How to Keep Sandwiches Warm Without Getting Soggy?
Sandwiches are practical to pack for lunch or serve for a party. When it comes to sandwich science, the key is layering: wet ingredients like tomatoes, pickles, and sauces go in the middle, and patted dry salad and meat go into direct contact with the bread. If you don’t have a microwave in the workplace or school, it doesn’t mean you need to keep eating soggy and cold sandwiches. So the question is how to keep sandwiches warm without getting soggy?
You can keep your sandwiches warm for lunch by using a thermos, thermal bags, hand warmers, bottles of hot water, warmed dishcloths, or aluminum foil. Paper cloths and kitchen towels are handy options for keeping the bread crispy for a day; just wrap the sandwich directly into it. If you have premade a load of sandwiches for a party, you can keep them heated in the oven or slow cooker.
At least one warm meal a day is a must for our well-being, especially in the middle of winter. That doesn’t mean you have to call it a day for your favorite lunch, as there are ways to enjoy it warm like it’s freshly made. Read on to pick up some tips and tricks on how to savor them toasty and crusty.
Thermos
Unsurprisingly, thermos bottles and jars make great carriers for warm sandwiches. The trick is to heat the containers first by filling them with boiling water, so they will keep the sandwich warm for longer. So how to prevent the bread from getting soggy?
Brown the bread in the oven or toaster, as it tends to dry out the bread and make it crispy, so preferably omit the microwave. The important part is arranging ingredients, too, as you should avoid direct contact between wet ingredients and bread. Plus, never pack a burning hot sandwich in the thermos, as it will make a container steamy and wet after some time.
You will want to avoid water drops on the thermos walls, so only pack sandwiches you let cool a bit. They will keep their temperature for several hours, so don’t worry; you’ll get to eat them warm for lunch. Before packing your lunch, carefully wipe every water drop off the container walls.
You can also leave one paper cloth on the bottom as a barrier between bread and metal, so they don’t come in contact and get a bit softer. Also, if your container doesn’t fit the sandwich, be free to slice it into bite sizes.
Aluminum Foil
Aluminum foil comes to the rescue whenever an emergency in the kitchen occurs. Here is one more use of aluminum foil when you want a warm take-out sandwich from home. It will keep the toastiness for some time, but not as long as the thermos.
To prevent the bread from getting soft, wrap it in a paper cloth and then in the foil. You can wrap the sandwich like that in a plastic container to ensure longer heat maintenance. A simple bottle of warm water will do the job, too.
If you carry your lunch in soft-sided lunch bags, a water bottle is a superb option as it evenly distributes the heat. This combination will keep the air around the sandwich nice and hot, plus you can line the bag with cardboard so it will last for a whole day.
Warm Kitchen Towels
If you don’t have anything of the above items, here’s the solution. Toss a kitchen towel or a few, depending on how many sandwiches you have, in a dryer and heat them up. Take the sandwich and swathe them in a hot towel.
The towel will keep it warm and not soggy at all, as it won’t create steam. To secure the heat, you can wrap it in newspaper or, in fact, any paper you have.
Thermal Bags
Here you can use insulated food bags or simple thermal bags you can get in the freezer aisle in the grocery store. Specific insulated food bags are a handy item to have in your household, whatsoever. They go from huge family ones to sandwich-sized bags.
An insulated carrier is a top-notch option if you’re having a road trip, picnic, or just need loads of sandwiches for a party. You can also pop one or a few gel-based heating pads in to keep the air warm all the time. Moreover, to keep a single sandwich warm for lunch, opt for buying those small reusable insulated bags, as you can simply place them in a handbag.
Simple freezer bags also work on the same principle, just wring out the excess air. You still need to wrap all the sandwiches in quality aluminum foil. If you’re packing them warm, consider wrapping them in a paper cloth first to ensure they won’t soak at all.
Hand Warmers
Hand warmers will keep your sandwiches warm, just like your hands. You can buy them almost anywhere, and they will do a splendid job, too. Put one directly on the sandwich and wrap both in the kitchen towel.
The kitchen towel will prevent sogginess, and the hand warmer will keep the heat; just shake it to liberate the heatwave. You can put them on both sides of the sandwich if you want it super-hot. This is a smash option to keep the crunchiness of the bread.
Oven
An oven is always a fine option if you need to keep party-worthy amounts of sandwiches warm. It will keep the heat and the crisp, too. Heat the oven to 170°F and arrange the sandwiches carefully, without overlapping.
You can wrap them into aluminum foil, but it’s not a must, as you can just array them on the wire rack. The oven will never soften the bread and disperses the heat evenly. So, you can definitely serve premade sandwiches as fresh ones in a heartbeat.
Slow Cooker
The slow cooker is another partygoer, as it can fit a fair number of sandwiches. But there is one catch: you will have to pile them on top of one another. To prevent the bread from getting moist and chewy, try to put parchment paper in between.
Turn the slow cooker on the low, and maintain the heat for hours, keeping them fresh and tasteful.
