50 Sandwich Countdown to Election Day!

It is almost Election Day here in the USA. To represent all our great fifty states that make up America, I’m making and posting each state’s most iconic or memorable sandwich on each day leading up to the election.
Let’s begin with Day 50. Today I salute Alabama!

This is the Smoked Chicken Sandwich with Alabama White BBQ Sauce. Served on a toasted wheat bun with shredded lettuce and a side of zesty bread & butter pickles.

Day 49 for the US election day countdown! Today I salute ALASKA!

Salmon is king in Alaska but for their most iconic “sandwich” I decided to go with their popular Reindeer Dog! The sausages are made with either reindeer or caribou along with beef and pork. They are grilled and most popularly served with Cola braised onions and mustard.
Reindeer sausages weren’t available here in Fort Worth (you can order them from Alaska) so I used a Polish Kielbasa sausage. It is split and cooked the same way they do it.

Day 48 for the US election day countdown! Today I salute ARIZONA!

I present to you Navajo Fry Bread Tacos.
I’ve never made fry bread before so I was excited to try this one. It’s actually quite easy, kind of like stretching out a pizza and frying it. The toppings are the usual taco seasoned ground beef with pinto beans, shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, grated cheddar, a dollop of sour cream and shaved red onion. You can also make a sweet dessert with drizzled honey and confectioner’s sugar.

Day 47 for the US election day countdown by sandwich! Today I salute ARKANSAS!

I present to you the Fried Bologna Sandwich!
I know there are some of you that are like WHAT? But, for a lot of us this quintessentially southern sandwich brings back a flood of memories and I’ll lay odds it was your Granny that made these for you.
My Granny only used one thick slice for us kids and she never toasted the plain white bread popular here in Texas. We also put plain potato chips in ourselves, not the kettle chips used here since they didn’t exist yet. Everything else is the same.

Day 46 for the US election day countdown by sandwich! Today I salute CALIFORNIA!

I present to you the French Dip!
Many of you might wonder what a sandwich from France has to do with CA and why I didn’t go with Cali’s most famous burger. There are a few but the main reason is I’m not covering chain restaurants.
No, the sandwich isn’t from France but it was first popularized at a delicatessen, whose name can’t be mention because of the rules, that was owned by a French immigrant named Mathieu Philippe.

Day 45 for the US election day countdown by sandwich! Today I salute COLORADO!

I present to you the Denver Sandwich!
It is also known as the Western Sandwich and, of course, its’ omelet cousin. You could just make the omelet version and slap between the bread slices as many people do. I just happen to prefer the scrambled egg version.

It is 44 days till Election Day.  Today I salute CONNECTICUT!

Connecticut has the distinction of being recognized by the Library of Congress as being the birthplace of the hamburger. There are some challengers to this claim and there was even a “mock trial” but I going to run with this one. In 1900 a Danish immigrant, Louis Lassen ran a small food cart that sold steak sandwiches. Once again (See French Dip) a customer was in a hurry and asked for a quick sandwich to go. Being out of steak, Louis ground up some scraps, shaped it into a patty, added a slice of onion and stuck it in his 1898 vertical cast iron gas broiler. He placed it between two pieces of bread along with sliced tomato and sent him on his way. That was how the hamburger was born!

Day 43 for the US election day countdown by sandwich! Today I salute Delaware!

I present to you the Bobbie!
Today is the first day of Fall and if you happen to live in a place that has had that nip of cool Autumn air then you begin to think about what to be for Halloween and what’s on the table for Thanksgiving!
It just so happened that the sandwich for today would give me a preview of what is to come. Couldn’t have timed this any better!
The Bobbie is exactly what it looks like. A sandwich made with your basic Thanksgiving leftovers. I’ve made so many leftover Turkey Day sands but a little shop in Wilmington, DE has elevated it to an artform and has won over an army of fanatics. It was even declared the ‘Greatest sandwich in America’ by AOL Lemondrop.

Day 42 for the US election day countdown by sandwich! Today I salute FLORIDA!

