Sandwich loaves were popular party foods in the 1940s and ’50s. This updated version combines earthy mushrooms and pistachios with baked ham and fresh asparagus.

This sandwich combines stir-fried vegetables with a citrusy chile mayonnaise.

Banh Mi Sandwich

A version of a California classic, this sandwich is a mix of vegetables, whole-grain bread, and Jack cheese, topped with ranch dressing.

Mexico’s overstuffed cemita poblana brims with queso blanco, chipotle, pepper, avocado, papalo and crisp milanesa (a fried cutlet). Get the recipe for Cemita Poblana »

The Chuck Schumer is a custom-made Subway roast beef with extra tomatoes, onions, and pickles named for New York’s senior senator.

The crab cake sandwich at David Lentz’s Hungry Cat restaurants in Hollywood and Santa Barbara, California, comes with romesco sauce and shaved fennel, red onion, and arugula.

The croque monsieur, the classic French ham and cheese sandwich covered in cheesy bechamel, becomes a “madame” when a fried egg is placed on top.

A Cubano is a griddled white roll with Swiss cheese, boiled ham, dill pickle slices, and roasted pork.

Take inspiration from the comic strip “Blondie” to make your own catchall sandwich with goods from the Thanksgiving table like greens, turkey, cheese, cranberry sauce, and more. See the recipe for The Dagwood »

If serving these elegant sandwiches for afternoon tea, remove the crusts and cut each into 4 triangles or 2 rectangles. Arrange in stacks of 2 alongside the rest of your tea sandwiches.

Todd Coleman

Fiery sriracha sauce and fresh herbs and cucumbers balance the richness of chef Tom Colicchio’s fried calamari sandwich.

In South Africa, french fries, bologna, and achar was dubbed The Gatsby after the 1974 film The Great Gatsby, which played there at the time of the sandwich’s invention. See the recipe for The Gatsby »

Man’oushé (Herbed Vegetable Flatbread Sandwich)

Deli meats and cheese are elevated to greatness with an olive salad in this New Orleans classic.

Who needs bread to make a sandwich? Venezuela’s patacon maracucho uses fried plantains instead.

This decadent creation from reader Denise Woodward, author of the blog Chez Us, combines hollandaise, spinach, and a homemade sausage patty that cleverly encases a runny egg yolk on a toasted English muffin, for an out-of-this-world breakfast sandwich. This recipe first appeared in our April 2011 special Sandwich Issue with the article Picture-Perfect. Get the recipe for Pork Patty Breakfast Sandwich »

Pulled Pork Italiano

Several people named Reuben have been credited with inventing grilled corned beef, sauerkraut, Swiss Cheese, and creamy dressing on rye. See the recipe for The Reuben »

Tuna mayonnaise gives April Bloomfield’s roast pork sandwich at John Dory Oyster Bar in New York City a savory boost.

Another easy and not-scary option if you’re trying to ease your way into enjoying sardines.

This update on the sardine sandwich provides an extra kick in the horseradish cream.

Sloppy Joe was named for a cafe cook in Sioux City, Iowa. See the recipe for Sloppy Joe »

The SPAM and Cheese Sandwich from Kogi, in Los Angeles, is made with a slider bun, Monterey Jack and cheddar cheeses, SPAM, sweet chile sauce, and kimchi. See Recipe For the SPAM and Cheese Sandwich from Kogi » Back to Classic Combination: Ham and Cheese »

Though it takes a man’s name, the Strammer Max butter-fried bread topped with ham and an egg, is actually German slang for male virility. See the recipe for Strammer Max »

The cumin-spiced Sweetbread Pita from Yossi Elad of Jerusalem’s Machneyuda has a bright topping of chopped preserved lemon and jalapeño.

This popular Mexican sandwich from the state of Jalisco is filled with crisp roast pork, then “drowned” in a spicy chile de árbol sauce.

Grilled and smoked shrimp are bound by a spicy cream cheese dressing in the Cajun shrimp salad at Hoover’s Cooking in Austin. Get the recipe for Cajun Shrimp Salad »

Made for Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation lunch in 1953, this curry powder- and mango chutney-laced chicken salad has been wildly popular in Britain ever since.

Chef Jasper White’s lobster salad, a version of New England’s lobster roll filling, gets crunch from scallions and cucumber.

Neiman Marcus Chicken Salad, a classic department-store lunch item, gains richness from grapes, almonds, and a whipped cream dressing.

Dill and dijon mustard add tang to Russian egg and mushroom salad, which is delicious on sourdough rye.

Danish smoked herring, beet, and potato salad is terrific on whole wheat.

Southern ham salad is spiked with pickles and celery.

This sweet sandwich from Tartine Bakery & Café in San Francisco, is pressed and griddled to melt the creamy banana, cheese, and quince filling and toast the bread. Get the recipe for Fromage Blanc, Banana, and Membrillo Sandwich »

Ice Cream Loti

Chef Pichet Ong, of Spot Dessert Bar in New York City, gave us this recipe for pok pok, an ice cream sandwich based on those he ate as a child in Bangkok. See the recipe for Pok Pok »

A staple of Mumbai street stalls, these aromatic fried potato-fritter sandwiches are slathered with coriander and tamarind chutneys and served on a buttered, toasted roll.

Brazil’s Bauru is made by smothering roast beef with melted mozzarella and tomato. See the recipe For Bauru »

Vegetables nearly upstage the meat in the Bolivian Sanduiche de Chola, in which roast pork is seasoned with yellow salsa and vegetables en escabeche. See Recipe For Sanduiche de Chola »

In the Lomito Completo, popular in Uruguay and Argentina, sirloin steak is lavished with sauerkraut, mayonnaise, ketchup, mustard and a runny fried egg. See the recipe for Lomito Completo »

This tart pepper relish from north Africa is a great topping for lamb kebabs and other sandwiches.

Chef Tyler Kord of No. 7 Sub Shop in New York City created these sweet-tart pickled blueberries for his sandwich of brie, pistachios, and chervil. Pickled Blueberries »

Piquant schug makes a fantastic condiment for pita and falafel sandwiches. Get the recipe for Yemenite Chile Relish (Schug) »

This popular Japanese condiment, flavored with Worcestershire sauce and dry mustard powder, is the key sauce on a fried pork tonkatsu sandwich.

Our favorite Italian Panino features focaccia, Taleggio, speck (smoked cured ham), arugula, and balsamic vinegar. See Recipe For Italian Panino » Back to Classic Combination: Ham and Cheese »