The South's Weirdest Sandwich Starts With Leftover Potato Salad

Southerners are no strangers to a quirky sandwich combination. We will put almost anything between two pieces of soft, white Wonder bread—from fat slices of tomato to canned pineapple rings—and cushion in a generous slathering of mayo. I saw tomato and canned pineapple sandwiches at my grandmother's house on a Saturday afternoon. They reminded her of her mother, she always said. And to her, that was the tastiest part.

There's one other Southern sandwich my grandmother has always sworn is one of her favorite Southern staples. It is the weirdest one, and I've never heard anyone else talk about it. Let me introduce everyone to the potato salad sandwich. It's as you imagine. Leftover potato salad spread onto two gloriously fluffy slices of white bread, smothered with a coating of butter or mayonnaise, and topped with a sprinkling of black pepper. Please don't hate me.

At first thought, it doesn't make any logical sense. It seems like a total disaster. Much like some people call the most incredible sandwich of all time (the tomato sandwich) a soggy mess, this sandwich may appear mushy, textureless, and odder than a granny on a motorcycle. Again, those people are wrong. So, allow me to explain the scenario in which a potato salad sandwich comes into play.

For starters, my grandmother makes what some have called the "best potato salad ever," and it's super similar to our recipe for Southern-Style Potato Salad. We always have it for family cookouts and certain holidays like Easter and the Fourth of July, and she makes enough to feed an army.

What to do with those leftovers in her fridge the next day? Well, what her Mama would've done. Grab the Wonder bread and Duke's. Her potato salad is topped with hard-boiled eggs and has plenty of mustard, which makes it quite suitable for a sandwich, especially if you add some bacon.

The last time we had potato salad as a family, I promised to try a potato salad sandwich with her for lunch the next day. And you know what? This sandwich and sitting on the porch with a glass of lemonade was a pretty tasty way to enjoy a warm day.

Try this old-fashioned Southern staple next time you make your favorite potato salad recipe.