I present to you the Cuban! Or the Cubano, Cuban mix, mixto or Cuban Press.  As you can tell already it’s kinda complicated. Most people assume the Cuban originated from Miami. Wrongo-dongo! So then it must have come from Cuba right. Well… not really. The original inhabitants of Cuba, the Taino/Arakaks made a sort of sandwich with a thin cracker-like bread stuffed with fish or birdmeat. They weren’t introduced to pork or ham until the Spaniards arrived in the 1500’s. As late as 2015 a sandwich that fit the description of what we know now as a Cuban couldn’t be found there however a sandwich called the medianoche that was similar but smaller and served on a brioche-like egg bread could be found at late night food stands but this version was also not a Cuban as it is now known. So where did it come from?

Day 41 for the US election day countdown by sandwich! Today I salute GEORGIA!

I present to you the Pimento Cheese!
I grew up with this Southern staple. We ate the store-bought variety and when Mom was in the mood she would make it herself. Then I began to research it’s history and I was stunned I tell you, STUNNED!
Pimento cheese was originally from NEW YORK! “Oh my gawd!”, I exclaimed while clutching my pearls! Well, not really, but it was an eye-opener!

Day 40 for the US election day countdown by sandwich! Today I salute HAWAII!

I present to you the Kalua Pig Sandwich!
Aloha! Today this ‘malihini’ is going to tell you all about the kalua pig sandwich even though I’ve never been there nor ate real kalua pork.
“See the world”, my Navy recruiter told me. You lied to me Chief Harbor!(Actual name, will never forget). I never went anywhere farther than Puerto Rico on deployment!

Day 39 for the US election day countdown by sandwich! Today I salute IDAHO!

I present to you the PB & Huckleberry Jam Sandwich!
When I began researching for this state I fully expected to find some sort of potato-style sandwich. I did but the recipes were from the Idaho Potato Commission which is a marketing board that represents the potato growers of Idaho and they’re a little bit partial. I could not find any other reference to or restaurants that served a potato sandwich. Besides, who really wants to eat a mashed potato sandwich anyway?

It is 38 days till Election Day.  Today I salute ILLINOIS!

May I present to you the Italian Beef Sandwich!
Some inquiring minds may want to know why I didn’t pick the Chicago Dog. I do love that dog and still do but like every dog, it’s had it’s day and between all the media coverage from the Today Show to Jay Leno the rise of the Italian beef was inevitable. Plus I think it represents the historical significance that the beef industry had on Illinois especially in its largest city.

Day 37 for the US election day countdown by sandwich! Today I salute INDIANA!

I present to you the Pork Tenderloin Sandwich!
The first time I saw this I immediately thought, “This is a sandwich?” Being from Texas I thought it looked like a chicken fried steak with a hat! How could this be a legit sand? The next thought was. “How would you eat it?” Turns out it’s legit. It does have a connection to my beloved CFS and people are truly ingenious when it comes to eating their favorite food. Brings back my faith in humanity.

Day 36 for the US election day countdown by sandwich! Today I salute IOWA!

I present to you the Loose-Meat Sandwich!
Also known as a tavern or maid-rite, this sandwich-minus the various toppings-is basically the same where ever it’s made. Sauteed/steamed seasoned ground beef is served “loose” on a soft bun. There are a few things I’d like to mention though.

Day 35 for the US election day countdown by sandwich! Today I salute KANSAS!

I present to you the Z-Man Sandwich!
Before I talk about the ‘Z’ I’d like to write a bit about the history of Kansas BBQ-what it is and where it came from.
Kansas City ‘Q is one of the four distinctive regional styles of BBQ in America which also includes Memphis, TN, the Carolinas, and Texas. KCQ is characterized by it’s use of slow-smoked cooking and it’s accompaniment which is the thick, sweet and spicy tomato and molasses based sauce.

Day 34 for the US election day countdown by sandwich! Today I salute KENTUCKY!

I present to you the Hot Brown!
This sandwich is also known as the Kentucky Hot Brown but just as a Philly Cheesesteak is never called that in Philly, in Kentucky it’s just a Hot Brown. However, this sandwich in not “just” a sandwich!
It started in 1926 in Louisville, KY at the Brown Hotel. The hotel held dinner dances from 10pm to 2am. When the band would take a break around midnight the hungry guests would catch a bite in the hotel’s restaurant.

Day 33 for the US election day countdown by sandwich! Today I salute LOUISIANA!

