Here you will find some of the best sandwich recipes America has to offer, as well as some of the best All American soup recipes, including stews and chowders, coming out of North America.
This first sandwich, The Philly Cheesesteak, named after Philadelphia, the city where it originated, is now a nationwide favorite in the United States. And this particular version is bar none, hands down the best Philly Cheesesteak Sandwich recipe we’ve ever come across. It will parallel in flavor what you would get at any fine Philly Cheesesteak Sandwich restaurant, and that is a flat out guarantee.
There will be many more great All American soups and sandwiches posted here soon, but for now, help yourself to these two yummy ethnic American favorites.
Have a good time preparing them, in fact make a few and share, and enjoy!
Please note: For your convenience, you can click on the recipes listed below and be taken directly to a page with just that one recipe on it, in printer-friendly format.
You are certainly welcomed to read through this whole page, all the recipes are here as well, and there are some videos and pertinent information on background, history, customs, special notes, etc., so it is well worth the read.
Here is the list, in alphabetical order:
Classy American Grilled Cheese Sandwich
Fruit Bacon Grilled Cheese Sandwich
Philly Cheesesteak Sandwich with Garlicky Mayo
Spicy Black Bean and Salsa Soup
Philly Cheesesteak Sandwich with Garlicky Mayo
Ingredients: (makes 4 sandwiches)
For the Garlicky Mayo Spread-
- 1 cup olive oil mayonnaise
- 2 cloves garlic, minced, or …
- Buy (if you don’t have already) some Roasted Garlic Mayonnaise
For the Sandwich-
- 1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
- 1 pound beef round steak, cut into thin strips
- 2 green bell peppers, de-seeded, cored, and cut into ¼ inch strips
- 2 yellow onions, peeled and sliced into rings
- 4 hoagie rolls, split lengthwise and toasted
- 8oz. freshly grated, good quality mozzarella cheese
- 1 tsp. dried oregano
- Sliced jarred jalapeno peppers (optional)
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 500 degrees F (260 degrees C).
- If making the garlicky mayo spread, combine the olive oil mayonnaise and minced garlic in a small bowl, cover, and refrigerate.
- Heat the olive oil on medium high heat in a large fry pan. Sauté the sliced beef until lightly browned. Stir in the onion and green pepper, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Sauté until vegetables are softened, and remove from heat.
- Generously spread the insides of both halves of each bun with the garlicky mayonnaise. Divide beef and veggie mixture into the buns. Layer on a healthy portion of the grated cheese, and then sprinkle with oregano.
- Put all four sandwiches on a non-stick (or lightly oiled regular) baking pan and put in the oven.
- Heat the sandwiches until the cheese is well melted and even slightly browned.
- Serve immediately.
- Have sliced jalapeno peppers available for people who want a spicier hot cheesesteak – goes great with this sandwich!
The All American BLT
(Bacon, Lettuce, and Tomato Sandwich)
This national favorite is not only one of the best authentic American sandwiches, you could also consider it among the best American “fast food” recipes, it is so easy and quick to make.
This particular recipe takes a little longer than usual, but still it is a snap to whip up, and the return on flavor ridiculously outweighs the effort you will put out.
Ingredients:
(makes 2 sandwiches)
- 4 slices multi-grain American style sandwich bread (Note: You can use white or whole wheat bread too, multi-grain is my favorite, but you must use American style sliced sandwich bread for this sandwich to have the correct overall texture and blend of flavors.
- 4 to 8 large leaves of iceberg lettuce
- 6 slices thick-cut pork bacon, cut in half cross-wise
- 1 large, ripe red tomato, thick sliced
- fine salt and ground black pepper
- sandwich spreads of your choice: American favorites are mayonnaise (I prefer the olive oil mayo, it is healthier and lower in calories), ketchup, and mustard (plain, or Dijon Gray Poupon, or Spicy Whole Grain Dijon)
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.
- This next step is the one that is a little more to do than a “normal” BLT. Take your halved slices of thick-cut bacon, divide the 12 half slices into two groups of six, and weave the pieces together, in a tic-tac-toe pattern (see picture below). On a baking tray lined with tin or aluminum foil, place the two weaves in the oven and let cook until the bacon is no longer “chewy” but not so long that it is crispy and will crumble apart from the weave.
