Whether it’s wintertime and you want something to warm you up, or you just want to stray away from the classic cold lunchtime sandwiches, this collection of 27 hot sandwich recipes will hit the spot!
There are so many more hot sandwiches besides just the classic grilled cheese (though we did have to include a unique take on this classic favorite- check out the Grilled Mac and Cheese).
Whether you’re looking for a panini, a melt, or a fried chicken sandwich, there are countless options to satisfy your cravings and fill your belly up with something hot, just like #27!
Sandwiches are great because they are so easy to put together, and you can put in any combination of ingredients to satisfy your cravings.
These hot sandwich recipes include just that, but with a little bit of cooking to allow you to have something warm to fill your stomach.
Not to mention, you can easily pack these for work or school and have something filling waiting for you during your break.
Just be sure to reheat accordingly!
No matter which recipe you try, you and your family will love all of these sandwiches.
You can even try them all and have a different hot sandwich for dinner every day for the next month!
There is sure to be something on this list that gives you exactly what you’re looking for in a simple, hot, and delicious meal.
Whether you’re looking for a classic like a Philly Cheesesteak or a Reuben Sandwich.
Or you can even try fast-food-inspired sandwiches like a Nashville-style Hot Chicken Sandwich or a Fried Fish Sandwich.
And don’t be afraid to venture out and try other hot sandwich recipes.
There are so many more out there that will add so much taste and warmth to your regular sandwich line-up!
This one is not your typical ham and cheese sandwich.
This recipe calls for crescent dough for the “bread.”
Just make sure you press out the seams that you’ll find unless you want to cut these apart into the triangle shapes that most crescent doughs come in.
This recipe shares how easy it is to put together with your favorite sandwiches!
It takes no time to bake, and it makes a few servings so you can feed everyone all at once!
You can also have fun mixing up the meats and cheese you put inside so that you won’t be having the same hot sandwich for lunch every day!
Turkey breast, bacon, and cheese are a winning combo for hot sandwich ideas.
Throw all that in between some Hawaiian sweet rolls, and you have a rich, flavorful, and filling hot sandwich for dinner.
The sweet rolls will complement the turkey breast and bacon so well.
Not to mention the cheesy Mornay sauce that kicks this sandwich up to the next level!
If you don’t know what Mornay sauce is or have never made it, don’t worry.
This recipe also walks you through how to make your own!
The best hot sandwich recipes are the ones that take little effort to put together.
If you can throw some ingredients into a crockpot and leave it to cook while you spend your day working, what’s not to love?
The slow-cooked beef takes on so much flavor with Italian dressing mix, pepperoncini peppers, and Giardiniera.
By the time you make it home, your beef will be ready to add into the sandwich bun!
However, you might spend your whole daydreaming of going home and enjoying this sandwich!
Philadelphia did a great job with this gourmet hot sandwich idea.
Now, it’s enjoyed all over the country and has become a classic sandwich.
Perfect for feeding hungry guests or for the family to enjoy, you can bring a taste of Philly to your own home.
While authentic Philly cheesesteaks only have onions and cheese mixed into the beef, this recipe calls for sauteed peppers thrown in, which add color and flavor!
Whether you believe peppers belong in a cheesesteak or not, there’s no arguing that this is not a DELICIOUS fan-favorite sandwich.
Not many sandwiches come to mind when thinking of comfort meals.
But this Italian meatball sub will top your list when thinking of the best sandwich recipe for a comfort meal.
Whether you use homemade or frozen meatballs, you’ll be raving about this dinner.
There’s a reason this is so many people’s favorite go-to meal.
What’s better than melty cheese topping flavorful meatballs between buttery sub rolls?
If you are looking for a more accessible alternative to a Sloppy Joe for a hot sandwich for dinner, this is for you.
This cheesy hot beef sandwich requires fewer ingredients than most sloppy joe sandwiches, and since you are cooking the ground beef yourself, you know what is going into your meal.
The cream of mushroom soup helps thicken the beef to make it creamier and filling.
The mushroom soup also adds so much flavor to this delicious dish, and with the cheddar cheese mixed in, the whole family will love this.
A hot sandwich for lunch doesn’t have to be limited to plain grilled cheese.
A Rachel sandwich brings all of our favorite parts of a grilled cheese up a notch by throwing in pastrami or turkey, coleslaw, and tangy Russian dressing.
You can substitute Thousand Island dressing instead of Russian dressing, but don’t forget to use rye bread so that the sandwich has a sturdy base!
Once you have put all of your ingredients together and grilled your sandwich until the cheese has melted and the bread has toasted, you are ready to enjoy your new favorite grilled sandwich.
You’ll love this list of Panini Sandwiches too!
Often credited as the Rachel sandwich’s older brother, Reuben sandwiches are a classic for hot sandwich recipes.
Although you can eat this sandwich cold, it’s highly recommended to grill it and enjoy it when the cheese has melted, and the bread has become crispy.
You can even make your Russian dressing with this recipe!