I present to you the Muffaletta!
Before someone points it out, my muffaletta was not made with the traditional round Sicilian sesame studded bread. What I get here is way too dense. I use a round focaccia bread that works very well.
I haven’t felt very well today to I’m going to provide a link in the comments that I think is the most interesting history of the sandwich. I’d never heard of the Muffaletta Man and I lived in NOLA for 11 years!

Day 32 for the US election day countdown by sandwich! Today I salute MAINE!

I present to you the Lobster Roll!
This sandwich was definitely the most expensive on my list but it will all even out over the 50 days. Not sure my hubby’s buying it but that’s my story. Back in my Navy days the squadron I was in would occasionally fly up to Brunswick, ME from Florida and while there would pick up some cheap live lobsters to bring back home. I miss those days! Speaking of cheap though…

Day 31 for the US election day countdown by sandwich! Today I salute MARYLAND!

I present to you the Crab Cake Sandwich!
I really wanted to do a soft-shell crab sammie but it’s on the tail end of the season along the Texas coast and I’m far enough inland I I wouldn’t trust ’em even if I could get ’em. Fortunately I can get lump meat blue crab but boy is it expensive!

Day 30 for the US election day countdown by sandwich! Today I salute MASSACHUSETTS!

I present to you the Fluffernutter!
I’ll admit I’d never heard of this sandwich. I was like, “WTH is that?”. So I turned to Google and became even more confused after reading the definition from the Urban dictionary! After I was educated in the inner workings of an adult-type industry I re-googled adding the word ‘sandwich’ and that made all the difference. Still, a peanut butter and marshmallow fluff sandwich on white bread is not what I expected from Massachusetts. I guess it’s better than a Boston bean sandwich-which I think I may have drunk made back in the day-or not. I really don’t remember.

Day 29 for the US election day countdown by sandwich! Today I salute MICHIGAN!

I present to you the Coney Island Dog!
Okay, so Coney Island is in New York and they’re famous for their hotdogs right? So, if you’re like me, what does a Coney Island Dog have to do with Michigan? Plenty as it turns out!
While there is no actual Coney Island in Michigan – and I checked google maps – there are over 500 restaurants that offer Coney Island dogs. So what gives?

Day 28 for the US election day countdown by sandwich! Today I salute MINNESOTA!
I present to you the Juicy Lucy OR Jucy Lucy!
To those that have been living under a rock a Juicy Lucy is simply a hamburger with the cheese completely engulfed by the burger so that molten cheese will burst out with the first bite and give you a painful surprise if you’re not careful. It’s also another sandwich that has disputed origins. Here we go again!

Day 27 for the US election day countdown by sandwich! Today I salute MISSISSIPPI!

I present to you the Catfish Po Boy!
While the Po Boy sandwich in all it’s versions usually brings New Orleans to mind it also has a rich history in Mississippi. It may have gained it moniker in NOLA with the Martin Bros. story of providing striking streetcar workers in 1929, or “poor boys” with a free meal, the “Po-Boy” wasn’t described by the local press until 40 after the strike and prior to that every sandwich using French bread and stuffed with meat, fish or fowl and dressed with condiments was referred to as a loaf, as in an oyster or a shrimp loaf. MS also has another claim to the sandwich and that is Vincent Rosetti.

Day 26 for the US election day countdown by sandwich! Today I salute MISSOURI!

Today I present to you the Hot Salami!
Well, not really. My sandwich does have salami, cotto to be exact. It was the closest thing I could find. My apologies all around.
Now let me tell you about the REAL Hot Salami. It has a long pedigree and a sterling reputation. It won a James Beard award in 2017 and in 2018 The Food Network named it the Sandwich of Missouri and “one of the best sandwiches in America”!

Day 25 for the US election day countdown by sandwich! Today I salute MONTANA!

Today I present to you the Pork Chop Sandwich!
If you’ve been following along my countdown you’re probably thinking, “Didn’t you do this one already?” Well, sort of. The big difference being that one was breaded but this one is battered and it makes all the difference.

Day 24 for the US election day countdown by sandwich! Today I salute NEBRASKA!

Today I present to you the Reuben Sandwich!
Yep, the Reuben hails from Omaha, NE and not that other place. But first I’d like to give a nod to a hand-held meat pie that goes by many names in NE but it’s most well-known name was probably derived from the Low German word runsa which means “belly” and I would have an even bigger one if I lived there! Unfortunately it technically is not a sandwich so I have to step into the origin minefield that is NE’s next most beloved “sandwich”.