- While the bacon is cooking, toast the bread slices, tear off some nice large leaves of lettuce (you want at least a two-leaf layer the full size of or larger than the surface of your bread slices), and slice your tomato – nice and thick, about 1/4″ thick is good. Bacon is a very strong flavor, and you want the ripe tomato flavor to stand up well to it.
- By the time the bread is toasted and you have assembled the above, check on the bacon. If it is done, take the weaves out of the oven and place them on some paper towel to absorb most of the grease, and pat the tops of the weaves with another paper towel. Your finished cooked and de-greased weave should look like this when you (next step) place it on the toasted bread slice:
- Dress the slices of toast with your sandwich spread(s) of choice, and assemble the sandwiches. Lay the bacon weave on first, then the tomato, sprinkle some salt and pepper on the tomato, then the lettuce leaves, and finally the top slice of toast.
Now chow down on an All American favorite sandwich, the classic BLT.
Note: American do many versions of this sandwich, what you have here is the basic, classic BLT, in that it only includes the traditional bacon, lettuce and tomato. You can also add a fried egg to the sandwich, you could melt a slice of your favorite cheese in it, some people add raw thin-sliced onion, and others like a thick slather of guacamole for the dressing spread.
But try the basic BLT first, and then start imagining how you would like to toy with the sandwich.
Me? I do both. I might make a BLEC&T (bacon, lettuce, egg, cheese and tomato) with sliced onion and guacamole, super-deluxe version, but I also like to go back to that basic, classic taste of the straight BLT like Mum used to make. It is simply remarkable.
The sandwich became an American favorite lunch or snack meal in the mid-20th century, and in the 1950s having “Soup and Sandwich” for lunch was as common as having butter on your toast in the morning. So popular a combination had it become, this Campbell’s Soup commercial was a big hit on TV, and Americans having (or even thinking about having) some soup and sandwich would often be caught humming, whistling or singing the little diddy.
And to this day, partaking of a hot, delicious soup alongside a favorite sandwich is about as All American mid-day meal you can have. So on this page you will find plenty of great, classic and authentic American soups recipes to go along with the sandwiches.
Try this one, from the New England Region, a thick, hearty chowder.
New England Fish Chowder
Ingredients:
- 2 pounds haddock or cod fillets, or halibut steaks, 1” thick for the fillets or steaks is best, skinned de-boned (if necessary), and chopped into 1” cubes.
- 1 large onion, peeled and finely chopped, about 1-1/2 cups
- 2 tbs. unsalted butter
- 3 or 4 large cloves garlic, minced
- 2 cups, peeled and diced into (approx. ½”) cubes, russets potatoes
- 2 cups peeled, shredded carrots
- 6 cups canned or bottled clam stock or chicken broth
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 2 cups whole milk
- ½ cup shredded mild cheddar cheese
- Freshly ground black peppercorns to taste
- freshly ground course sea salt to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed hot red pepper flakes, or more, to taste
- chopped fresh chives, for garnish
Directions:
- Melt the butter over medium heat in a 4 quart pot. Add in the chopped onion sauté for 5 minutes, stirring often, until fragrant and translucent.
- Add in the garlic and potatoes, stir all together, and turn the heat down to low. Place lid on the pot and simmer, stirring now and then, for about 7 to 9 minutes, or until the potatoes are softened through.
- Now add in the clam juice or broth, increase the heat to medium high, and bring to a boil.
- Add in the carrots, stir, enough to blend the shreds well into the mixture, then turn the heat back down to low, place lid back on, and allow to simmer for 10 to 12 minutes.
- Now add in the milk and cream, little by little, stirring as you pour.
- Once all the milk and cream is stirred and blended with the chowder, add in the fish pieces.
- Now add in the red pepper flakes, and grind the sea salt and black pepper into the chowder. Stir well, do a taste test, and adjust seasonings as needed.
