Club Sandwich Recipe aka Clubhouse Sandwich

Classic club sandwiches made popular at golf courses and diners across the country are easy and delicious to recreate at home.

If you like this recipe, check out my Benedictine Sandwich next!

Clubhouse sandwich is a classic right? You might not think you need a recipe. But I spent time perfecting it. You want to know how to make this sandwich at home because it’s better than anything you can order out. And you can customize the layers to your own tastes.

A classic club sandwich reminds me of time spent on the golf course with my Grandpa when I was a kid. He and I spent a lot of hours on the course and would always get lunch afterwards. This type of sandwich served with some potato chips and a pickle spear was always a favorite of his and mine.

What is a clubhouse sandwich?

The club sandwich has its origins in New York and can be dated back to the late 1800’s. To me I’ve always associated this classic, double decker sandwich with a golf course clubhouse. The typical ingredients for a classic club include slices of bread and ham, deli turkey or chicken, several slices bacon, cheddar cheese, juicy tomatoes, crisp lettuce and mayonnaise.

Why this recipe works

The purpose of my recipe is to solve what I’ve always felt were the weakest points of a clubhouse sandwich. Dry bread and not enough flavor. My recipe works because of my toasting method for the bread, which includes buttering one side of each slice of bread. This keeps the interior of the sandwich moist and the exterior sturdy enough to be assembled and cut neatly. I tried my sandwich both with butter and without and I can decidedly say that the butter is a secret to this sandwich.

Then to really amp up the flavor, I mix mayonnaise with tarragon, garlic powder, lemon juice, salt and pepper. It’s truly a game changer for this sandwich. The flavors just sing and really help to harmonize all of the separate ingredients into an extra happy composition. I’m partial to the tarragon flavor but in the summer when tomatoes are at their most ripe, you could replace the tarragon with fresh basil.

Ingredients for club sandwich recipe

• Bread – Use a sturdy sandwich bread for the layers of bread. My personal favorite is whole wheat or rye. But you can also choose to use sourdough or other type of hearty, white bread.
• Mayo – A thin layer of flavored mayonnaise (in this case tarragon) spread from edge to edge on each slice of bread (interior side) is the key to making this clubhouse sandwich the best.
• Tarragon – I use dried tarragon because fresh tarragon can sometimes be difficult to find, depending on the season.
• Garlic Powder – More flavor for the mayonnaise. My opinion is that garlic flavor makes everything better.
• Lemon Juice – Thins the mayonnaise a little bit for ease of spreading, but adds a nice bright flavor to the sandwich.
• Salt and Pepper – Again more flavor is a good thing.
• Ham – I prefer using very thin slices of ham. I also like a smoked ham or Black Forest ham. But use your favorite variety.
• Chicken or Turkey – The choice is totally up to you. I prefer a thinly sliced deli chicken. But turkey is probably the more popular choice.
• Bacon – This microwave bacon is delicious and so convenient for making sandwiches.
• Cheddar Cheese – I like a mild slice or two of cheddar cheese. I don’t want to overwhelm the other ingredients and flavors with a really sharp cheddar.
• Tomatoes – This sandwich can be made any time of year. If you don’t have a fresh summer tomato you can set your grocery tomatoes on a sunny kitchen window sill to help them ripen.
• Lettuce – Fresh green leaves of lettuce like romaine or little gem are my favorite.
• Fancy Toothpicks – To get that classic club sandwich look and to help anchor each quarter of the sandwich after being sliced, fancy toothpicks are essential.

Instructions

• Mix together the ingredients for the tarragon mayonnaise.

• Melt the butter, brush one side of each slice and toast the pieces of bread on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or aluminum foil under your oven’s broiler. 

• Layer the sandwich according to the picture illustrations.

Pro tip

For sandwiches, I really like using microwave bacon for same day preparation. If you prefer, you can choose to cook your slices of bacon the day before you plan to make your clubhouse sandwich. I like to bake my bacon in the oven.

Serving suggestions

Serve as pictured with a side of pickles and potato chips or french fries. Potato salad and coleslaw are traditional accompaniments.

Or if I was having a Master’s Golf Tournament watch party, this classic club would definitely be on my menu. Every year the Masters defending champion curates the menu for a Champions Dinner. In that tradition, here’s my own spin on a menu centered around this club sandwich –

• Deviled Eggs with Relish
• Easy Pimento Cheese 
• Bourbon Peach Crisp
• Praline Graham Crackers
• Mojito Iced Tea

Storage directions

I do not recommend storing leftover, assembled sandwiches. The bread will get too soggy when stored. You can however store the ingredients separately, to prepare more sandwiches at a later date. Always store food in the refrigerator in airtight containers to keep them fresh.

Kitchen tools

• Sheet pan for toasting layers of bread
• Silicone pastry brush for brushing the bread with butter
• My favorite chef’s knife for cutting
• Fancy toothpicks for anchoring the sandwich triangles

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