Best Sandwich Filling Ideas

Best Sandwich Filling Ideas for Cafes and Bakeries

A great sandwich starts with quality bread and delicious fillings. Whether you’re running a café, bakery, or catering business, offering classic gourmet sandwiches on your menu can set you apart.

Introducing Suprima Bakeries wholesale sandwich bread range, offering a variety of high-quality breads perfect for supermarkets, bakeries and cafes. Choosing from white, wholemeal, and 9-grain sandwich breads, you have the perfect foundation for crafting mouthwatering sandwiches that keep customers coming back.

This article layers on the sandwich fillings to give you creative inspiration and mouth-watering sandwich ideas.

Let’s tuck in.

Perfect Fillings for the Best Sandwiches

Here are some delicious sandwich ideas from classic favourites to gourmet creations. Plus, you’ll find expert tips to enhance flavour, texture, and presentation for the perfect bite.

Classic Chicken & Avocado Sandwich

• Roast chicken, sliced
• Fresh avocado
• Crisp lettuce
• Creamy mayonnaise
• Salt and pepper to taste

Should you mash or slice the avocado?

For extra creaminess, mash the avocado with a squeeze of lemon juice before spreading it on the bread. The acid in the lemon helps to prevent browning. If you prefer texture, slice the avocado at the time of making the sandwich instead, but make sure the slices are firm yet ripe for the best bite.

Gourmet Ham & Cheese Toastie (best when grilled)

• Smoked ham
• Sliced cheddar or Swiss cheese
• Dijon mustard
• Buttered outside for extra crispiness

How do you achieve the ultimate crisp? Toast the sandwich low and slow. Grill your toastie on low to medium heat for a golden, crispy crust, while ensuring the cheese melts perfectly.

For extra crunch, try using mayonnaise instead of butter on the outside. It creates an ultra-crispy, golden finish, and adds flavour.

Egg & Chive Delight

• Hard-boiled eggs, mashed
• Mayonnaise
• Fresh chives
• A sprinkle of paprika

For an extra creamy twist, try mixing in a teaspoon of Dijon mustard and a dash of lemon juice to your mashed eggs and mayo. This brings out the richness while balancing the flavours with a slight tang.

Tuna Melt (great for a hot-pressed option)

• Tuna mixed with mayo and a touch of lemon juice
• Sliced tomato
• Melted cheddar cheese

Here are a couple of tips to help you perfect the ultimate tuna melt:

• Drain the tuna well for the best texture, and then mix it with mayo and lemon juice.
• For extra crunch, add finely diced celery or red onion.
• For the ultimate melt, use a panini press or toast in a pan with a lid on to trap heat and fully melt the cheese.

Sweet & Savoury Turkey Delight

• Sliced turkey
• Brie cheese
• Cranberry sauce
• Rocket leaves

Here’s a tip: lightly toast the bread for extra flavour!

This helps prevent sogginess from the cranberry sauce while a toasted crunch that complements the soft brie and turkey. You could also warm the sandwich slightly prior to serving to help the brie soften even more.

Roast Veggie & Hummus Sandwich

• Roasted capsicum, zucchini, and eggplant
• A generous spread of hummus
• Baby spinach

When roasting the veggies, make sure to roast them well to remove excess moisture, otherwise they make the sandwich soggy. Let them cool before adding to your sandwich.

For extra taste, add a sprinkle of feta cheese or a drizzle of balsamic glaze before capping the sandwich.

Smoked Salmon & Cream Cheese

• Smoked salmon
• Cream cheese
• Red onion, thinly sliced
• Capers
• Dill

For a well-balanced bite in every mouthful, spread the cream cheese on both slices of bread before adding the smoked salmon and toppings. This helps hold the sandwich together and prevents the bread from getting soggy. For extra freshness, add a squeeze of lemon juice just before serving.

Chicken Caesar Sandwich

• Grilled chicken
• Cos lettuce
• Parmesan cheese
• Caesar dressing

For extra flavour, rather than drizzling Caesar dressing on top, toss the cos lettuce in the dressing beforehand. This gives better flavour in every bite.

For extra crunch, add a few crushed croutons before serving!

BBQ Pulled Pork (best in a thick slice of bread)

• Slow-cooked pulled pork
• BBQ sauce
• Slaw (cabbage, carrot, and mayo)

A robust loaf of bread, like wholemeal or 9-grain, works a treat with the pulled pork.

