10 Most Iconic Sandwiches From TV And Film

Sandwiches are one of the most popular meals across America for good reason. They're simple and straightforward to make, great for taking on the go, and are easy to customize. Plus, there's so much variety, ranging from the sweet to the savory; there's even iconic sandwiches in each state. The love of sandwiches is practically universal, to the point it transcends beyond your average bagged lunch.

All kinds of sandwiches have popped up in films and television shows, including in animated form. These sandwiches have captivated the appetites of audiences, many of whom have tried to recreate these tantalizing eats. Much like sandwiches in real life, sandwiches in film and television cover the full gamut. We've seen characters eat anything from a classic grilled cheese to homemade concoctions beyond our wildest dreams. From the delicious to the downright strange, here are 10 of the most iconic sandwiches from film and television.

Released in 2004, comedy-drama "Spanglish" tells the story of a mother and daughter who immigrate to America in search of a better life. They end up working for a newly celebrated chef, played by Adam Sandler, and his family. While the film's messages about transcending culture and language are undoubtedly poignant, it's a sandwich that left the biggest lasting legacy since the film's release.

At one point in the film, Adam Sandler's character makes what is dubbed the "World's Greatest Sandwich." It consists of bacon, Monterey Jack cheese, mayonnaise, butter, lettuce, tomato, and a fried egg, all between two slices of toasted bread. Essentially, it's an upgraded BLT. On top of sounding quite delicious, the sandwich was used to illustrate how food unites us all. The now iconic scene created a touching moment in which the film's characters connect over food despite their cultural differences. It has since become the most memorable moment in the film.

When it was announced that comic book character Harley Quinn would be getting her own movie after the release of "Suicide Squad," audiences were elated. Since its release in 2020, the colorful action-packed spinoff "Birds of Prey" (short for "Birds of Prey and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) has become famous for one unusual thing: A breakfast sandwich.

During the now-famous scene, Harley Quinn, played by Margot Robbie, visits her favorite local bodega for a breakfast sandwich. At this point, Harley Quinn is at an all time low, and this breakfast sandwich is just what she needs to get back on her feet. Her breakfast sandwich order is actually quite classic despite how eclectic her character is: She orders a sandwich with eggs, bacon, American cheese, and a dash of hot sauce in a buttered, toasted roll. As she describes the sandwich, the camera cuts to mouthwatering close-ups of the sandwich being made. It's hard not to salivate while watching it. The only thing more iconic than the sandwich-making scene is the very next scene, when Harley Quinn loses the sandwich in a street chase by dropping it onto the street. She breaks down over the loss, and rightfully so; the sandwich looked so good.

In film and television, sandwiches don't have to be limited to the world of live action. Animated Adult Swim show "Aqua Teen Hunger Force" quickly proved this in "Broodwich" (season 2, episode 16) when the adult animated show introduced a truly devilish meal to the world.

The Broodwich is a cursed submarine sandwich. It's a horrifying creation made with ingredients such as mayonnaise made from the evil eggs of a dark chicken, cheese made of milk from a fanged cow, and 666 meats. It's all encased in a bright red baguette, which, fittingly, has little devil horns on one end and a devil tail on the other. As terrifying as it sounds, that didn't stop Master Shake, one of the main characters of the show, from taking a bite. He said it's perhaps the best sandwich he's ever had — but it could use some bacon.

While "Aqua Teen Hunger Force" proved that sandwiches don't have to be limited to real world rules, the 2014 movie "Chef" proved that even the most simple and classic sandwiches are just as worthy of the Hollywood spotlight. Starring Jon Favreau, who also wrote and directed the film, "Chef" follows a head chef who quits his job to start a food truck business in an attempt to find his creative spark again.

Part of the film's journey also follows how Favreau's character reconnects with people, especially his family, through food. One of the best examples is when he makes a grilled cheese sandwich for his son. It's a no-frills recipe without any fancy added ingredients, but it's definitely made with a whole lot of love. The entire scene in which the sandwich is made is tantalizing, but it's made even better by the fact that Favreau worked with LA food truck chef Roy Choi to learn all about making the perfect grilled cheese. It would appear that this classic sandwich didn't just unite the film characters; it also brought people together in the real world.

Comedic actor and musician "Weird Al" Yankovic is already iconic all by himself. However, he cemented himself in comedic film history when he wrote and starred in "UHF," an oddball film that follows a manager at a local television station. Much like his nickname implies, "Weird Al" brought all kinds of weird to "UHF," with the crown jewel of the film being the Twinkie Wiener Sandwich.

To make the sandwich, cut a Twinkie in half to make buns, slide a cooked hot dog in the middle, and garnish with a healthy amount of spray cheese. To be as accurate to the film as possible, the sandwich should then be dunked into a glass of milk. Granted, the Twinkie Wiener Sandwich arguably aligns more with a hot dog than a sandwich, but its official title does have "sandwich" in the name (and it's far too iconic to overlook). In fact, its unusual ingredient list is why so many people have tried recreating it for themselves, to mostly mixed results.