- By now, the simmer will be lost, so raise the heat to medium high until a healthy simmer returns, then turn it back down to maintain the simmer. Leave the lid off now, and cook until the fish is just barely opaque in the center—this will usually take about 10 minutes, 12 tops.
- Now take the pot off the burner, and stir in your shredded cheese.
- Use a large soup serving spoon or ladle and fill each serving bowl with the chowder; garnish with chopped fresh chives. Serve immediately.
Spicy Black Bean and Salsa Soup
Have fun making and enjoying one of the all time best American soup recipes, along with your next All American sandwich – it’s a soup that makes any “Soup and Sandwich” meal a wonderful experience.
Ingredients:
(Makes 4 servings)
- 2 (15 ounce) cans black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1-1/2 cups vegetable broth
- 1 cup chunky hot salsa
- 1 tsp. ground cumin
- 1 jalapeno pepper, seeds left in, rough chopped (optional, for extra spicy hot lovers)
- 3 scallions (green onions), white and green parts separated, both rough chopped
For Garnish:
- 4 to 6 tbsp. sour cream
- Rough chopped green stalks of scallions
Directions:
- Combine two-thirds of the beans, the cumin, salsa, broth, and rough chopped jalapeno pepper and scallion whites in a food processor or blender. Blend until not quite pureed, still a little chunky.
- Using a medium to large sized saucepan over medium high heat, pour the blended bean mixture in and cook until well heated throughout. Add in the remaining whole beans, stir well, and cook another few minutes until the whole beans are also heated well through.
- Ladle equal portions of the soup into 4 separate bowls, and garnish each with a generous dollop of sour cream in the center and a sprinkling of rough chopped scallion greens.
Gouda, Avocado, Egg and Sriracha
Grilled Cheese Sandwich
Ingredients:
(makes 2 sandwiches)
- 4 slices multi-grain American style sliced sandwich bread
- 1 ripe avocado, peeled and sliced
- 2 eggs, boiled medium hard (boiled until the yolk is still a little soft, not fully hard. Do this by placing the eggs in the pot full of water, bring the water to a furious boil, reduce heat to just a gently rolling boil, and then let the egg boil for 3 more minutes—no more)
- 2 cups freshly grated Truffle Gouda Cheese (or any other good quality Wisconsin Gouda)
- 1 tbsp. Sriracha hot sauce
- 4 pats of butter softened to spreadable consistency
- Salt
Directions:
(Follow each step for both sandwiches)
- On one slice of bread, spread out a generous portion of the grated cheese, about ½ cup.
- Next lay on the slices of avocado, covering the whole surface. Sprinkle a little salt on the avocado.
- Take one of the medium boiled eggs, peel it, and crumble it all over the avocado layer.
- Spoon and spread on a generous amount of Sriracha. This is a matter of taste, how much; I like this sandwich very spicy hot, so I drench the egg crumbles. Others may want to just sprinkle on a little bit. But do add some Sriracha, or you won’t get the full effect.
- Now add another layer (1/2 cup) of the grated cheese, and place another slice of bread on top. You are about to grill your sandwich.
- Spread some butter on one side of your sandwich bread, and put it on the grill on medium heat. Check to see when the grilling side turns nice and golden brown (the cheese should be melting by now, too) and then butter the top slice of bread and flip the sandwich over.
- As soon as the other side is golden brown, take the sandwich off the grill. Let it rest for two minutes, and then serve.
An age old Momma’s and Grandma’s remedy for the common cold in America, is the classic, tried and true, delicious, soothing, comforting and healing, Chicken Soup. This following soup is among the tastiest homemade chicken soup recipes ever to come out of the kitchens of America.
But don’t wait until you are down with a cold or the flu … this soup surely will heal what ails you in that case, but when you have some while at full health, hey – it just makes you feel all that much better!
