It’s peak tomato season. That means either your garden is overflowing with tomatoes, someone you know‘s garden is overflowing with tomatoes and you’re reaping the reward, or the abundance of tomatoes at the grocery store means you got a killer deal.
We’re all looking for ways to use up our fresh tomatoes this time of year—including Katie Couric. The journalist took to TikTok to share her favorite summer sandwich, and it might just be the tastiest way to put juicy, ripe tomatoes to use.
Couric was born and raised in Virginia, and if there’s one thing Southerners love to make in the summer, it’s a tomato sandwich.
Katie Couric’s Summer Tomato Sandwich
Everyone has their own opinions about what does and does not belong on a tomato sandwich. People even have strong feelings about which type of ingredients to use—and which brands are best. Couric is no different. Her ideal tomato sandwich is made with Pepperidge Farm Country-Style White Bread, Hellmann’s Mayonnaise, garden-fresh tomatoes, Maldon flaky salt, and black pepper.
“Hellmann’s mayo is a must. My apologies to you who like Miracle Whip… not a fan,” she says with a shake of her head. “Bring out the Hellmann’s and bring out the best.”
Many commenters asked Couric what she thought of Duke’s Mayo, as that’s what most Southerners use on their tomato sandwich. Her response was, “I’m going to have to [try that] now that everyone’s recommending it!”
And that’s it.
“No lettuce. No nothing. Just tomato, mayo, bread, salt, and pepper,” Couric says.
She does explain that her mom used to make the sandwich with cucumbers, but her ideal version is “a pretty pure sandwich.”
How to Make Katie Couric’s Tomato Sandwich
Ingredients
- Two slices country-style white bread
- Hellmann’s mayonnaise
- Tomato, sliced
- Flaky salt
- Freshly ground pepper
Directions
- Lightly toast the bread.
- Liberally spread mayo on one slice of bread.
- Add tomato slices, flaky salt, and pepper.
- Top the sandwich with the second slice of bread and cut it in half to serve.
The Tomato Sandwich Taste Test
As Couric says, it is a very “pure” sandwich, but man, is it delicious. The tomato juice combines with the mayo to create a summery condiment that complements the lightly sweet country-style white bread perfectly. Couric does say you can put mayo on both halves of the bread, but we think the ratio that she uses for this sandwich is just right.
Don’t go overboard with the salt, but the pepper is a different story—be sure to add a lot of freshly ground pepper.
Katie Couric’s simple tomato sandwich really is a little slice of summer heaven.
