Look forward to lunch with these flavour-packed sandwiches celebrating global cuisines. Try our take on sirloin steak sandwich, recreate an Italian-inspired panuozzo sandwich or choose full indulgence with our take on the famous Elvis sandwich. Whichever you decide, you'll be left with exciting new flavour combinations under your belt, ready for you to recreate when sandwich cravings hit.

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For more sandwich content, see our ultimate collection of sandwich recipes, then see our easy sandwich filling ideas plus our guide on how to make the perfect sandwich.

Looking for more lunch ideas to add to your repertoire? Take a look at these quick lunch ideas for work, as well as our healthy lunch recipes and vegetarian lunch recipes.

You could also take a browse through our barbecue recipes from around the world for more recipes inspired by global cuisine.

1. Cuban sandwich

Cuban sandwich cut in half

A Cuban sandwich is a variation of a ham and cheese sarnie, with no lettuce, tomato or mayo in sight. In our version of a Floridian classic, a toasted sandwich is filled with Cuban mojo pork (marinated with garlic and spices), and layered with American yellow mustard, honey-roasted ham, sweet pickles and nutty gruyère cheese. It makes for a seriously indulgent, flavour-packed lunch.

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Find more recipes with pork.

2. Monte Cristo sandwich

A toasted sandwich with turkey and ham

Turkey, ham and Emmental are generously layered between slices of eggy bread in this American sandwich, which was originally inspired by the croque monsieur. If you have a sandwich or burger press, use this to weigh the sandwich down.

See more American-inspired recipes.

3. Elvis sandwich

Stacked sandwiches with peanut butter, bacon and banana

Salty bacon, banana and peanut butter are generously stacked between toasted white bread in this indulgent sandwich. Referred to as 'The Elvis', it's been reported to be Elvis Presley's favourite sandwich.

Love peanut butter? Check out our best nutty recipes.

4. Panuozzo sandwich

Baguette filled with pesto, salad, tomato and ham

Recreate the Italian pizza-inspired sandwich with our homemade version – this recipe requires making your own baguettes and pesto, however they're surprisingly quick and easy to make and are great for lunch or a light dinner.

Find more Italian-inspired recipes.

5. Sirloin steak sandwiches

Sirloin steak sandwiches

Try our take on the American-inspired steak sandwich for an indulgent weekend meal. Homemade relish and mayo make this prime cut steak sandwich extra special. If it isn’t barbecue weather, you can make the relish by charring the ingredients on a hot griddle or under the grill. The steaks can also be cooked in a griddle pan.

See more ways with sirloin steak.

6. Reuben sandwich

Two halves of a reuben sandwich stacked on a plate

With an irresistible blend of corned beef, sauerkraut, cheese and sauce, the New York reuben sandwich is a classic for a reason. Try it for yourself for a traditional sandwich – however you could opt for pastrami if you prefer.

Find more recipes which use beef.

7. Schnitzel sandwich

Schnitzel sandwich next to block of Grana Padano cheese in the background

Enjoy this beautifully stacked, German-inspired schnitzel sandwich, with Grana Padano adding an extra hit of umami flavour to the crunchy schnitzel coating. It's easy to rustle up yet looks and tastes seriously impressive.

Find more German-inspired dishes in our round-up of German recipes.

8. Pesto focaccia sandwich

Pesto focaccia sandwich on a blue plate

This pesto focaccia sandwich is bursting with herby, nutty flavours. The fillings for your sandwiches are baked into the bread here, making this an easy picnic option. To make it veggie, look for a vegetarian pesto.

Find more vegetarian Italian recipes.

9. Ploughman’s sandwich

Our upgraded take on a ploughman's sandwich

We've upgraded the humble ploughman's sandwich with this new take on a retro classic, adding in a layer of mustard-mayo, thin slices of apple as well as smoked ham slices. Trust us, you won't look at an ordinary ploughman's the same way again.

Find more inspiration in our vegetarian picnic recipes.

10. Hot-smoked salmon open sandwich with avocado

Two hot-smoked salmon & avocado open sandwiches on a grey wooden surface

Tuck into this Scandinavian-influenced open sandwich for a quick and easy lunch, where grainy bread is loaded with salmon, avocado, horseradish cream, beetroot and dill. It takes just 12 minutes to assemble, making it great for a work-from-home lunch.

