Meet the 20 winners of FSD’s Best Sandwiches Contest

The much-anticipated Best Sandwiches competition is a tradition that will live on, as Food Management magazine has folded into FoodService Director magazine. We took your entries from last year, wrapped them up, judged with care and brought them here to their new home. A big thank you for your patience to everyone who entered! The time has finally come, and this sandwich competition always gets to the heart of foodservice: Making something new (and casually convenient) with amazing ingredients layered with creativity and allowing that to tell your story.  

In the coming year, you’ll find contests that you remember and a few cool new ones, too. So be sure to keep an eye out and get your team the recognition and prestige of being a Best Sandwich winner.

That said, please dig into our selections, which show lots of ingenuity between the bread in the with winners in the categories of Best in Show, Best Breakfast Sandwiches, Best BBQ Sandwiches, Best Turkey Sandwiches, Best Veggie Sandwiches, Best Beefy Sandwiches, Best Seafood Sandwiches, Wild Card and Bonus Trend Award, which spotlights a chicken parm sandwich trend we’re noticing.

Ingredients: Ham, bacon, turkey, cheese and fried egg
Why it’s special: The way this is served—layered Club Sandwich style—makes it a fun way to grab the classic breakfast sando to start the day feeling like a member of the club.
Build on it: What other twists on the Club Sandwich could you create?

Ingredients: Crispy hashbrown patty, smoked paprika aioli, arugula, spicy-sweet roasted peppers, optional ham, fried egg on a croissant
Why it’s special: Just developed as a vegetarian breakfast option, this sandwich brings a hashbrown patty into the mix, adding a touch of fun to more sophisticated flavors. The sandwich can be customized with additional protein for meat lovers.
Build on it: Where else on the menu might pre-made hashbrown patties come in handy?

Ingredients: 12-hour house-smoked tri-tip, smoked sausage, Vandal Gold BBQ sauce with huckleberry glace, fried onion shoestrings on a toasted baguette
Why it’s special: A standout for Vandal football tailgates and catered events, this sandwich tells a smoky story: The meats are produced by U of I’s Vandal Brand Meats, which is run by students, faculty and staff from the ag school.
Build on it: How would you showcase locally produced ingredients in a single sandwich?

Ingredients: Shredded Texas brisket, pepper jack cheese, roasted jalapenos, avocado, creamy Baja sauce, green onions and cilantro on a toasted Cuban bun
Why it’s special: Brisket is a cornerstone of good eating in Texas. The toppings strike a balance with the heat of jalapenos and the cool, creamy sauce and avocado. The pepper jack cheese pushes it over the top.
Build on it: Which do you prefer in a barbecue sauce: Tomato-based, vinegar-based or mayo-based?

Ingredients: Smoked pulled pork, pickled red onions, fried onion strings, red barbecue sauce on Texas toast with fried pickles and slaw
Why it’s special: Leaning into its reputation as a university where “legends are made,” this sandwich builds on tradition for a savory legend in the making…or should we say, in the eating.
Build on it: How do you add crunch to pulled pork sammies?

Ingredients: Roasted lamb and turkey, Israeli salad (tomatoes, onions, herbs, lemon, olive oil), pickled cabbage, Mediterranean pickles, tahini, amba (mango-vinegar condiment) and zhug (spicy hot sauce) on a pita.
Why it’s special: Found at Tahini, a privately owned local Kosher concept that's part of the dining program, this sandwich features two trending condiments—zhug and amba. The herbaceous freshness of this sandwich goes even further with the fermented pop of pickled veggies.
Build on it: What else could you pickle and add as the perfect buddy to a sammie?

Ingredients: Turkey, pepper bacon, fried green tomatoes, lettuce, housemade tangy-spicy sauce
Why it’s special: This signature sandwich was created as an elevated take on a turkey BLT, and the fried green tomatoes seal the deal, giving this sammie a great Southern accent.
Build on it: What’s your best BLT add-on?

Ingredients: Roasted cauliflower salad, golden raisins, pine nuts, capers, housemade chestnut cream, housemade kalamata focaccia.
Why it’s special: Inspired by hand-held street food in Europe, this sandwich puts plants first, every bite of the way.
Build on it: The flavors of pine nuts, capers and golden raisins remind us of Sicily; how about you?

