The vegetarian sandwich that'll fool you into thinking it isn't a vegetarian sandwich. Not because it tastes like meat but because it's filling. That thanks to the bagel it's served on and the slices of nutty swiss cheese. Oh. And mayo. There's the mayo.
I was an odd kid. I dreaded going to birthday parties, loved hammering, and took a typing course at the local highschool when I was 11. For fun. What tween doesn't love office supplies and such?
I've matured now. Grown up a bit.
I now dread going to New Year's Eve parties, love hammering and type every single day. For money.
Clearly I've grown as a person.
I loved typing so much in fact, that that's how I made money during University and for a year or so after. I'm quite a typer. I believe at my speediest, when I was doing medical transcriptions for a living, I clocked in at about 142 words per minute.
I hated that job. And when I say hated it I mean I HATED it. Not the work so much, but my boss happened to be completely insane. Do you know what it's like to work for someone who is certifiably insane? It's difficult. Ignoring the facial ticks alone is exhausting.
But the one truly great thing that came out of that job, other than the satisfaction of quitting to take my first television hosting job, was THE SANDWICH.
The office I worked in had a cafe downstairs and it was there that I was introduced to a sandwich I am still eating and loving today.
3 ingredients, 2 condiments and a whole lotta satisfaction.
Here's how you make it ...
Cut a bagel in half. Any kind of bagel. I like poppyseed.
Toast and BUTTER it. With a capital BUTTER.
Lay 1 or 2 or 3 slices of Swiss Cheese on top.
Click here to see the behind the scenes food styling secret to the above shot.
Top with a huge handful of sprouts. I like alfalafa sprouts.
Here's how you can make them at home in 3 days!
Salt & Pepper.
Add a big squiggle of mustard ...
and a slathering of mayonnaise.
Voila.
The Vegetarian Sprout Sandwich
Ingredients
- Alfalfa Sprouts
- Swiss Cheese
- Bagel
- Butter
- Mustard
- Mayo
Instructions
- Cut your bagel in half and toast it.
- While the bagel is toasting lay a piece of swiss cheese on your counter. Top it with a BIG handful of sprouts (I like alfalfa).
- Squeeze a big squiggle of mustard and mayo onto the sprouts.
- Remove the bagel from the toaster when it's done, butter the bottom and then quickly slip the swiss cheese and sprouts on top. (you want to get the cheese on as quickly as possible so the heat from the bagel helps soften the swiss).
- Top with the other half of the bagel, cut in half and enjoy.
I managed to escape the job I hated with two things. This truly delicious sandwich and the knowledge that I can hate my job, work for an insane person and still come out of it O.K.
And a stapler. I also escaped with a stapler.
My sister and I had a daily after-school snack of mayo, ketchup, mustard and a sliced onion on white (of course for the 60s) bread. We loved it! Have been thinking about this for a while, now, and maybe giving it a try, again. :-D
I will try this because it sounds good but I have to tell you Karen that I have already told a lady in my town that a sandwich she created, "The Holly" (named after herself) is *officially* the best sandwich in the world. It is grilled halloumi slices, roasted red pepper, rocket and olive tapenade on fresh warm ciabatta. I think about this sandwich a lot. I have it occasionally, always as a treat. I tried to recreate it at home, but it was not the same as having someone make it for me. One of the nice things about it is that I carry on enjoying the flavours for about an hour after finishing it :-)
Hmm. Well it seems Holly and I might have to have a sandwich showdown. We could meet in a neutral location with an officiator. Which could be you. ;) ~ karen!
Stapler-reminds me of "Office Space"! And the mustard- I like it most days, but not all the time. And never a huge swirly pile of it! I would put a THIN coating of mustard on the bottom bagel half, layer on the cheese slices, then put a huge gob-full of sprouts on top, and, wait for it, SLATHER the other half with good mayo (never never never Miracle Whip)! Yum, and this is me, who has the flu and have to start cooking the turkey and DO NOT want to smell it at this time. Happy Thanksgiving, American fans of Karen!
What is a Montreal bagel ? The bagels we have here in Ohio look like the bagel in your pic. Are they flavored differently ?
A Montreal bagel is denser. It's boiled then baked in a wood oven. To look at it, the Montreal style has a bigger hole in the centre than New York style bagel. ~ karen!
