Turkey Club Sandwich

This is a very popular and tasty triple-decker sandwich that you often see on restaurant menus. The origins of the club sandwich are unconfirmed, and the subject of some debate. One popular theory is that the club sandwich was invented in an exclusive Saratoga Springs, New York, gambling club in the late 19th century. This sandwich only used two slices of bread, but the filling ingredients were the same. The sandwich is known to have appeared on U.S. restaurant menus as far back as 1899.

The 1910s–1920s (The Middle Slice Arrives): As wet ingredients like juicy tomatoes and heavy spreads of mayonnaise became standard additions, two slices of toast couldn’t hold up. The bread would quickly turn soggy. Early triple-decker recipes began emerging in the mid-1910s and 1920s, adding a third, middle piece of toast to act as a structural anchor to absorb moisture and stabilize the sandwich.

The 1930s–1940s (The Multi-Decker Boom): The triple-decker layout was fully standardized during the golden age of American rail travel. Double-decker club cars traveling between New York and Chicago popularized the multi-layered sandwich as luxury dining fare. By 1940, mainstream cookbooks universally dictated that a proper club sandwich required three slices of toast.

Historically, club sandwiches featured slices of chicken, but with time, turkey has become increasingly common. As with a BLT, toasted white bread is standard, along with iceberg lettuce, pork bacon, and common tomatoes. The sandwich is traditionally dressed with mayonnaise. The sandwich is commonly served with a side portion of either coleslaw, or potato salad, and often accompanied by a pickle.

3 slices bread per sandwich
bacon strips, fried fairly crisp and still warm
fresh turkey breast slices
fresh tomato slices
lettuce leaves
mayonnaise

Toast the bread on both sides, and spread each with mayonnaise. Then layer the ingredients in this order: 1 slice of toast with mayonnaise side up, top with lettuce, tomato slices, and bacon strips. Add another slice of toast, mayonnaise side up, more lettuce, and the turkey. Top with the last slice of toast, mayonnaise side down. Make two cuts from corner to corner. Hold each quarter together with toothpicks. Serve immediately with a dill pickle on the side.