perfect tomato sandwich. It's bread, slices of fresh tomato, some mayo, and a little bit of seasoning. It's summertime on a sandwich, and we get that. It's even mentioned in Eva Greene Fuller's 1909 cookbook, "The Up-to-Date Sandwich Book: 400 Ways to Make a Sandwich," along with suggestions that involve adding lettuce, a splash of lemon juice, and butter. It also includes tomato sandwich recipes that call for a second main ingredient, like horseradish or walnuts. The latter seems like it would be an oddly crunchy sandwich, but hey, that one makes some sense.
There's another version of the tomato sandwich that hasn't had quite the staying power as the classic. That's the tomato and onion sandwich, which involves taking ketchup, adding some extra salt, pepper, and sugar, and then some chopped onions. Mix, smear on a slice of buttered bread, add a piece of lettuce, and there's your sandwich. It's probably more accurate to call this one a ketchup sandwich, as actual tomato slices are not included.
- Prune sandwich
Rui Elena/Shutterstock When it comes to popular fruits, prunes generally aren't at the top of many lists. Sure, they exist, but what do you do with them? If you happened to be living in the 1940s or 50s, you might be making sandwiches with them. And yes, there was typically meat involved, too.
If you wanted to take a page out of the 1941 book "500 Tasty Sandwiches," you'd be throwing prunes in a blender with "deviled meat" (that is ham), ketchup, Tabasco, salt, pickles, parsley, and onion, then making a spread to put on buttered bread with some lettuce. (There's also a footnote that says you can cut these sandwiches into whatever shape you want, which is presumably to distract from the prune-and-meat pudding.) Prune sandwiches seem to have hung around for at least a little while, with prune-and-bologna sandwich recipes being published into the 1950s. These, too, called for blending (or chopping and mixing) ingredients into a spread, usually with processed meat.
- Peanut butter and mayo sandwich
Lauripatterson & Dragon Claws/Getty Here's a fun fact: Early PB&J sandwiches used the now little-known jelly flavors of crab apple or currant. That goes back to around the start of the 20th century, and a few decades later, people were serving up peanut butter and mayonnaise sandwiches — but the reason for that wasn't necessarily the fact that it was delicious. It was the Great Depression, times were tough, and a peanut butter and mayo sandwich was an affordable option that was filled with fat and energy, and it would keep you going.
Despite the creation being especially popular during that period, the idea goes back to at least 1909, and although it was the two ingredients spread on bread in its simplest form, there were variations. One recipe calls for using butter, lemon, salt, pepper, an egg, and sour cream and then adding that mix to the peanut butter and mayo.
Peanut butter and mayo sandwiches stuck around for a surprisingly long time, and it seems that it became less of a necessity and more of something that was actually enjoyed. In a 1960s-era Hellmann's advertisement, some suggestions for upgrading this classic dish include adding bacon and pickles, pineapple, apples and jam, and onions with sliced, hard-boiled eggs.
- Watermelon sandwich
Slladkaya/Shutterstock Many of the vintage sandwiches we're talking about today might leave you wondering if they predated the discovery of taste buds, but there's one sandwich from the 1940s that might just be your new summertime lunch. This simple sandwich uses watermelon instead of bread. If you're the type that eagerly waits for watermelon to make a reappearance at your favorite grocery store, this one's definitely for you.
What else does this summer classic call for? Some diced walnuts mixed with cream cheese, and that's it. That, of course, is just the official version that gets a mention in a 1941 issue of the Atlanta Constitution newspaper, and honestly, this is one sandwich that we'd like to make a comeback. You might not be making this for lunch, but imagine a sunny summer afternoon when you're feeling a bit peckish and wondering what to do with all the watermelon you've got sliced up in the fridge. Get creative, and make a sandwich!
- The Prosperity Sandwich
Gilles Rivest/Getty Images It's not entirely clear just when the Prosperity Sandwich was created, but we do know who was responsible for this honestly tasty-sounding, open-faced treat that we think needs to make a comeback. St. Louis' Mayfair Hotel is credited with first serving this, and as for the name, it's here that the discrepancy comes in: It's often said to be a tongue-in-cheek reference to promises that the Great Depression will be coming to an end, but as it's also said to have been from the 1920s — therefore perhaps pre-dating the Depression, no one's really sure.
Whatever this sandwich's backstory is, it's still a pretty delicious-sounding option for serving a sandwich for dinner — especially if you're looking for a way to use up ham and turkey leftovers. Put sauteed mushrooms and shallots on slices of toast, cover with a few slices of your meat of choice, then a cheese sauce made with cheddar and seasoned with Dijon and Worcestershire. There are usually also slices of tomato included, and more cheese on top because we all know that the more cheese there is, the better. Melt, serve, and you'll wonder why this isn't a thing anymore.
Read More: https://www.tastingtable.com/1833815/vintage-sandwiches-nostalgic/
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