A sandwich is not a sandwich without mustard. Unless it a toasted tomato and mozzarella with pesto on ciabatta. Then mustard can take a lunch break, too. This is worth a try and the fuuny looks my kids will give me because I'm "ruining a good bagel with alfalfa sprouts." Ha! More for me!!
i was on board til the mayo..not a fan..perhaps more moutarde! grey poupon anyone?
That looks delicious! ALWAYS mustard AND mayo. Always. And preferably Hellmann's because its "eggier". I'd be tempted to try this with sliced avocado as well, except it tens to squirt out the sides …..
Are you sure we're not related? Childhood: Hammering, check. Typewriters, check. Party dread, check. Adolescence: More typewriters, check. Office supplies, check. Introduced my southern girl scout troop to bagels and Muenster cheese sammies in the 60s, check. Adulthood: Insane bosses, check. (once stapled my boss's tie to his desk, while he was wearing it) Hammering, check. Typing for dollars, check. Mustard, mayo, check and double check.
That. Is. Nasty.
I know you are, but what a I? I mean ... what is my sandwich? ~ karen
It's so true - the experience that shaped what would become my fave sandwich has just as much to do with the ingredients as it does with the surrounding circumstances! A little more hearty but oh so tasty - my fave is a bacon/cheese/potato combination that's like a whole meal you can eat with one hand... the other hand is for typing of course ;)
http://www.bitememore.com/feedme/188/bacon-cheese-and-potato-skin-sandwich-recipe
That sandwich looks delish!! It is All About the mustard for me, love me my mustard! I am going to try to grow alfalfa sprouts now! If anyone is worried about the store-bought ones, or anything else such as cantaloupe for food-poisoning, throw them into a large bowl of water and a healthy couple of glugs of white vinegar to wash them, then rinse. Good for getting any pesticides off of your berries, too and also helps them last longer.
One of my favorite bagel sandwiches is a bagel with a mixture of cream cheese, pimentos, chopped black olives, and chopped walnuts. Another one has a Denver omelet on it and topped with pepper jack cheese.
Colleen - I would eat both of those. :) ~ karen
Doesn't butter, mustard & mayo count as THREE condiments?? My favorite from when I was a kid and my grandma would make me anything I wanted is a hamburger patty on toasted cinnamon raisin bread.
Btw have you ever tried making fermented kefir butter? All things with butter are better if its fermented butter lol.. Not too tricky to make.. just make kefir the same way but use heavy cream instead of milk.. get your starter going and put it in a warm place for a day or two.. it should smell amazing when its done not sour at all..thats how you know you did it right.. The fermenting process will give it a lovely effervescent tang.. when its done put it in the fridge to chill.. and then once its all set and congealed stick it in a food processor in high adding a bit of sea salt for taste.. have a cheese cloth ready to strain the buttermilk and it will suddenly "clump" into glorious fermented kefir butter.
It's even better if you toast the bread in the oven so the cheese gets all nice and melty, and if you use Epicure's sweet & spicy mustard instead of the regular French's. NOT THAT I WOULD KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THIS.
OH my good lord, this sandwich was amazing. I had one for lunch. And then I had another for dinner. And then I may have had another for an evening snack. And I may or may not have one for lunch again today, but please don't tell. Thank you for sharing!!!
LOL. Wow. That's a LOT of bagels, LOL! Yup. It's a good sandwich! Sounds a bit unusual, but tastes great!~ karen
You are so funny you stapler thief. Gotta hate those bosses from hell.
sandwich looks good, minus the mayo, of course. perhaps a nice drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and I'm rarin' to go.
I'll have to try this one, lighter mayo and mustard, though. Sounds yummy. The best sandwich I ever had was in the 1970's in Hawaii, there was a small health food store on a side street off University Ave. near the University of Hawaii. I worked nearby. They made their own fresh multi-grain bread, and their own delicious mayo equivalent, but thinner and better for you, I'm sure. They'd cook up some turkeys, cube the meat, and make turkey salad with the mayo. That would go on the fresh whole wheat, topped with fresh alfalfa sprouts. OMG, it was heaven. It sold for $1, but had the heft of a $5 sandwich. I had one of those sandwiches at least twice a week for over a year, and never got tired of them. I'm quite a bit older, now, and have had many, many sandwiches since, but that one came immediately to mind when I read the title of your post. Yummmmmmmm.
Sounds yummy- NOW I'm hungry!!