The Classic Salad You Should Really Be Eating As A Sandwich

When it comes to constructing an awesome sandwich, it pays to take inspiration from foods that aren't usually associated with sandwiches: grilled cheese sandwiches featuring ultimate mac and cheese, hash brown breakfast sandwiches, and even doughnut Monte Cristo sandwiches. Given this illustrious list, it seems only right to add one more un-sandwich stuffing to the list: The chicken Waldorf salad. 

Created in the late 1800s by the Waldorf Astoria Hotel's first maître d', Oscar Tschirky, the original Waldorf salad boasted just three ingredients: chopped red-skinned apples, mayo, and celery. It was a simple and elegant salad. Still, despite its near perfection, people have put their own culinary spin on it over the years. By 1928, George Rector published a new version of the recipe in "The Rector Cook Book." His version added walnuts to the mix. Over the years, paprika, bitter greens, toasted pine nuts, and even plain yogurt or whipped cream have found a home in the salad. 

It should be no surprise, then, that some of the latest iterations of the esteemed Waldorf salad include meat — usually chicken. And given that the salad has continuously morphed throughout its existence, it's equally unsurprising it has morphed once more on the menus of picnickers and quick lunch purveyors — this time into a sandwich.

With its succulent pieces of white chicken breast, bits of chopped celery, crisp apple pieces, tangy mayo, halved red grapes, and optional crunchy pecans or walnuts (preferably toasted), the Waldorf chicken salad is a strong sandwich stuffing contender. And while it's perfectly acceptable to pull a can of chicken from your pantry, your leftover chicken or a low-cost, high-quality grocery store rotisserie chicken makes for a superior sandwich. You can even make a basic but foolproof roasted chicken just for the occasion, though some might say that's more work than is necessary for a meal in which fruit and nuts are arguably the real stars of the show. Your Waldorf salad also works as a holiday leftovers sandwich. Just put those pounds upon pounds of leftover turkey to use.  

Whichever meat you choose, avoid shredding it if possible, as that works best in heavily sauced applications with no chopped ingredients stirred directly in with the meat, such as pulled barbecue sandwiches. Instead, chop the poultry into quarter-inch cubes, roughly the same size as the other ingredients. That makes everything bite-size and encourages the ingredients to mix consistently and spread evenly across the bread.

Finally, if you're craving extra protein, add a slice or two of bacon to the sandwich. The umami flavor of rich, salty bacon finds its complement in the sweet apples and grapes and a lovely foil in tangy mayo.

The modern Waldorf chicken salad is a study in opposites. The savory chicken meets its match in sweet flavor contrasts and textural diversity thanks to juicy grapes and crisp, sweet apples with an assist from optional nuts. Bearing these careful contrasts in mind, you can customize your sandwich to suit both your tastes and your pantry's contents.

Start with your bread choice. While a sprouted wheat would taste just great with this combo, there's an argument for substituting something like a raisin bagel for your regular bread. Or opt for a dark bread like pumpernickel. 

Your choice of add-ins offers opportunities to create flavor contrasts too. Cosmic Crisp apples are bred to be crunchy, are sweet and tart in equal measure, and stay good for a whole year. But Pink Ladies, Envies, and Granny Smiths are also solid options. Try any kind of grape you like, from classic Concord to modern Moon Drops. Or try dried fruit like raisins or apricots or seasonal options like cranberries. Substitute the walnuts for pecans, pistachios, or pepitas or add extras like milk-soaked oats, blue cheese or feta crumbles, crushed pineapple, or tarragon or fresh dill. In the process, you'll create a sandwich that's so good, you'll wonder why it's taken so long for you to try it.