Ingredients: Vegan Sweet Italian sausage, sauteed broccoli rabe, roasted garlic, crushed red pepper, vegan parmigiana cheese and garlic-infused olive oil on a Cardinali Bakery sub roll
Why it’s special: Chef Michael DeMartino talks about bringing this sandwich to school in the fourth grade, which confused some of his classmates, but strengthened his bond with his heritage. Listen to him tell the story here
Build on it: Know any good stories you could tell through a sandwich?

Ingredients: Vermont Beancrafter falafel patty, Maplebrook Farm feta cheese, tzatziki, Longwind Farm tomato, toasted brioche, shredded lettuce
Why it’s special: A showcase of UVM Dining’s commitment to local food purchasing, which includes an exclusive partnership with Vermont Beancrafters, this falafel handheld is featured as an LTO at the Vermont Burger Co. concept.

Build on it: What else could you do with pre-formed plant-based patties?

Ingredients: NY strip steak, brie, Dijon-caramelized onion, horseradish cream, arugula, potato sticks on a baguette
Why it’s special: Luxury on a baguette, this sandwich brings the beefy, umami flavor and tops it off with the fun crunch of potato sticks on top.
Build on it: What are some other crunchy toppers you could try?

Ingredients: Thinly sliced roast beef, brown sugar-caramelized onion, blue cheese crumbles, cracked black pepper and sriracha on a buttery brioche bun
Why it’s special: The beefiness of this sandwich is off the charts and as far as classic cheese accompaniments, blue cheese could be the best partner for roast beef.
Build on it: What other cheeses do you like with roast beef?

Ingredients: Buffalo-fried shrimp, lime-cilantro tortilla-crusted tilapia, jalapeno-lime coleslaw and Thai chili sauce on a Gambino’s muffaletta roll
Why it’s special: If you know anything about muffalettas, it’s the fact that the roll totally matters. With that in place, the limes have it, adding so much zest to every layer of this Bayou-Thai fusion masterpiece.
Build on it: Which regional sandwiches can you make your own?

Ingredients: Grilled salmon, alfalfa sprouts, roasted red pepper, pickled red onion and basil aioli on housemade tomato-herb focaccia.
Why it’s special: Found on the menu at ASU Tempe’s Engrained Restaurant, this superfood/seafood sammie debuted a few months ago, and has quickly converted even seafood-scaredy cats into trying it and loving it. “I don’t normally eat fish, but this sandwich is amazing and I keep going back for more,” one student said. With sustainable salmon and locally sourced veggies, it’s a healthy option in many ways.
Build on it: What other bold flavors would you let salmon stand up to?

Ingredients: Ricotta cheese, beets, almonds, honey, arugula, basil, radish, cherry tomatoes and balsamic glaze on toast
Why it’s special: This tartine style open-faced toast was introduced to celebrate the Barbie movie (and mania) sweeping the nation. For that “Mattel pink” color, the ricotta cheese is infused with beets.
Build on it: Any other pop culture icons you can turn into an LTO or special?

Ingredients: Corned beef, turkey pastrami, lettuce, tomatoes, coleslaw, pickled onions and pickle-infused tangy Russian dressingon fresh-baked challah bread
Why it’s special: Besides the election year-appropriate name, this NY deli-style sandwich brings together beef and turkey with an absolute array of briny, pickled flavors and colors.
Build on it: What other ingredients could you infuse into Russian dressing for a cool twist?

Ingredients: Nonna sauce (traditional red sauce), creamy pesto aioli, brined and potato-breaded chicken, mozzarella on brioche bun
Why it’s special: This sandwich delivers the experience of sitting down to an old school Italian meal, but on a buttery bun.

Ingredients: Halal chicken meatballs, marinara, provolone, olives, onions, bell peppers on sliced white hoagie
Why it’s special: Deemed “irresistible” by those who’ve tried it, this sandwich is hearty enough for a sit-down, but can easily be grabbed on the run.

Ingredients: Chicken meatballs, marinara sauce, basil on hoagie roll
Why it’s special: Developed at a test kitchen on campus, this is one of a few new specialty subs that came out last year.

Ingredients: Marinara, popcorn chicken, mozzarella on flatbread
Why it’s special: Another of Aramark’s specialty subs built on individual campuses, this sub makes the most of popcorn chicken, an item you might have handy.