For more easy lunch ideas see our top 10 working from home lunches.

11. Egg & cress club sandwich

Two egg and cress club sandwiches on a plate in front of some crisps

Egg and cress is a classic yet arguably underrated flavour combination in the UK. Here, we've toasted the sandwiches, and skewered with a sandwich pick to serve with crisps – perfect as part of a summer family picnic.

Find more ideas in our best family picnic recipes.

12. Club sandwich

Club sandwiches arranged on a plate

A favourite of gastro-pubs across the UK, this classic club sandwich layering egg, tomato, bacon, chicken and lettuce makes for a tasty meal for one. Secure with cocktail sticks and serve with crisps, if you like.

Check out more pub food recipes.

13. Fish finger sandwich

Fish finger sandwich with tartare sauce, lettuce and gherkins

Dig into a British pub classic with our fish finger sarnie. Layering golden fish fingers with crunchy gherkins, crispy lettuce and ketchup, plus a lovely homemade tartare sauce, it's a lunch to look forward to.

If you're a fan of fish sandwiches, you'll also like these fish burgers.

14. Best ever crab sandwiches

Crab sandwiches in paper

Nothing evokes the British seaside quite like a crab sarnie. In Barney's levelled-up version, a luxurious sandwich filling sees brown crab meat mixed with mayonnaise, ketchup, lemon, Dijon mustard, cayenne pepper and a few drops of brandy (optional).

Like the look of this? See more shellfish ideas with our best crab recipes.

15. Ultimate prawn mayo sandwich

One ultimate prawn mayo sandwich

Combine British, Japanese and Italian flavours and what do you get? This epic prawn sandwich, encased in focaccia and packed with hispi cabbage and wasabi for a flavour punch. Try it for yourself – you'll never look at shop-bought sarnies the same way again.

Discover more ways you can cook with prawns.

16. Soft cheese & cucumber sandwiches

A serving plate of soft cheese and cucumber sandwiches on white and brown bread

Fancy a spot of afternoon tea? Settle on tradition with these simple cucumber & soft cheese sandwiches. They can be whipped up in just 15 minutes and all you need is three ingredients: bread, soft cheese and cucumber.

Find more recipes in our afternoon tea sandwich ideas.

17. Smoked salmon & avocado on rye

Smoked salmon and smashed avocado on rye bread

A few pieces of rye bread piled high with your favourite sandwich toppings makes a super-tasty yet healthy lunch. In this recipe, we've mashed avocado with a little chilli paste and a squeeze of lime and spooned over a slice of rye bread, then topped with smoked salmon and lime wedges.
This is also good with sliced roast chicken or turkey.

Try more of our smoked salmon recipes.

18. Ham sandwich

Ham sandwiches on a plate

It may sound simple, but this ham sandwich is packed full of greatness. Dijon mustard, mayonnaise and honey is combined with a pinch of salt and pepper and spread across farmhouse bread, then generously layered up with wafer thin honey roast ham, cheddar, red onion and tomato slices. You could also add cucumber, salad cream or piccalilli to this sandwich – we like a few salad leaves and tomatoes for freshness.

See our ham hock recipes for more ideas.

19. Tuna salad sandwich

The ingredients of a tuna salad sandwich

A classic for a reason, sometimes nothing satisfies quite like a tuna mayo sandwich. Ready in just 10 minutes, simply whip up a tuna salad of canned tuna, celery, red onion, mayo and a pinch of paprika, spread over two slices of bread then add your cucumber slices and lettuce leaves. To turn it into a tuna melt, simply toast the bread, then top one with cheese and grill until bubbling.

Check out more of our tinned tuna recipes.

20. Caprese chicken sandwiches

Two ciabatta rolls stuffed with chicken, tomatoes and rocket

Exclusive to the Good Food app, these caprese chicken sandwiches will get you in the mood for warm and sunny weather. Loading chicken breasts into ciabatta rolls alongside tomatoes, basil pesto, mozzarella and a balsamic dressing, it's a sandwich which deliciously evokes the flavours of Italy.

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Discover more chicken sandwich recipes.

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