Day 23 for the US election day countdown by sandwich! Today I salute NEVADA!

Today I present to you the Patty Melt!
I freely admit that this sandwich got it’s start in California but, to borrow an oft used Texan phrase, “I wasn’t born here but I got here as fast as I could!”. No one argues about where it came from and that might be because the original creators of the PM opened a place in Las Vegas or maybe they’re just feeling magnanimous.

Day 22 for the US election day countdown by sandwich! Today I salute NEW HAMPSHIRE!

Today I present to you the Steakbomb!
New Hampshire has a bit of an culinary identity problem and who can blame them being tucked in among so many other states in New England. Heck, my own backyard here in Texas is larger than the whole state. It’s like a kid from a large family who struggles to find their own niche. It turns out they may like the same thing but in their own unique way!

Day 21 for the US election day countdown by sandwich! Today I salute NEW JERSEY!

Today I present to you the Pork Roll Sandwich!
Alright, all yous guys on Team Pork Roll can stop cheering now. It’s not that I want to wade into this debate, it’s that I can’t. I’m not allowed to mention the brand or trademarked name of any product or business on this forum which is a bit ironic given that’s part of the story. As for Team “T.H.”, all I can say is you haven’t lost any points either. As for everyone else who hasn’t lived in or visited New Jersey or watched ‘Jersey Shore’ here is the history and the backstory of the name and it’s controversy.

Day 20 for the US election day countdown by sandwich! Today I salute NEW MEXICO!
Today I present to you the Hatch Chili Burger!
New Mexico is the self-proclaimed Chili Capital of the World. The original people, the Puebloans cultivated these peppers as far back as 7,000 years.
The Hatch Pepper is a cultivar of one of the original New Mexican peppers and is grown exclusively in the Hatch Valley of Southwestern NM.

Day 19 for the US election day countdown by sandwich! Today I salute NEW YORK!
Today I present to you the Pastrami on Rye!
To all my upstate New Yorkers I want y’all to know I really wrestled with this. My family on my paternal side hails from Oswego, NY. Upstate New York is so overlooked and they have so many great sammies such as the Beef on Weck or the Spiedie (which has more to do with being cooked over a spit than spider). But, I had to settle with the POR since it’s almost synonymous with New York whether the city or state.

Day 18 for the US election day countdown by sandwich! Today I salute NORTH CAROLINA!
Today I present to you the North Carolina Pulled Pork Sandwich!
Things can get tribal in even the closest quarters. NC is no different. The difference in their two styles of BBQ roughly cuts the state in two following Hwy 1 (or so). Both sides are known for their pork preference and their sauces are vinegar based but anyone from either side of NC will tell you that that’s where the similarities end.

Day 17 for the US election day countdown by sandwich! Today I salute NORTH DAKOTA!

Today I present to you the either the Slushburger, Sloppy Joe or Barbeques!
I’m so confused ND!
A Sloppy Joe is defined as a sandwich most often served on a bun made with ground beef, onions, and some type of tomato sauce. People in most of North Dakota refer to it as a Sloppy Joe or a Barbeque but a barbeque can also refer to a true barbeque sandwich that uses some type of protein that has been slow-smoked over indirect heat wood.

Day 16 for the US election day countdown by sandwich!  Today I salute OHIO!

Today I present to you the Polish Boy!
This yummy conglomeration of a grilled Polish Kielbasa sausage on a sturdy hotdog bun or roll topped with a sweet & spicy BBQ sauce, crispy French fries and coleslaw hails from Cleveland, Ohio. It’s been a favorite in the Cleveland area for decades and named, “Cleveland’s Signature Sandwich” but with the national attention it’s received from Michael Symon who featured them on the Food Network, Anthony Bourdain thumbs-up on No Reservations, Adam Richman devouring one on Man vs. Food and Esquire magazine including it in a list of America’s best sandwiches, it has become something of a household name.

Day 13 for the US election day countdown by sandwich! Today I salute PENNSYLVANIA!

Today I present to you the Roast Pork Sandwich! Specifically the slow-roasted pork with garlicky sauteed broccoli rabe and extra sharp provolone on a roll.