Like with the Rachel sandwich, you can switch out the Russian dressing for Thousand Island, but you want to keep the rye bread that is known for surrounding the corned beef classic.
One of the best hot sandwich ideas is simple yet so delicious.
Fried chicken sandwiches are already impressive, but when you cover it with spicy Nashville hot sauce, pickles, and coleslaw, you end up with sweet heat, tons of flavor, and a crunch that you can’t beat.
If you’re a fan of crunchy chicken, you can make your breading extra crunchy by adding some buttermilk to flour and rubbing it until it combines.
Be sure not to skip out on the brown sugar in the Nashville sauce!
It adds a little sweetness but so much flavor!
When it’s summertime, few things are better than hitting the grill to enjoy a lunch with family and friends while enjoying the sun.
This grilled pastrami sandwich will help you switch out your burgers and hot dogs for something just as tasty!
If you’re out enjoying the weather, you can prep these sandwiches ahead of time by assembling them and wrapping them in foil.
When it’s time to eat, you can toss them—foil and all—onto the grill and let it cook.
After about 15 minutes, you have a delicious hot sandwich for lunch.
11. Cuban Sandwich
Some people might say a Cuban is just a fancy ham and cheese sandwich, but it is more than that!
It is tangy, tart, hearty, and filling.
With ham, pork tenderloin, cheese, pickles, and mustard all grilled to perfection, there is so much to this gourmet hot sandwich idea that makes it far from a “fancy ham and cheese.”
Pro Tip: Check out this list of what goes GREAT with a Cuban Sandwich!
This panini is the best sandwich recipe for getting good use out of your George Foreman grill or your panini maker.
When you grill your bread to golden perfection, of course, it’s going to taste amazing.
Adding bacon and avocado to your turkey panini can’t hurt, though.
When you’re on the run and want something hearty and delicious to fill you up for lunch, turkey, bacon, and avocado paninis are sure to be a hit.
Besides tasting great, they’re quick to make and won’t fall apart easily once the cheese has melted and holds everything together.
Although banh mi sandwiches are typically eaten for breakfast in Vietnam, this is an excellent choice for a hot sandwich for dinner.
Using a slow cooker for this recipe can save you so much time and energy.
You can leave it cooking overnight or while you work.
You can even let your vegetable pickle while the pork is cooking so that once it’s time to eat, you just have to combine the ingredients for a tender and delicious hot sandwich.
14. Tuna Melt
Tuna melts are another classic that needs to be added to your favorite hot sandwich recipes.
You could always make a simple tuna sandwich and grill it, but why do that when you add so many tasty ingredients to the mix and enhance the flavors!
This recipe calls for adding mustard and spices to your mayonnaise to add more flavor.
You can also add tomatoes and pickles to your melt or even avocado and bacon.
After trying this tuna melt, you won’t be able to go back to your classic tuna sandwiches.
One of the great things about making your own pulled pork is all of the options you have on ways to cook it!
You can use an instant pot or a slow cooker for this recipe, and both ways will give you such flavorful pork that it will shred so easily.
When your pork is so tasty, you don’t need to add too much to this sandwich to make it delicious.
Homemade coleslaw and BBQ sauce are always good ideas for toppings that compliment the spices used in the pork rub, but you can always add on jalapenos, onions, or avocado.
Whatever you decide to add to your sandwich will result in a tender and comforting hot sandwich for dinner.
Even if you haven’t traveled to Louisiana, you have got to try your hand at making a Po Boy.
These are a New Orleans classic, and for a good reason!
This sandwich features perfectly seasoned fried shrimp, creamy remoulade sauce, fresh lettuce, and tomatoes, all on top of a toasted piece of French bread.
With French and Creole influences, this is the best hot sandwich recipe to bring together the many different cultures in Louisiana.
This Mexican sandwich has gained popularity worldwide for being one of the tastiest hot sandwich ideas.
If you haven’t tried a torta before, imagine a taco sandwich!
It has a lot of the fillings of a tasty taco but is surrounded by a soft telera roll.
When preparing your sandwich, make sure you let your carne asada marinate for several hours or even overnight.
After you taste this sandwich, it will be hard to stay patient and let the beef marinate, but it allows the flavors to absorb and give you a much more tender piece of meat.
When you combine two of the most loved childhood foods, what do you get?
You end up with probably the best sandwich recipe for a comfort meal to make you feel so good inside.
Seriously, combining mac and cheese with grilled cheese is such a fantastic idea.
This doesn’t have to be a sandwich just for the kids.
Adults of any age can enjoy this!
And no, there is no such thing as too much cheese!
A day at Disneyland is not complete without enjoying their delicious Monte Cristo sandwich.
With the powdered sugar sprinkled on top and the savory melted cheese, you’re not to blame if you’ve been dreaming about your next trip to California to get your hands on one of these.
Fortunately, you don’t have to travel to Disneyland to enjoy this hot sandwich for lunch.
This recipe will make you feel like you’re in the land of magic without leaving your home!