Get Well Soon Chicken and Rice Soup
Ingredients:
- 1 whole chicken
- 1 pound chicken parts (livers, gizzards, hearts)
- 1 parsnip, peeled and chopped into 1” pieces
- 1 carrot, peeled and chopped into 1 inch pieces
- 2 stalks celery, leafy tops and all, tough bottoms cut off, the rest chopped into 2” to 3” chunks
- 4 large cloves of garlic, peeled
- 1 large whole onion, peeled and quartered
- 4 tbsp. butter
- 2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
- 2 pounds of turnips, peeled and diced into ½” cubes
- 1/2 cup uncooked white Arborio rice
- 1 tsp. whole black peppercorns
- 2 tbsp. fresh chopped dill weed, bound into a bunch and tied off in cheesecloth
- salt and pepper
- freshly grated Parmesan cheese, for garnish
- fresh cilantro, chopped, for garnish
Directions:
- Place the chicken parts, onion, garlic, carrots, parsnip, and celery in a large stockpot with 12 cups of cold water, and bring to a boil.
- Rub the inside of the whole chicken with salt while the water is heating.
- Place the chicken in the pot, put a lid on it, reduce heat to a gentle simmer, and cook for 25 to 35 minutes. Check to see if the chicken is fully cooked tender with a fork. When well cooked, remove it from the pot and set aside for now. Leave the chicken parts in the pot.
- Now season the soup with the onion quarters, salt, and pepper. Allow the soup to simmer for a good hour, an hour and a half is even better.
- Once the chicken has cooled to where you can handle it, de-bone it and remove the skins. Cut the meat into bite-sized cubed pieces, and again set aside.
- After an hour and a half, strain the soup; discard everything solid.
- In a large sauce pan, put in the oil and melt the butter, raise the heat to medium high, and bring the mixture to a heated froth.
- Add in the turnips and cubed chicken pieces, and sauté until chicken is browned and turnips are brown but still firm—about 3, no more than 4 minutes.
- Now take the sautéed turnips and chicken pieces and add them to the broth.
- Stir in the rice and cook, covered, over medium heat for about 15 minutes.
- Drop the bound and bunched fresh dill into the soup for one minute before serving, and remove before serving. Do a taste test and adjust salt and pepper levels to taste.
- Serve with a garnish of minced fresh cilantro and a top-sprinkling of fresh grated Parmesan cheese.
There is a steadily growing trend in North America toward vegetarianism. Still in the large majority are meat eaters, mind you, but the movement to meatless meals – even vegan dishes, without even so much as any animal by products in them – is significant enough that in order to represent authentic North American ethnic foods in this day and age, we simply must include some vegetarian entrees.
This sandwich is not vegan, but it is vegetarian, and a fabulously delicious taste treat, so much so that even a confirmed meat lover will not miss the meat at all.
Try it yourself, you will see.
Pear, Raspberry, and Veggie-Bacon
Grilled Cheese Sandwich
Ingredients:
(Makes 2 sandwiches)
- 8 strips veggie bacon
- Applewood smoked sea salt
- 4 slices of hearty bread—a good 7 (or multi) grain bread is best
- 3-4 tsp. raspberry jam
- 1 ripe pear, peeled and sliced thin
- 4 thick slices of mozzarella or Monterrey Jack cheese
- 2 tsp. butter
Directions:
- Put a medium sized saucepan on the burner and bring the heat up to medium high.
- Place veggie bacon in the pan and heat thoroughly, following instructions on the package; sprinkle on some smoked sea salt while sautéing. Set aside.
- Butter one side each of 2 slices of bread, spread 1/4 of the jam on the other side, and then place in pan—butter side down, of course.
- While sautéing the bread, carefully layer each slice with the cheese (2 slices cheese per sandwich), veggie bacon, and sliced pears.
- Reduce the heat to low, and put a lid on the pan, continue to sauté until the cheese is nicely softened and melted. Check often, you want to make sure the bread does not burn, nor do you want the cheese to melt so gooey that your bread gets soggy.
- As soon as the cheese is melted to just nice and soft, spread the other two slices of bread with butter on one side and jam on the other, and place them (jam side down) atop the two loaded slices in the pan. Flip the sandwiches over so they can brown on the other side.
- Once nicely browned on both sides, cut the burner off, remove sandwiches from the pan and allow to cool for couple minutes. Serve while still good and warm.
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