The Savvy 1920s Sandwich That Was A Staple During Hard Times

We've all looked through the refrigerator when it's getting close to grocery day, trying to figure out how to create a delicious dinner that doesn't require running to the store. During the Great Depression, families had to get creative in order to make meals happen — that often meant using up whatever was left in the kitchen. A recipe known as the "emergency sandwich" became popular at the time, and it's not hard to understand why. With simple, inexpensive ingredients, including eggs, pickles, and mustard, it would have been easy to whip up a plate of these to feed a hungry family when pickings were slim. 

The exact recipe for an emergency sandwich differs a bit from one source to the next, but the key components are the same. The sandwich starts with white, rye, or whole-wheat bread, depending on what's on hand. Recipes for the sandwich go on to make a sort of makeshift egg salad, using hard-boiled eggs, salt, and paprika. Some recipes add a bit of mayonnaise, while others add peanut butter (yes, you read that correctly). The emergency sandwich wasn't always exactly the first choice of many Depression-era home cooks, but it was a smart way to upgrade egg salad and ensure that no leftovers went to waste.

One version of the emergency sandwich requires spreading a mixture of butter and mustard on the bread before adding the egg salad mixture. You can't go wrong with buttered bread, and this mustard-butter bread combo would be especially delicious toasted up in a pan before adding the egg salad. You can use Dijon or spicy brown mustard to take the taste of your bread to the next level — Dijon is particularly delicious alongside egg salad. If you don't have any mustard in the fridge, you can also add a bit of mustard powder to butter, or even directly to your egg salad.

The secret to a lighter, brighter egg salad sandwich is using deviled eggs. It's a fun twist on the emergency sandwich, and it can be a perfect way to lower food waste after a holiday or picnic event. You can also embrace the old-school emergency sandwich mentality of using up what you have in the fridge to create stellar egg salad sandwiches that will keep your palate interested. Try adding a bit of sweetener like maple syrup to take your egg salad to the next level (don't knock it until you try it). You can also try chopping up preserved vegetables, sun-dried tomatoes, or adding whatever fresh, crunchy vegetables you have hanging out in the fridge.