Hot Sandwiches

Until the early twentieth century most sandwiches were served cold. Sandwiches were usually served in the home on thin slices of bread that could not easily contain the juices from hot meat or sausage. The solution was simple: use rolls or buns, but these were not considered delicate enough to be consumed easily in polite company. Before they ever appeared in homes or cookbooks, virtually all large and hot sandwiches were first sold by vendors or delicatessens. While hot sandwiches were most likely sold by the mid-nineteenth century, the first located record of a hot sandwich recipe (Hot Broiled Ham Sandwiches) appeared in Bradley’s previously mentioned Beverages and Sandwiches cookbook (1893). This innovation was followed by the appearance of toasted or fried sandwiches, such as the ever-popular toasted cheese sandwich.