With 11 seasons and seven Emmy nominations to its name, "Married... with Children" is a beloved comedy show that follows the ups and downs of Al and Peggy Bundy... and their children. The show had a long-running joke about Tang, an orange drink made using a powder. As the seasons went on, the characters found more and more ways to use the powder, eventually using it in a sandwich.

In season 4, episode 7, Al Bundy asks his children if they would like what he calls a Tangwich. The sandwich is made by sprinkling Tang powder in between two slices of bread and nothing else. The result is a sandwich with an abnormally bright orange filling. Interestingly, the Bundy kids don't reject the sandwich on the grounds that it sounds gross. Instead, they say a Tangwich is better when mom makes it due to the fact that she squishes the border of the bread so the powder doesn't fall out.

A plain ham and cheese sandwich sounds as basic as it gets, but when the sandwich was used in Quentin Tarantino's "Kill Bill: Volume 2," it became anything but boring. Released in 2004, this action-packed film follows Beatrix Kiddo, played by Uma Thurman, as she continues her quest to get revenge on the people that wronged her. What she doesn't expect is to meet her long lost daughter, B.B., who she presumed dead.

Upon reuniting with her daughter, as well as her ex-boss and romantic partner, Bill, who has been keeping her daughter secretly all these years, the makeshift family engages in conversation as Bill prepares a late night snack for B.B. and himself. He sandwiches together sliced ham, turkey, and two types of cheese, as well as a big helping of mayonnaise spread with an unusually big knife. As the two trained killers talk, Bill lovingly removes the crusts from B.B.'s sandwich; it's a shockingly kind gesture from the same man that tried to put Beatrix into the ground at the start of this wild story. Ironically, the same sandwich would serve as Bill's final meal before Beatrix finally completes her saga of revenge.

With 36 seasons and counting, "The Simpsons" is one of the longest-running and most-iconic modern animated television shows. In its years on the air, many iconic and strange foods have graced the screen, but one sandwich sticks out in particular: The 10-foot hoagie. The enormous sandwich appeared in season 4, episode 13. While its massive size is part of what makes it so famous, it's also what happens to Homer Simpson throughout the episode in relation to the sandwich.

Homer first comes upon the 10-foot hoagie at a company picnic and takes it home with him. Rather than waste perfectly good food, Homer decides to keep and eat the sandwich over the course of the week. The audience has to watch, rather uncomfortably, as Homer continues to chow down on the sandwich as it gets progressively more rancid, eventually growing black mold. Eventually, Homer gives himself food poisoning from his attempts to get as much bang for his buck out of the 10-foot hoagie. In the end, the fascinatingly big food isn't worth his trouble. If nothing else, it serves as a great public safety announcement regarding food safety.

Based on the book series of the same name, "Paddington 2" is the adorable sequel that follows a little brown bear and his adventures in London. The titular character, Paddington, is known for his love of orange marmalade in both the books and film. He often quips about his aunt Lucy, who instructed him in the ways of making delicious marmalade sandwiches. When a whirlwind adventure lands Paddington in jail, this sandwich-making knowledge comes to his aid in surprising ways.

He teaches the jail chef, Knuckles, to make the orange marmalade sandwiches for the entire jail. The key is to remove the crusts and to make fresh marmalade, which is not to be confused with jelly or jam. You'd think sandwiches made of nothing but crustless bread and orange marmalade might not go over well with the hungry jail residents, but the sandwiches are actually a roaring success. Adorably, this is much to the relief of Knuckles, who actually takes a bit of pride in his work. Combined with the pink-and-purple striped jumpsuits all the prisoners wear, including a custom bear-sized one for Paddington, the whole affair is just too cute.

We're finishing this list off with one of the most iconic films of the '80s, and, to many, one of the best coming-of-age films of all time. Directed by John Hughes, "The Breakfast Club" follows a group of five teenagers stuck in Saturday detention. Throughout the course of the film, the group find common ground, friendship, and even love.

There are too many great scenes to count in this movie, but one of the best is the lunchtime scene. Each teenager pulls out their packed lunch, which individually highlights many different aspects of their own personalities. The one that stands out most of all is the Pixy Stix and Cap'n Crunch sandwich, which is made then-and-there, in the middle of detention, by Allison. She does so by tossing the lunch meat from her sandwich over her shoulder, which sticks rather comedically to the towering statue in the school library. She then quickly replaces the contents with sugar and cereal, all while the other teenagers watch in a mix of shock and awe. Allison slams the sandwich shut with an almost painfully loud crunch and enjoys it in spite of the odd looks she gets.