The best sandwiches in the world (apparently)
The humble butty celebrates its 250th birthday this year and age hasn't dented its universal popularity.
The simple formula of bread and filling throws the sandwich open to an endless spectrum of variants, and everyone has their own homemade favourite that just can't be beaten.
It's also an area to exercise some creative flair by experimenting with weird combinations and guilty pleasures. We put a call out to our fans on Twitter and Facebook to find out what unconventional fillings tickle your cheese and pickle…
Carb-on-carb
Not content with the sandwich's yeasty case, some fans on Facebook confessed to a penchant for pastry, pasta and potato fillings. Gemma Smelt loves a Frey Bentos pie smeared in her bap, while Karen Pfetzer chooses pork pie and mustard. There'd barely be a need to chew cheesy mashed potato sandwiches, beloved by Tracy Bate, while cheap packet noodles are the choice of Allan Milligan. Yvonne Johnson likes spag bol as a filling, a sentiment shared by our very own Hannah Williams - BBCGoodFood.com's editor loves a lasagne sandwich.
A sandwich with bite
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Texture clearly plays a big part in the sandwich realm- lots of our Facebook fans go wild over crisps in sandwiches. A packet of ready salted on buttered white bread is one thing, but combining potato chips with contrasting flavours is a more avant-garde concept. Prawn cocktail Skips are a popular choice- Audrey Field combines them with meat paste, while Cath Belston chooses Marmite. It seems jam teams well with crisps too- Lucy Davis loves jam with picked onion Monster Munch, and Sandra Hay-Whatt insists that raspberry rules supreme, when mixed with a packet of salt and vinegar that is.
Sweet and savoury
Contrasting a deep savoury saltiness with something sweet is a culinary treat well suited to the versatile sandwich. Cheese and jam is a popular choice, although Sandra Wilson likes jam with pate. Kay Carroll also agrees with the meat and sweet concept- she likes sausages with raspberry jam.
The peanut factor
A considerable number of your weird sandwiches involve one key ingredient- peanut butter. It seems to be the facilitator of many a strange combo- our Facebook fans think it works with English mustard, cucumber, bacon and banana or Dairylea cheese spread. Susie Shepherd teams it with fish fingers, mayonnaise and ketchup, and Lynn Dudley likes it with piquant classic relish piccalilli - usually enjoyed with a more conventional wedge of cheese.
Salty snacks
The health benefits may be minimal, but the crunch and tang of salt in soft bread is irresistible. The Italian way is to butter bread then serve it with anchovies, according to Emanuela Sarti, while Hannah Gostelow likes bacon with Greek feta- a double salt extravaganza. Victoria Law isn't afraid of matching two beastly savouries- her favourite is Marmite and peanut butter… best served with a glass of water.
Sweet-tooth
Although traditionally savoury, sandwiches can play host to super-sweet fillings. Sandy Patch loves a dessert bap of custard and peaches, while Angela Lacey takes it back to basics with just sugar and butter. Marianne Brak prefers to add strawberries to the mix. Thinking outside the box, there's no need for sweet sarnies to be limited to bread- sandwich the ice cream flavour of your choice between two cookies.
What weird sandwich do you have a secret love for? Join the debate on Facebook or let us know your suggestion in the comments below.
Prefer a more traditional take? Tuck into our classic sandwich recipe collection.
