Put Potatoes in a Sandwich
The 30 Rock Show has been filled with a lot of food jokes over the years , but “ Put potato chips on a sandwich! “Not alone; it’s just common sense. Thin crispy chips of fried potatoes add textural contrast, a lot of salt, and sometimes more, depending on the flavor of the chips. (I myself am an ordinary Lay girl.)
But potato chips aren’t the only type of ham that is placed between two slices of bread. Each potato configuration has something unique to offer, and while I don’t think there are any “wrong” answers when it comes to sticking chicken legs in a sandwich, I have some preferences, thoughts, and suggestions.
For breakfast sandwich: brown burgers and waffle burgers.
Slipping an oblong brown potato tortilla into a McMuffin is a real breakfast trick, but there’s no reason you need to bring in McDonald’s for a starchier breakfast. Large boxes of frozen potato breakfast washers can be bought at your local grocery store, but in almost any grocery store (even Trader Joe’s) they are available in smaller quantities for a fairly low price.
These crunchy patties will keep your breakfast sandwich solid and also soak up the yolk – a double favor that sounds contradictory at first, but just works . If you don’t have patties, you can pair the waffle frozen potato tortillas together to get one that exactly matches the size and shape of your bread.
For meat and fatty dishes: French fries or French fries.
I’ve never been to the Primanti Brothers in Pittsburgh, but that’s only because I’ve never been to Pittsburgh. Someday I’ll go and get Beth to pick me up for one of their fried potato sandwiches . Until this beautiful day, I’ll come to terms with putting French fries in every cheesy, grilled meat sandwich I make at home.
Aside from sheer decadence, French fries act as a kind of binder of sorts, combining processed cheese and fatty meats into one delicious mass. They also absorb sauces, vinegars, and dressings well, keeping the flavor inside the sandwich until it enters your mouth. To be honest, we owe a lot to the fries.
Taterotas can do a similar job, especially with ball-shaped sandwiches such as meatballs, falafel pita bread, or saj. Potato tortillas may be unconventional under these conditions, but you cannot claim they will be bad.
For cold cuts and sandwiches: Lay’s and Doritos.
I don’t really like turkey sandwiches, but the combination of thinly sliced roast turkey, mayonnaise, grated lettuce, some kind of vinegar dressing, and Lay’s are excellent. Some people prefer the denser potato chips, but I love how the thinner chips crumble and crumble as you squeeze the bread, while retaining some texture. (Pringles can be an interesting choice too.)
I prefer it to be simple and salty, although there are times when a flavored chip is the right choice. I’m a big fan of Doritos (both Nacho and Cooler Ranch) on the tuna salad sandwich – MSG really makes this classic gastronomic singing.
For open sandwiches: mashed potatoes.
Bread, hot shaven meat, mashed potatoes, and a variety of gravies form a heavenly configuration, whatever you call it. (There are many regional versions of this dish, and I love them all.)
In fact, I’d say it’s the best you can do with leftover grilled meat and mashed potatoes. Just be sure to use soft white bread. It may not be strong enough to take off the plate and eat as a sandwich, but this dish is best when soft and comfortable.
What can we learn from the chip butty
When I first tasted chips (British sandwich filled with British style thick French fries – aka “chips”), I was a little disappointed. Although it came with a few bags of HP sauce, the first few bites were pretty darn dry. (You have to add a lot of seasoning.) The concept is pretty sound, though: there is no reason why potatoes cannot be the main filling for any kind of sandwich, especially if you want to cut back on meat. (Update: Someone living in the UK has since informed me that HP sauce is not a suitable sauce for buttery chips and that a lot of butter and ketchup must have been involved. It sounds great, to be honest.)
A potato hero with lots of melted cheese and fried onions would be delicious, as would a tuber with avocado, bacon and tomato. Potatoes go well with everything. If you put it on a sandwich, you can put it on a potato, and then you can put that potato in a sandwich.
Updated 1/25/21 at 5:35 PM EST to include information on proper chip threading. I apologize for any offense. Please don’t send me angry e-mails about chip butty.