Gen X kids share their delicious, delightfully unhinged childhood sandwich ‘recipes’

Quite recently, I had a craving. And here’s what it was: Two pieces of Wonder Bread (white) with a slice of bologna jammed in-between. On one side, butter. On the other side, a frosted blueberry Pop-Tart smashed until it’s essentially blueberry jam with bits of pie crust sprinkled in.

For some, this doesn’t sound enticing. But as a Gen X latchkey kid in the mid 1980s, it definitely hit the spot (and for me, sans the bologna, it still does). With the granted autonomy to make “whatever my stomach desired” while my parents were still at work, I definitely got creative. And I wasn’t alone.

On the subreddit r/80s, someone simply asks, “Your favorite sandwich growing up.” This is accompanied by a photo of six sandwiches with the caption: “And the best 70s/80s ‘old school’ sandwich goes to…?” (The choices are: grilled cheese, tomato, BLT, bologna and cheese, peanut butter and jelly, and egg sandwich.)

A peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Photo by Freddy G on Unsplash

Over 400 people weighed in, some merely choosing from the list, but many sharing their own favorite “recipes.” It’s the ultra Gen X uniqueness combined with a “make do” attitude, exemplified perfectly through food.

Peanut butter is everything

One Redditor declares, “PBB&j is phenomenal.” Another questions, “Are you really saying Peanut Butter, Bacon, and Jelly? Why have I never thought of this? I have yet to live.” Another clarifies, “Peanut butter, banana and jelly is also acceptable.”

The conversation took an obvious turn into Fluffernutter recipes. The original version is peanut butter (natch) and marshmallow fluff spread on bread. This commenter took it up a notch: “For an extra bit of fancy, butter the bread and toast it like a grilled cheese. You can even sub honey for jelly/jam.”

One merely suggests, “Peanut butter and honey.”

And on @rosalind.waters TikTok, a younger person tries an old recipe from the 1970s involving raisin bread, banana, peanut butter, and “pineapple jam” dipped in milk. Yum?

A little mustard goes a long way

Mustard put on hotdogs and sandwiches. Photo by Thomas Bormans on Unsplash

I had forgotten how so many of us Gen X-ers put mustard on everything. One commenter notes, “Don’t forget Genoa salami, cheese, and mustard sandwiches.” Another suggests the spicier the mustard, the better.

There were also those of us who made mustard sandwiches. Literally bread, mustard, and a pinch of salt and we felt like we were Julia Child. (Lots of my friends in Texas threw Fritos on top for a little extra pizazz.)

Don’t forget the SPAM

The history of this mystery “meat” is quite interesting and not really a mystery at all.

On The Kitchn, writer Apple Mandy describes SPAM as “a processed pork product conveniently packaged in 12-ounce cans.” She also notes that since its invention in 1937, it has sold over 9 billion cans worldwide.

“SPAM has become a staple of any working-class American family for its accessibility, affordability, and versatility,” Mandy writes. “But it is perhaps one of the most divisive food products you could find on the shelves. Some love the six-ingredient luncheon meat (including pork), while others dislike it, as it’s high in fat, sodium, and preservatives.”

It made a comeback in the 1970s and the All Recipes site even posted their list of favorite SPAM dishes. (Home chef Christine Fiorentino posted a ’70s-themed disco appetizer recipe involving spam sliders.)

– YouTube www.youtube.com

On r/80s_sandwich, an entire thread is dedicated to SPAM sandwiches. One (brace yourselves) recommends the SPAM and ketchup combo, which a Redditor said “reminds me of Arby’s.”

Creative with the cheese

Many loved the memory of a simple cheese sandwich, but add that funny Gen X twist: “Grilled cheese….But with bacon.” One even suggests smashing Funyuns into their cheese sandwiches.

This person gets specific and pairs their favorite childhood sandwich with a location: “Ham, cheese, mayo with potato chips or Doritos in the sandwich on a hot pool day.”

And another offers this culinary option: “If you get the chance, get a BLT with blue cheese.”

Thinking outside the box

As I exemplified with my Pop-Tart sandwich, other Gen X-ers found the perfect ingredients by rustling up whatever was already in the kitchen.

“Most of the time we got Miracle Whip sandwiches,” a user wrote. “Just Miracle Whip. My parents didn’t keep a lot of food around the house that me and my brother could easily eat when we were kids and we weren’t allowed to use the stove.”

And last, but far from least, never forget the Sloppy Joe, which really saw a rise in the ’70s and ’80s. This, for some reason, was more of a fancy dinner meal (at least in my household) but it was as Gen X as it gets.