New York Club Sandwich Recipe (2024)

This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Please read mydisclosure policy.

The Union Club is the fifth oldest private club in America, and the venue to invent the New York Club Sandwich recipe back in 1889.

America’s Number 1 Deli Turkey Meat Sandwich Is The New York Club!

The Union Club’s 1889 New York Club Sandwich recipe. The sandwich of sandwiches, a New York Club Sandwich is that iconic dagwood or triple decker sandwich that graces the menus of diners across America.

The best club sandwich recipe boasts the framework of a BLT, but adds various types of cheese, deli chicken or turkey, sometimes ham, and an additional layer of sliced bread smack dab in the middle.

To assemble a club is to assemble a little bit of something we are all familiar with; comfort food. If you’ve no time to search for recipes that’ll maintain your standing as most clever parent in the kitchen, just pull a few of these off and arrange on a platter with some chips and a quality Jewish half sour pickle. See? With classic recipes, you’re a rock star.

Ingredients for A New York Club Sandwich

• soft bread, preferably white bread, as close to (if not) a perfectly square Pullman slice as possible
• olive oil
• deli sliced chicken breast or turkey breast
• Swiss cheese, Cheddar cheese, or other deli sliced cheese
• crisp cooked, thick-cut bacon
• iceberg lettuce leaves
• very ripe, juicy tomatoes
• mayonnaise for assembling and a mayonnaise side for serving
• freshly ground black pepper
• potato chips for serving
• Jewish half-sour pickles for serving

optional

• avocado slices
• red onion slices

How This Recipe Came About…

Company was coming and I’d been on a two-week cooking streak. Needless to say, I was tapped out of enthusiasm for food. Yeah, this commonly happens as a food blogger.

There are those times that despite focusing on learning all I can about Southern cooking, I have to reach back into my “big bag of practicality” and channel the simple foods I was raised enjoying. Little sandwiches are popular finger foods for casual parties here in the south. A mini sandwich can be anything from a slider to sausage in a biscuit.

These tiny works of art are legit delish, however do require a bit of prep work if making from scratch. For me, rather than baking a batch of biscuits to then dress, I can create four handhelds with the assembly of slices of toast and thin slices of meat and cheese for a single sandwich. And my spend-out is quite a bit less at that…

What’s In A Club Sandwich?

The best club sandwich in the world, the ultimate club sandwich, could be enjoyed at just about every Greek diner in the state of New Jersey. Three toast slices, perfectly square mind you, 3 or 4 slices of bacon cooked crisp, lettuce, tomato slices, and layers of ham or turkey, all glued together magically with a dollop of mayo and co*cktail sticks, one for each perfect droolworthy wedge…

Classic club sandwich ingredients are said to have been minimal, consisting of two slices of bread, sliced cooked chicken breast fillet, tomato, and mayonnaise. This classic sandwich recipe ranks right up there alongside an Egg Salad Sandwich or Chicken Salad Sandwich. It has evolved in the past 100+ years, with variations popping up with everything from cooked duck breast to beef tongue.

How Do You Make A Good Club Sandwich?

For me, a good club sandwich’s basis starts with the bread. To be traditional is to use slices of white Pullman loaf. See my recipe for a Pullman loaf of Homemade Buttermilk Bread. And fabulous for using in this New York Club Sandwich recipe.

A Pullman loaf is baked in a special pan known as a Pullman pan, which has a sliding lid that covers the dough while baking. This lid traps the dough inside in order to create the perfectly square slice.

Also, in keeping with tradition, the bread is typically not toasted, however I find I enjoy my bread slightly toasted. Maybe for only 45 seconds to 1 minute. Personal preference, toast or don’t – whatever YOUR eaters will eat.

How To Layer A New York Club Sandwich?

It All Begins With the Bread

Ready to layer? This sandwich’s layers are made easier to assemble if everything is laid out in advance. That means all component parts ready to go.

Add olive oil to a small bowl. Using a pastry brush, lightly brush all of the bread on one side with the oil.

Toast bread slices for about a minute under your oven’s broiler. Flip at 30 seconds to toast the side of each bread slice. Then arrange all of the bread on a cutting board (oiled side up), being mindful that each dagwood will have three slices.