To prevent the roll from getting soggy from the BBQ sauce and slaw, lightly toast the wholemeal bread before assembling. This adds a slight crunch and helps hold everything together.

Peanut Butter & Banana Energy Booster (perfect for breakfast menus)

• Natural peanut butter
• Sliced banana
• A drizzle of honey

To keep the banana fresh and to prevent browning, try these tips:

Lightly brush on lemon or orange juice. The natural acidity slows oxidation and keeps them fresh longer.
Try a honey glaze, or a thin drizzle of honey which not only enhances flavour but also acts as a natural preservative.
Assemble just before serving, as bananas brown over time, so slice and add them at the last minute for the freshest taste and texture.

Avocado & Feta Smash (a customer favourite)

• Smashed avocado
• Crumbled feta cheese
• Cherry tomatoes, halved
• A sprinkle of dukkah

Tips to keep your avocado fresher for longer:

• Add lemon or lime juice. Mix a squeeze of citrus juice into the avocado to slow down oxidation and keep it green longer.
• Press cling wrap directly on the surface of the avocado spread to minimise air exposure.
• Store in an airtight container. For meal prep, keep the spread in a sealed container with a thin layer of olive oil on top to create a natural barrier.

Roast Beef & Caramelised Onion

• Roast beef slices
• Caramelised onions
• Rocket leaves
• Horseradish mayo

Here are some tips for slicing & layering roast beef for the perfect sandwich

• Slice the roast beef thin for maximum tenderness. Slices about 2–3mm thick make the roast beef easier to bite into and help distribute flavour evenly.
• Layer, don’t stack the roast beef. Instead of piling slices directly on top of each other, fold and layer them slightly overlapping. This creates a more visually appealing and easier-to-eat sandwich.
• Pair with the right bread. Use toasted wholemeal or 9-grain bread to support the moisture from the roast beef and caramelised onions without getting soggy.

The Ultimate Club Sandwich (a three-layered masterpiece)

• Grilled chicken
• Bacon
• Tomato
• Lettuce
• Mayo

Here are some tips for the perfect layering.

• Start with mayo on the bread, followed by lettuce to create a moisture barrier, then stack chicken, bacon, and tomato.
• Repeat for the second layer.
• Use a serrated knife to cut it cleanly into quarters and secure with cocktail skewers for the perfect presentation.

Classic Reuben Sandwich (best toasted)

This is a New York deli classic, and makes for a very popular cafe or bakery offering.

• Corned beef slices
• Sauerkraut
• Swiss cheese
• Russian dressing (or thousand island sauce)

Here are some tips for the perfect classic Reuben Sandwich:

• Use the right bread. Rye bread is traditional, but you can also use sourdough or wholemeal for a unique twist. Toasting it lightly before assembling helps prevent sogginess.
• Drain the sauerkraut well. To avoid a soggy sandwich, squeeze out excess moisture from the sauerkraut before adding it.
• Layer the Swiss cheese on both slices of bread so it melts evenly and holds everything together.
• Press for a crispy finish.
• Let it rest before slicing. Give the sandwich a minute to cool before cutting, so the cheese stays in place instead of oozing out.

What about a choice of bread?

Of course, you can mix and match breads and fillings. There are no hard and fast rules here.

White sandwich bread

White sandwich bread is a classic choice with a soft texture and neutral flavour, making it ideal for a wide range of fillings.

Wholemeal sandwich bread

Wholemeal bread offers a slightly nutty flavour and firmer texture, making it a great match for heartier and more textured fillings.

9-grain sandwich bread

9-grain bread provides added texture, fibre, and nutrition, making it a fantastic base for wholesome sandwiches.

Why Choose Our Sandwich Bread?

Suprima’s wholesale sandwich bread range is designed for cafés, bakeries, and catering businesses, offering white, wholemeal, and 9-grain bread that is:

• Fully baked and frozen – just thaw and serve
• Soft texture with perfect slices
• Ideal for fresh or toasted sandwich ideas

> Find out more about our sandwich bread range and how to order. 

Take your sandwich menu to the next level with Suprima’s premium-quality bread. Contact us today to place your order and elevate your sandwich game!