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There is a definite monotony that comes with weekday lunches, especially if you work outside the home and have to pack your lunch day in and day out. That same turkey sandwich can get old, but its convenience keeps you hanging on.
If you need a gentle push toward veering off the beaten path and exploring some more exciting sandwiches, here are 14 recipes to check out that will put your turkey and cheese to shame.
A New Orleans specialty, this muffuletta sandwich is packed with the flavors of the French Quarter, down to the olive salad. For a little extra kick, try topping this sandwich with a bit of spicy brown mustard.
Recipe:For the Love of Food
Sliders are ideal for lunch because of their compact nature. This recipe puts a creative spin on one of our favorite warm sammies: pastrami and Swiss. Pro tip: To make these little guys even easier, you can prep them ahead and slide the completed buns back in the package they came in to reheat them later.
Recipe:Modern Honey
When we hear the words "picnic style," we have to admit: We think about peanut butter and jelly sandwiches our grandma hauled to the park in Ziploc bags alongside Pringles and pickle spears. This sandwich is on a whole other level. Embracing opulent ingredients like ciabatta bread, a homemade balsamic fig vinaigrette, brie, arugula, prosciutto, and roasted bell peppers, this recipe is making its way to the top of our must-try list immediately.
Recipe:Half Baked Harvest
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If you're feeling sick of the same old sandwich at lunchtime, consider mixing up your bread. This recipe centers around a croissant (impossible to go wrong there) and involves ham, turkey, bacon, pepper jack cheese, and a homemade honey mustard sauce.
Recipe:Eat Cake for Dinner
Related: Transform Stale Costco Croissants Into Tasty Treats With This TikTok Hack
Toying around with condiments is another good way to spice up (or rather, sauce up) your sandwich. This recipe calls for a cream cheese spread that's given a boost with fresh dill, garlic, and green onion. It's the perfect spread to stand up against the robust flavors of the salami.
Recipe:Natasha's Kitchen
Related: How Many of These Bucket-List Sandwiches Have You Tried?
If you've got a hankering for something refreshing and veggie-forward, this sandwich is it. Packed full of cucumbers, tomato, avocado, and sprouts, this sammie speaks to veggie lovers everywhere.
Recipe:Allrecipes
Don't get stuck in lunch meat land. Grilled chicken is the perfect protein to mold a sandwich around, and this recipe brings bold flavor with a balsamic mayo and pepper bacon alongside fresh vegetables and grilled chicken.
Recipe:Land O' Lakes
Don't pump the brakes at hard-boiled eggs, mayo, mustard, and onion. Make your egg salad sandwich deluxe style using this recipe, which brings pickle juice, cream cheese, and bacon to the mix. The recipe also suggests pickled onion, diced jalapeños, and tomato for folks who want to deepen the deluxe vibes.
Recipe:I Am Homesteader
We've always loved a good Italian sub. This recipe calls for chopping everything up and mixing it together before stuffing it into a hoagie bun, achieving the ultimate balance of flavors and textures.
Recipe:In Good Flavor
Looking to sneak more avocado into your diet? Try sprucing up a grilled cheese sandwich by adding sliced avocado, tomato, and fresh mozzarella.
Recipe: Pumpkin 'N Spice
Monte Cristo sandwiches are one of those "is it lunch or is it breakfast?" dishes that we can't help but love. It's essentially a ham sandwich that gets battered and deep fried; this recipe calls for a raspberry sauce to elevate it further.
Recipe:I Am Homesteader
A traditional grilled cheese is all good, well, and fine, but it does get boring over time. Make it a bit more exciting with a pizza spin, using mozzarella, pepperoni, and any other pizza toppings you want to put between your two slices of garlic-seasoned bread.
Recipe:Lil' Luna
We adore the fact that this steak sandwich recipe provides a marinade for the steak. It's all in the details, after all. The homemade horseradish sauce is the obvious chef's kiss, though — we definitely want to sink our teeth into this come lunchtime.
Recipe:Kenneth Temple
Want two things for lunch that go together like peanut butter and jelly but aren't peanut butter and jelly? We give you: focaccia and pesto. This chicken sandwich includes the most mouthwatering ingredient combinations with robust flavors including sun-dried tomatoes and feta cheese.
Recipe:PureWow