15 Spreads You Should Use On Your Sandwich

The humble sandwich is one of the most versatile meals out there. It's been around for centuries, so there are plenty of unique sandwiches to satisfy any craving imaginable. You can quite literally tuck anything between two slabs of bread and call it a sandwich — meat, fish, vegetables, even fruits and jams. Named after the 18th-century English politician John Montagu, the fourth Earl of Sandwich, sandwiches are one of the culinary world's most beloved and iconic players, renowned for their delicious ease. 

And just because sandwiches are typically considered a simple meal, it doesn't mean they need to be boring. A good spread is one way to turn your average sandwich into an elevated, gourmet-level meal that'll leave you wanting more. Aside from adding various flavor profiles and depth, spreads add texture and moisture so that any bread, meats, or vegetables you use aren't dry and hard to swallow. Are you ready to elevate your humble sandwich into something decadent? Here are a few of the best spreads to use on your next sandwich.

With a smooth and smoky kick, chipotle mayo delivers the loud, bold flavors of Mexican cuisine in just one delicious bite. The sauce is made from chipotles in adobo, a smattering of spices such as paprika and garlic powder, cilantro, lime juice, thick sour cream, and a dollop of mayonnaise. The sauce is already used in various ways: drizzled over tacos, slathered on smoky chipotle burgers, and as a dipping sauce for fries. And to add to its arsenal, the blended Mexican sauce also works great as a spread to brighten up a humble sandwich.

Chipotle mayo specifically compliments meats such as chicken and turkey, which gives these classic sandwich fillers another brighter dimension. These meats, which can often be dry and bland, come to life with a dollop of this subtly spicy spread and can be further balanced out with slices of avocado, which add additional texture and moisture to your sandwich.

Zesty, tangy, and creamy with just the right amount of kick to it, honey mustard mayo is a star spread, and not just for sandwiches. It's often found as a dipping sauce for pretzels, notably during Oktoberfest, or brushed onto cuts of barbecued pork and chicken. And, with a flavor profile balancing sweet and savory, it also pairs delightfully with cheeses — which is also why honey mustard deserves a spot on your next cheese board.

Made with honey, Dijon or yellow mustard, mayonnaise (although some substitute it for olive oil) and a smattering of spices including garlic, onion powder, and paprika, there's no doubt the spread packs quite the flavorful punch. With sweetness from the mayo, zestiness from the mustard, and creaminess from the mayonnaise, its versatility lends itself well to a number of sandwiches. However, its explosive blend is perhaps better suited to bringing classic and perhaps duller deli meats such as turkey, chicken, and ham to life.

A spread that needs no introduction, cream cheese is as varied as they come. With flavors ranging from traditional options like plain, onion and chive, and garden vegetables to more unorthodox samplings like strawberry, caviar, and pumpkin spice, cream cheese can be found stuffed between New York-style bagels, added to frosting slathered on carrot cake, or even stuffed into certain sushi rolls.

Cream cheese is an ideal mix with lox, in which salmon is cured, or smoked salmon, in which the fish is cured and then smoked. A particular staple of New York City, the saltiness of the salmon pairs perfectly with the creamy richness of the cream cheese, particularly plain or onion and chive flavors. Add a sprinkling of dill weed for texture and an understated citrus-like taste, as well as some thinly sliced cucumber medallions for crunch and freshness, and you'll have a perfectly balanced, refreshing sandwich on your hands.

Green chutney is a classic Indian staple. Creamy, and with a color ranging from moss green to jade, it's commonly associated as a dipping sauce for samosas, Kathi rolls, roti, and dhokla, a spongy savory snack. The three ingredients green chutney traditionally uses are cilantro, green chiles, and mint. When combined, all three ingredients lend the chutney its distinct green flavor, while adding hints of spice and depth.

While the sauce can really be used on any sandwich, it's particularly popular on a Bombay Sandwich, a beloved street food overloaded with Indian spices. Typically sold on the bustling streets of Mumbai, it's made with buttered white bread, potato, green chutney, and vegetables spiced with chaat masala, an Indian spice mix. It was born from British and Portuguese influences, colonial powers that controlled India for more than six centuries. During their 89-year reign in India, the British brought over their love for sandwiches, while the Portuguese, who held the country for nearly five centuries, instilled their love of potatoes — two love affairs that eventually resulted in the Bombay Sandwich.

Equal parts sweet and savory, onion jam is a mouth-watering spread that pairs particularly well with meat. While classic giants like ketchup and mustard may dominate barbecue and game days, onion jam is a more refined and perhaps overlooked spread that can add a touch of understated decadence to any meat. It's made by cooking chopped onions in caramelized sugar, which achieves that sweet-savory blend and jam-like consistency.

Pork sliders with bacon and onion jam are just one example of how a simple meal can be elevated into a restaurant-worthy dish. However, the spread also works wonders with thinly sliced cuts of meat such as roast beef, as it can help mask the meat's sometimes chewy texture. A bed of arugula adds a cushioning of spice and perfectly balances out the jam's sweet-savory blend and the meat's umami flavoring. For elevated grilled cheeses, the underlying sweetness of the onion jam contrasts delightfully with cheeses such as brie, for a richer and buttery taste, or Gruyère for a more nutty flavor.

A peanut butter and jelly sandwich is America's sweetheart. It combines the smooth, creamy nuttiness of peanut butter with the textured sweetness of grape, strawberry, or raspberry jam — a simple, delicious blend that's been beloved by old and young alike for generations.

The first mention of the peanut butter and jelly sandwich, colloquially known as a PB&J, appeared in the Boston Cooking School Magazine of Culinary Science and Domestic Economics in 1901, but it wasn't until World War II that the sandwich became an American staple. Peanut butter, jelly, and cut bread were part of soldiers' rations, and were easy to throw together to create a filling yet tasty meal. Once the war ended and soldiers returned home armed with the delicious knowledge of a peanut butter and jelly combination, the sandwich instantly became a classic among Americans. 

While the original peanut butter and jelly sandwich is delicious as is, a grilled almond butter and jelly sandwich is just the trick for those wanting to spice up tradition. Almond butter is similar to peanut butter in terms of texture, although it's slightly richer and nuttier in taste. A grilled almond butter and jelly sandwich is made by combining almond butter and apricot jam, and then sautèeing the sandwich in hot butter to create a crispy, golden-hued sandwich with a gooey sweet-savory blend.

Cherry peppers may be small, but they pack quite the punch. Round and glistening ruby-red, cherry peppers vaguely resemble the fruit they're named after. They're popularly used as a spread in hoagie sandwiches, also known as submarine or Italian sandwiches, which are long pieces of cylindrical bread stuffed with condiments and deli meats and cheeses. Pickled cherry peppers are vinegary and tangy, and boast a manageable level of spice with a tantalizing underlying sweetness that overall helps bring out a fuller dimension to cured deli meats and cheeses.

The Italian sub sandwich, for example, is a prime host for a pickled cherry pepper spread. Bursting with cured meats, cheeses, and herbs, the Italian sub is already packed with flavor. But, smothering it in pickled cherry pepper spreads, and topping it with a fine drizzle of olive oil and red wine vinegar will bring the sub to new dimensions, adding depth and contrasting bursts of sweet and spicy flavors.