Summer Sandwiches (to Beat the Heat)

Summer sandwiches are the answer to lunches throughout the season as they are quick to make, don’t require heating up the kitchen and are so delicious!

As much as I adore cooking and baking, when the mercury starts pushing 100°F (38°C) there’s nothing worse than standing over a hot stove or worse yet, turning on the oven! However, that doesn’t mean I’m ordering in, or eating out–I still make lunch and dinner, but there’s very little cooking involved! We’re usually not as hungry in the heat, so sandwiches are a win-win!

If you are like me and usually bake homemade bread, but it’s simply too hot to turn the oven on (especially to such high heat)–I have a slow cooker sourdough sandwich bread recipe that won’t heat up your kitchen! It’s from my pal, Camilla, from Fab Food 4 All in the UK! Isn’t the slow cooker a brilliant idea to cook bread?

Here are some of my favorite no cook summer sandwiches, including a few from friends! I hope they inspire you and give you some relief from the summer heat!

Summer Sandwiches

Caprese Sandwich (One of the Best Summer Sandwiches)

This is the sandwich I make more than any other from June through September, mostly because I usually have homegrown tomatoes. This caprese sandwich needs just four ingredients: bread, ripe tomatoes, fresh mozzarella and basil. Hold off on the balsamic, and I tell you why on my caprese salad recipe. My daughter used to take this to school with a tiny bottle of olive oil to drizzle on right before eating so the bread stays perfect until the last bite.

Pinwheel Sandwiches (Ham & Lettuce, Italian, BLT and Club)

Whether you just want a sandwich for lunch, you’re packing for a picnic or feeding a crowd at a barbecue, pinwheel sandwiches are the answer. Lavash or a tortilla, your favorite fillings layered on top, rolled tightly and sliced into pretty little rounds. My kids requested these for school lunches more than they ever asked for cookies.

Jambon Beurre

The French ham and butter baguette is one of the simplest summer sandwiches in existence, and also one of the best. A classic jambon beurre only needs three ingredients: a crusty baguette, good butter and thinly sliced ham. You can add some cornichons, which I love, but always prefer my sandwich plain as long as the ingredients are all top-notch.

Cucumber and Cream Cheese Sandwich Rolls

These are the pinwheels that started it all in our house. My cucumber and cream cheese sandwich rolls require lavash bread, cream cheese and thin cucumber slices, and they’re endlessly requested for picnics, beach days and any day of the week for lunch! Want a fancier summer sandwich? Make these cucumber sandwiches for a simple snack to afternoon tea!

Tuna Sandwich

I have very strong opinions about tuna sandwiches, mainly that they need more vinegar and less mayo than most others’! My tuna sandwich recipe uses good quality tuna, celery and onion, and I like mine served in a croissant. I think this is one of the best summer sandwiches because the tuna salad is so crisp, cool and refreshing!

Ham and Cheese Pinwheels

For an easier, more classic version of the pinwheel, these ham and cheese pinwheels can’t be beat. Butter, ham and cheese rolled up in lavash, with lettuce added if you like a bit more crunch. They travel well and take almost no time to put together so they’re perfect for lunch by the pool! If you’re not making some sort of pinwheel sandwich this summer, I have not completed my job!

Mortadella Sandwich (Classic Italian Summer Sandwiches)

For something a little more indulgent, my mortadella sandwich is proof that two good ingredients can outshine a sandwich stacked with a dozen. Just mortadella and good bread, the way it’s actually eaten in Italy is the most classic, but add some stracciatella and chopped pistachios to gild the lily!

Ham and Piccalilli Sandwich

I picked this one up at the Edwardian Kitchen at Pollok House in Glasgow, and it’s been on repeat ever since. My ham and piccalilli sandwich layers piccalilli, cucumber, ham and lettuce for a tangy, crunchy British classic.

Worth a Few Minutes at the Stove or Using the Air Fryer

Bacon Butty

A proper bacon butty includes rashers of bacon fried and added onto a soft roll, no butter or brown sauce required, though I won’t judge if you add either. Five minutes of cooking for a genuinely great payoff. Just add lettuce and summer tomatoes for a classic BLT (bacon, lettuce and tomato!)

Mallorcan Tomato Toast (the Perfect Open Face Summer Sandwiches)

The extent of cooking for this recipe is toasting bread, which I think no one would object to, right? Deliciously savory, this tomato, olive, caper combo is something to write home about! Why do we not know about such wonderful creations until we’ve lived for decades on this planet?

Italian Sausage and Peppers Sandwich

Cook those Italian sausage in the air fryer and sautè some peppers with tomatoes (or skip the latter) for my favorite Italian sausage and peppers! The flavor combination is unbeatable, and it’s a hearty sandwich when you’re feeling more hunger pangs than usual.

Barbecue Pulled Pork Crock Pot Recipe

Another brilliant slow cooker recipe you can use all year long, these pulled pork sandwiches are easy on labor and big on flavor! Serve with spicy cole slaw, corn and a salad because ain’t nobody goin’ to be baking cornbread when it’s SO hot!

Chicken Bacon Ranch Sandwich

If you want more substantial summer sandwiches, try this chicken bacon ranch sandwich from my friend Cynthia at What a Girl Eats. It’s loaded with juicy grilled chicken, crispy bacon, avocado and cheese, all drizzled with homemade ranch (which is all the rage right now for Europeans who visited the US for the World Cup–too funny!)

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