When I don’t feel like cooking or spending any significant amount of time prepping for a weeknight dinner, I turn to sandwiches, especially in the summer. They deliver a fast, satisfying meal and are often assembly-only with leftovers or basic ingredients on hand.
That’s what inspired me to make this wedge salad sandwich. The cool, crisp iceberg lettuce dressed in a creamy blue cheese dressing gives me a classic steakhouse feel right from my own kitchen.
That’s what inspired me to make this wedge salad sandwich, which takes its cues from the steakhouse favorite of a wedge of cool, crisp iceberg lettuce dressed in a creamy blue cheese dressing. Slabs of iceberg provide structure and plenty of nooks for the blue cheese dressing to ooze into. Sliced tomatoes deliberately layered over the dressing ensure their juices will mingle with the salty bacon and pungent blue cheese flavor. Be sure to dress the sandwich right before eating to prevent over-sogging the rolls. And a word of warning—you may not want to put this down between bites. It’s messy, but in a finger-licking good way.
Building the Wedge Salad Sandwich
- Bacon: If you don’t use leftover or pre-cooked bacon, the act of cooking bacon luckily doesn’t have to heat up the whole house. Try the microwave or air fryer method instead.
- Blue cheese dressing: Any excuse to eat blue cheese in any form, I’ll take it. Feel free to make your own dressing if you want to skip the bottle. If you do opt for store-bought, I recommend the dressings found in the refrigerated section in the produce department—their ingredient list has recognizable words and their mouthfeel isn’t as gloopy. For my sandwich, I used Bolthouse Farms Chunky Blue Cheese Yogurt & Dressing.
- Pickled red onions: Pickled onions aren’t mandatory, and this recipe makes more than you need for a few sandwiches. But I’m never without a jar of them in the fridge to add to grain salads, tacos, or burgers—most anything can benefit from their tender-crunchy texture and burst of salinity. I find that cutting the onion with the grain, root to stem, keeps their integrity better for a longer lasting crunch. I also opted not to heat up the brine to save time and avoid turning the stove on—they still pickle well enough.
For the Love of Sandwiches!
- Old Bay Shrimp Rolls
- Easy Pork Bánh Mì
- Oyster Po’ Boy
- Philly Cheesesteak
Pickle the onions:
Put the onion slices in a bowl. Mix the vinegar, water, salt, and sugar in a measuring cup until dissolved. Pour over the onions and let sit while you prepare the rest of the sandwich. They will keep stored in the fridge for several weeks.
Broil the rolls (optional)
Arrange the oven rack to the top position (or second from top if it feels too close to the elements) and preheat to broil. Put the rolls cut-side up on a small baking tray and slide under the broiler. Watching carefully, toast the buns to your liking. It will only take a couple of minutes.
Prep the lettuce:
Remove the core from the iceberg lettuce head either with a small paring knife or by banging it on the counter and twisting the core out. Cut in half vertically (through the cored end). Cut two 1/2-inch-thick slabs from the middle on each side, creating four similar-sized slabs. (Save the remaining lettuce for another use.)
Build the sandwiches:
For each sandwich, arrange the bacon on the bottom bun. Top with a slab of lettuce, 1/4 cup of the dressing, the tomato slices, and some pickled red onions, if desired. Close with the top bun. Repeat to make 3 more sandwiches.
Serve:
Serve immediately, with plenty of napkins.
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