There are certain foods that we form a relationship with at an early age and as we grow older, the relationship only grows stronger and more complex. Sandwiches are such a food. From a young age we are introduced to sandwiches in Ziploc bags and brown paper sacks. Our earliest memories are filled with eating peanut butter and jelly goodness and grilled cheese made with Kraft singles in elementary school lunchrooms. When we are young sandwiches are familiar, comfort food in the most literal sense.

Then we grow up and like with most things in life, preconceived notions that we held to be true are shattered right in front of our faces. Because the dish is so simple and familiar, it can easily be contorted and construed into something we barely recognize. Almost anything can be placed in between two slices of bread, and sometimes the outcome is even better than the sandwich we originally remember. Let’s take a look at some of the strange sounding but delicious combinations.

Peanut Butter and ANYTHING

Our lunch room favorite can get weird, fast when it’s separated from the jelly. Some notable combinations include peanut butter and pickles, peanut butter and avocados and peanut butter and a poached egg. If these sound too strange for you, we recommend starting out slow and pairing the peanut butter with bananas. It is guaranteed not to disappoint!

Bacon and ANYTHING

We are most used to seeing bacon on a BLT or paired with a cheeseburger. It turns out that the food has a magical power that no matter what it’s combined with, the end result will always turn out to be tasty. Speaking of peanut butter and bananas, Elvis Presley’s favorite sandwich had the aforementioned ingredients and was topped with crispy bacon. This blogger pairs bacon with marshmallow fluff to create a bacon fluffernutter and the combination looks a lot better than it sounds. Other combinations to try include a bacon and apple grilled cheese, a peach bacon sandwich and a pancake bacon sandwich.

Cheese and Fruits

This is a combination we get introduced to later in life, when we are able to truly appreciate cheese. Whether it’s as simple as cream cheese or cheddar, ricotta or feta, or even gorgonzola and manchego, almost all cheese can be successfully paired with fruit to make a good sandwich. Some of our favorite cheese sandwich accompaniments include figs, grapes, apples and pears.

See our goat cheese, arugula and pear sandwich below. We put it in our large wooden boat plate which are the ideal size to holding both a sandwich and a side. If  you’d like to serve mini sandwiches or small bites, check out our medium wooden boat and our mini wood boats make for the perfect condiment holders.

Let us know some of your favorite strange sandwich combinations in the comments!

Goat Cheese and Pear Sandwich

• 1 oz. softened goat cheese
• Ciabatta or small baguette
• ½ pear, thinly sliced
• 1 small bunch of arugula
• 1 tsp. honey
• salt and pepper to taste

1. Cut the bread in half and lightly toast it
2. Spread the goat cheese on the bread, top with the arugula and a small of salt and pepper. Arrange the pear slices on top of the arugula and finish off with a drizzle of honey.
3. Serve alongside potato chips, grapes or any other side