If you prefer a double-decker club, you may omit the third/middle bread slice. Have your co*cktail picks at the ready and a long blade serrated knife.

Sandwich classics always get fancy co*cktail or frill picks. If using a long toothpick, look for a length of at least 4 to 6-inches.

Prepare the Sandwich Components

Prep the iceberg lettuce by making two neat stacks of leaves for EACH sandwich. Each lettuce stack needn’t have more than three or four leaves at most.

If your cooked bacon slices are particularly long, take kitchen shears and cut them in half for easier stacking.

Begin by applying a layer of mayonnaise to one side (the oiled side) of every piece of bread and give a good grind of black pepper over the lot. Unless you want a toppling tower plan to use heavy mayo and frill picks or co*cktail picks to keep everything together.

I like to go just a tad heavier on two out of the three slices that will make up each sandwich, the bottom slice and the top slice. Something like a tablespoon mayonnaise on the bottom bread slice and the top bread slice, and just a teaspoon on the middle bread slice.

Layer!

I start from “the bottom up.” On top of the first bread slice arrange a layer of turkey or chicken breast. Turkey is popular, but in keeping with the Union Club’s original 1889 version, I generally go chicken. Your choice!

I top the chicken or turkey with one iceberg lettuce leaf stack, followed by the middle or second bread slice. To this, I place 3 slices bacon, a slice of cheese, another iceberg lettuce leaf stack, and tomato slices followed by the top slice of bread.

Secure the layers tightly with those co*cktail picks by placing one in the center of each quadrant. Then cut into triangular pieces in a diamond-like pattern, corner to corner, and repeat. Four mini sandwiches in only a handful of minutes.

Modifying The Norm To Make It Not Entirely Average…

As I mentioned above, variations to the iconic club sandwich are everywhere. From duck breast to beef tongue, if you can imagine it, it’s probably been done.

My recipe for club sandwich variations is first and foremost, purchasing the freshest deli meat I can get my hands on. In addition to classic chicken, I enjoy rare roast beef, peppered turkey, tavern ham, and also chicken salad. A corned beef sandwich and a pastrami sandwich are very traditional New York deli sandwiches, so naturally make awesome clubs!

You needn’t use sliced Pullman loaf to get a good tasting club either. A particularly pretty slice of bread is marbled rye with pumpernickel. It is a bit trickier to cut, yielding usually only three sandwich wedges.

Since cheese was not an original ingredient, there are liberties here. Swiss seems to be the most common deli cheese. I find Gouda very enjoyable, too. Again, it comes down to what YOUR eaters will eat.

Arrange avocado slices in the layers for a California Club if desired.

Want to really change this sandwich up a bit? Layer in fried green tomato slices in lieu of the fresh tomato slices. Also, think ‘special sandwich creams’ and whip up this quick recipe for Mustamaise which is a killer mayo substitute for sandwiches!

How Long Do Club Sandwiches Take To Make?

When I assemble large numbers of these for parties, say 20 sandwiches (80 wedges), I reserve about 45 minutes to get the job done. If assembling a single sandwich, minus any toasting I may or may not do, about 10 minutes. The guides for these really come down to what will go on them and if bunches of sandwiches are required.

How Far Ahead Can I Assemble Club Sandwiches Before Serving?

I love this sandwich because it can be assembled ahead of time and refrigerated wrapped tightly in plastic film or kitchen paper. Simply assemble the sandwiches according to the layering instructions EXCEPT, reverse the cheese, lettuce and tomato in the final step to tomato, lettuce, cheese. Do not cut.

Instead, forgo the co*cktail picks and wrap each sandwich whole in plastic film or kitchen paper/parchment. Refrigerate up to 4 hours. Just before serving, unwrap the sandwiches, secure co*cktail picks in the center of each quadrant, and cut into triangles.

Why the big switch if making ahead? If you do not want soggy cheese or soggy bread, those tomatoes have to be reverse ordered.

