Clever Methods To Make Sure Your Sandwich Isn't A Soggy Mess

For many, a sandwich is the perfect on-the-go meal. Whether you're packing a lunch for work or planning the perfect picnic, there's a good chance that you'll end up making your favorite sandwich to enjoy later. There's just one problem with making sandwiches ahead of time: Sometimes they become a soggy mess. This is usually due to the wet ingredients, such as condiments, tomatoes, or pickles. 

To find out the best way to prevent your sandwich from this disappointing fate, Daily Meal spoke with an expert: Rodger Bowser, the managing partner at Zingerman's Delicatessen in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Firstly, the order of ingredients in the sandwich is more important than you might think. Bowser outlines, "Don't put the wet ingredients next to your slice of cheese. Put greens next to dressings. Keep the veggies between the products and your dressings." This will keep the wet ingredients from sliding around and potentially falling out of your sandwich.

Bowser gave us a few great tips on how to keep your sandwiches fresh and in optimal condition when taking them on the go. For example, if you're bringing them to a picnic, Bowser suggests keeping all of the ingredients separate and assembling the sandwiches on-site, instead of making them ahead of time. "It keeps the food fresher and if you're really trying to avoid soggy, [this method] is the way to go. Keeping things simple with sliced salami or tinned fish makes it easy to put together a delicious and tasty sandwich. And everyone can choose the ingredients that they like best," he remarks.

If you prefer to have the sandwiches already made, Bowser recommends wrapping each one individually using wax paper or parchment paper. Or, you can use his "pro-tip" — dry ice. "Dry ice is a great way to keep your food cool — especially if your picnic is a day-long event, or you're going camping or backpacking without access to refrigeration for a while," he explains. You just have to make sure to wrap the dry ice in a paper towel and keep the ingredients — namely, any greens and fruit — from touching it. You can find dry ice at ice cream shops; Bowser suggests asking for a 1- or 2-pound chunk, which can be placed in your cooler to keep everything chilled.

Bowser's final tip to prevent a soggy outcome? Avoid mayo or mayo-based salads. He notes that many people think you should avoid mayo because of the possibility of foodborne illnesses, but the actual reason is a lot simpler. "Mayo doesn't travel well. It's best eaten cold. It gets oily when warm and doesn't have a great taste," he points out. Of course, if you're a big mayo fan, you can always take your chances — just make sure to follow Bowser's other advice, such as using dry ice to keep ingredients cool.

If you want to play it safe, just about any mayo-based salad can be made with Greek yogurt instead of mayo. If you need a recipe to get you started, Daily Meal's healthy tuna salad has a Greek yogurt base instead of the typical mayo. Or, swap out the mayo for Greek yogurt in our classic egg salad recipe.