20. Hot Hoagies
When your schedule is hectic, and you just want to put something hot on the dinner table, give these hoagies a try.
They are effortless to cook, and the whole family will love them!
The instructions are so simple.
Just combine all of the ingredients, spread it onto a loaf of French bread, and bake it in the oven, and you have a hot sandwich for dinner!
This is perfect for those days when it feels like you don’t have enough time to prepare a nice hot home-cooked meal.
Gone are the days of going through a fast-food drive-thru line trying to get your hands on a delicious fried fish sandwich!
Once you’ve tried to make this sandwich yourself, you won’t want to go back to a restaurant to buy one.
This recipe gives tips on the best tasting fish to use for a fried fish sandwich, how to bread it, and suggestions for toppings to add to your sandwich.
Even better, it includes tips on selecting cheese that will complement the fish flavors while also melting to give it a great texture.
I am no more venturing out of the house to buy a hot sandwich for dinner.
Another famous sandwich from New Orleans is the Muffalata aka Muffuletta.
Created by Italian immigrants, this gourmet hot sandwich idea combines the flavors of Italy and New Orleans in one!
There are so many types of deli meats in this sandwich, so you’re sure to end your meal full and satisfied.
Not to mention that baking this will make your rolls golden and buttery.
The olive salad in this adds a bit of freshness to it, too!
Slow-cooking roast beef into the broth and french onion soup results in savory and flavored beef.
When the cheese of this sandwich melts into the crusty rolls, and it’s dipped into the au jus sauce, your mouth will experience so much taste and texture all in one.
You can make your roast in either the slow cooker or instant pot.
You can even use brisket for this, making it one of the top hot sandwich ideas in terms of flexibility.
Cold chicken salad is excellent.
But hot chicken salad is even better!
This recipe is not far from the chicken salad sandwiches you’ve had before.
Throw it in the oven and let the cheese melt, and your chicken salad is taken to the next level!
This makes for a great hot sandwich for lunch.
Here’s another new take on a classic sandwich.
If you were wondering how to elevate your favorite cold sandwich to the next level, use English muffins, so you have a toasty and crispy bun.
And you can’t skip out on using garlic aioli.
It adds so much creamy garlic flavor!
This gourmet hot sandwich idea is perfect for when you don’t want to put too much effort into your meal but are still craving something hot and filling.
Hot sandwich recipes can be so much more than just taking your favorite cold sandwich and grilling it.
Although that is sure to result in a tasty sandwich you will love, the world of hot sandwiches features many great recipes and ideas that involve some exploring.
The Aloo sandwich is an Indian breakfast sandwich featuring mashed potatoes, cheese, and many delicious spices.
Although this is typically eaten for breakfast, no one stops you from enjoying this sandwich for lunch or dinner!
Popular in South Africa, the Gatsby sandwich normalized something we often do as children—put chips or fries in our sandwiches!
This is a street vendor food often made large enough to share, so you’ll want to make enough of this for your friends and family to have some.
This is an excellent choice for a hot sandwich for lunch or dinner, but you can also add fresh or cold ingredients like lettuce and ketchup.
Now, there’s no need to travel to Cape Town to enjoy this delicious hot sandwich!
The bottom line
There is an entire world out there of hot sandwich recipes!
Many different countries and regions have their classic hot sandwich, which they are well known for.
There’s also an option for any type of meat you’re craving—or even no meat at all!
Whether you’re looking for international cuisine or just want to spice up your favorite cold sandwich, hot sandwiches are the right way to go!
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27 UNIQUE Ways To Make A Hot Sandwich Recipe
Make your sandwich experience more memorable with these 27 hot sandwich recipes you’ll enjoy!
Ingredients
- Hot Ham And Cheese Sandwich
- Kentucky Hot Brown Sliders
- Crockpot Italian Beef Sandwiches
- Philly Cheesesteak
- Italian Meatball Subs
- Cheesy Hot Beef Sandwich
- Rachel Sandwich
- Reuben Sandwich
- Nashville-Style Hot Chicken Sandwich
- Grilled Hot Pastrami Sandwich
- Cuban Sandwich
- Turkey, Bacon, And Avocado Panini
- Slow-Cooker Vietnamese Pulled Pork Banh Mi
- Tuna Melt
- Pulled Pork Sandwich
- The Ultimate Shrimp Po Boy Sandwich
- Carne Asada Torta
- Grilled Mac And Cheese Sandwich
- Disneyland Monte Cristo Sandwich
- Hot Hoagies
- Fried Fish Sandwich
- Muffalata Oven Baked Sandwiches
- Slow Cooker French Dip Sandwiches
- Hot Chicken Salad Sandwiches
- Grilled Turkey BLT Sandwich
- Potato Sandwich (Aloo Sandwich)
- Homemade Ciabatta Gatsby
Instructions
- Pick one or more options from our cheap dinner ideas list!
- Combine them to make your new favorite dish.
- Enjoy your homecooked meal!