If You Like This Recipe…

…you might also like:

• Easy Po’ Boy Steak Sandwich
• The Original Monte Cristo Sandwich
• Easy French Dip Sandwiches with Picante Provolone
• A Tender And Crispy Baked Chicken Sandwich

New York Club Sandwich Recipe Straight from the Source

Jenny DeRemer

The Union Club is the fifth oldest private club in America, and the venue to invent the New York Club Sandwich recipe back in 1889.

5 from 1 vote

Servings: 1 sandwich or 4 quarters

Print Recipe Pin Recipe Rate Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Total Time 10 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Servings 1 sandwich or 4 quarters

Calories 1192 kcal

Equipment

• ▢

  long blade serrated knife

• ▢

  extra-long toothpick, co*cktail swords, frill picks, or bamboo sandwich skewers

• ▢

  silicon pastry brush

• ▢

  baking sheet

Ingredients

• ▢ 3 slices white bread Pullman loaf slices preferably, or as close to perfectly square slices you can find
• ▢ 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ▢ black pepper freshly ground
• ▢ ⅛ pound (3 sandwich cut slices) deli chicken breast may use deli turkey breast or ham
• ▢ 1 slice Swiss cheese may substitute any sliced cheese you like
• ▢ 3 strips thick-cut bacon crisp cooked
• ▢ 6 – 8 leaves iceberg lettuce leaves torn and divided into 2 equal stacks
• ▢ 2 slices tomato very ripe
• ▢ 3 tablespoons mayonnaise and additional for serving

optional

• ▢ salty potato chips and crisp half-sour pickle spears for serving
• ▢ avocado slices
• ▢ red onion slices

Instructions

• Lay bread slices on a baking sheet. Brush one side of each slice of bread lightly with olive oil. Toast under a broiler for 30 seconds before flipping and toasting another 30 seconds. Remove from oven.

• Lay bread slices flat, oiled side up and in a row on a clean work surface or cutting board. Have 4 co*cktail picks and a long blade serrated knife ready.

• Apply 1 tablespoon mayonnaise to one side of every piece of bread. LIGHTLY sprinkle black pepper over all of the slices.

• Beginning with the slice all the way to the left, evenly layer the sliced chicken breast or turkey breast over the surface of the bread. Turkey side-up, top with two iceberg lettuce leaves, followed by the second piece of toast.

• Atop the second layered toast slice, arrange the cooked bacon, cheese, remaining iceberg lettuce leaves, and tomato slices followed by the top slice of toast.

• Secure the layers tightly with co*cktail or frill picks by placing one in the center of each triangular quadrant. Then cut into triangles in a diamond pattern, corner to corner, and repeat. NOTE if you have adjusted this recipe above for assembling multiple sandwiches, use all remaining ingredients to repeat layers and the entire process for additional numbers of sandwiches.

• Arrange the 4 wedges of club sandwich on a plate or platter and garnish with salty potato chips or a scoop of potato salad, and a single crisp half-sour pickle spear.

Notes

Make Ahead assemble sandwiches in full up to 4 hours in advance. Do not cut. Wrap tightly in plastic film or kitchen paper/parchment and refrigerate. When ready to serve, unwrap the sandwiches, secure co*cktail picks in the center of each triangular quadrant, and cut into triangles.

Note When Making Ahead:assemble the sandwiches according to the layering instructions EXCEPT, reverse the bacon, cheese, lettuce and tomato in the final step to bacon, then tomato, then lettuce, then cheese. This way, once the sandwiches are wrapped and refrigerated, the tomatoes will not make the bread or the cheese soggy.

The nutrition value can vary depending on what product(s) you use. The information below is an estimate. Always use a calorie counter you are familiar with.

Please note that table salt and iodized salt are NOT substitutions for Kosher salt. Do not deviate unless otherwise specified.

Nutrition

Serving: 1sandwichCalories: 1192kcalCarbohydrates: 43gProtein: 36gFat: 97gSaturated Fat: 25gPolyunsaturated Fat: 29gMonounsaturated Fat: 38gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 133mgSodium: 1956mgPotassium: 688mgFiber: 3gSugar: 7gVitamin A: 734IUVitamin C: 8mgCalcium: 354mgIron: 4mg

Did you love this recipe?Leave a comment and Let me know how it was!