I recently was browsing through a hundred-year-old funding-raising cookbook compiled by the Michigan Grand Chapter of the Eastern Star, and was amazed to see a recipe for Club Sandwiches. Somehow I didn’t think that they existed back then – though perhaps I shouldn’t have been surprised because I can remember eating Club Sandwiches with my mother years ago when I was a child at a department store restaurant – so they’ve clearly been around for awhile.
The Club Sandwiches were made about the same as modern ones with bacon, chicken or turkey slices, tomatoes, lettuce, and mayonnaise – though they weren’t double decker and crusts were trimmed off the bread. They were perfect for lunch on a hot summer day.
Here’s the original sandwich:
Here’s the recipe updated for modern cooks:
Club Sandwich
For each sandwich:
2 slices bread
butter
2 slices bacon, cooked
2 slices tomato or dill pickle slices (I used tomato slices.)
1 ounce thinly sliced roasted chicken or turkey
1 lettuce leaf
mayonaise
parsley sprig (if desired)
Trim crusts from bread, then toast the bread. Spread with butter. On one of the slices of bread, place a layer of bacon. Next add a layer of tomato or pickle slices. Then add the chicken or turkey slices; top with the lettuce. Spread mayonaise on the second slice of bread (on top of the butter), then put this slice of bread on the sandwich as the top cover. Cut the sandwich diagonally to create two triangles. If desired, garnish with a sprig of parsley. Serve immediately.
We’ve supersized everything!
Not sure why we’ve supersized things. Sometimes less is better.
It’s getting so when we eat out, one appetizer will do for the whole table!
How true! I think that some people like supersized portions, so there is food left to bring home for a future meal – though I prefer not to do that.
I don’t like to bring stuff home because it often doesn’t get eaten!
These look really good.
I love Club Sandwiches. I don’t usually eat lunch, but if I’m in a restaurant for lunch, I always look for them on the menu.
Club Sandwiches are also one of my favorites.
A lighter iteration of the modern version! Very fancy without the crusts!
I seldom see sandwiches today (even fancy ones) without crusts. It’s interesting that people seem to have become more accepting of crusts on sandwiches across the years.
We served them in my Dad’s luncheonette. They were always 3 slices of bread, cut into fours and held together with toothpicks. As I didn’t like bread, I never ate one.
Club Sandwiches look really nice with 3 slices of bread and held together with toothpicks.
It dates back to at least 1899.
Club Sandwiches have been around for a long time.
This would be easier to eat than the mile-high triple deckers.
Agree – that’s a nice feature of this old recipe; it calls for only two slices of bread.
Oh I do like them. In fact I remember my first club sandwich – in a restaurant in town that has existed since 1855 (not saying they were on the menu at that time). That was some 45 years ago and it did have three layers of bread. The restaurant is still there but the sandwich is no longer on the menu and I suspect hasn’t been for years but it sure seemed special when I was a teen.
I have similar memories of Club Sandwiches seeming really special when I was a teen.
This looks delicious! I had no idea sandwiches used to be so small, though. It’s interesting how things like that change over time.
In the early 1900’s it was fashionable to eat “dainty foods.” The idea was the the older generation ate heavy meals, but that it was healthier to eat dainty foods. Dainty foods often were visually appealing.
Hello Sheryl, I am so happy to have found your blog. You have an amazing blog.
Welcome! It’s wonderful to hear that you enjoy this blog. I have a lot of fun pulling together the posts.