If you ask the locals the real debate is between the two oldest Philly sandwich rivals, the cheesesteak and the roast pork. After consuming more than my share of each I’m going to have to lean toward the cheesesteak’s grown up cousin.

Day 12 for the US election day countdown by sandwich! Today I salute RHODE ISLAND!

Today I present to you the Italian Grinder! My Oh My! Rhode Islanders certainly have a love affair with Italian Grinders! You’d think that the ‘Ocean State’s’ most loved sammie would include something from the ocean especially since there’s not one part of state that’s a not a stone’s throw from the ocean. Maybe they just got tired of all that seafood. Or maybe it has to do with their ancestry. I’m thinking it’s the latter!

Day 11 for the US election day countdown by sandwich! Today I salute SOUTH CAROLINA!

Today I present to you the Carolina Gold Pulled Pork Sandwich! If you’ve been following along you’ll recall I did a pulled-pork sammie for North Carolina. This is the same exact sandwich except for one thing – the SAUCE! North Carolina has 3 distinct sauces they use; a vinegar and pepper, a vinegar & pepper with a light ketchup touch and a sweet, heavy tomato based sauce. The Mid-Lands of South Carolina adds one more, and now that I’ve tried it, it shoots to the top of my list! Their Carolina Gold Sauce wins buns down! Yum!!! This sauce is a mustard based sauce.

Day 10 for the US election day countdown by sandwich! Today I salute SOUTH DAKOTA!

Today I present to you the Pheasant Salad Sandwich! Today pheasant is seen as a rich man’s chicken. I considered hunting down a pheasant after seeing the price I’d have to pay for it here but alas, pheasant season in Texas doesn’t start until December, so I was left with a big decision. Break the law, make it with chicken or turkey or go into debt buying the real thing. I choose the latter but that’s what credit cards are for right?! Now how did such an expensive sandwich become synonymous with South Dakota?

Day 9 for the US election day countdown by sandwich! Today I salute TENNESSEE!

Today I present to you the Nashville Hot Chicken Sandwich! First off, let me say that I spent 3 years living in Memphis, TN and living, for awhile, on Union Ave. I also l lived close to the other side of the state, just inside VA and would visit Bristol, TN often. I’ve had the pleasure of eating the glorious BBQ that Tennessee is known for from one end to the other. But this was way back in the 80’s and I was just a transplanted white girl who didn’t know nothing about what would become a national phenomenon in the next century. So close yet so far away!

Day 8 for the US election day countdown by sandwich! Today I salute TEXAS!

Today I present to you the Chopped Brisket Sandwich!

Most of you know by now that I’m from Texas. 7 generations to be exact with one illustrious ancestor, Brigadier General Edward Burleson who lead a regiment at the Battle of San Jacinto and was Vice-President under the Republic of Texas. His portrait hangs in the Alamo….well almost….it’s in the souvenir shop lol! My ancestors were the original “wet-backs” who crossed the Sabine River and squatted in what is now East Texas without the blessing of the Mexican government.

Day 7 for the US election day countdown by sandwich! Today I salute UTAH!

Today I present to you the Pastrami Burger! This is one of the few sandwiches I haven’t tried before. I’ve only been to Utah once when I was 15 and on a summer road trip to California with my family. The only thing I remember about the Utah leg was my parents letting me drive our “rig”, a ’69 Ford camper special pulling a 17′ trailer on I-80, across the Great Salt Lake Desert. By the way, at the time I did have a full use driver’s license-hardship but that was the only place besides the panhandle of Texas that they trusted me to drive the “rig”. (I could write a book just about that trip lol!)

Day 6 for the US election day countdown by sandwich! Today I salute VERMONT!

Today I present to you the Vermonter! When the name of the sandwich is the same as the demonym for the people of Vermont you know you have a winner!  It’s chock full of locally sourced ingredients which was the intent of the cook that invented it: Jason Maroney, the cook and waiter of a Bar and Restaurant in Burlington, VT. There is a basic formula for the original that consists of meat (turkey, ham, sausage), fresh apple slices, Vermont extra sharp white cheddar and any sweet enriched bread plus a topping ranging from spiced apple butter to maple-mustard.

Day 5 for the US election day countdown by sandwich! Today I salute VIRGINIA!

Today I present to you the Virginia Ham Sandwich! A proper ham sandwich in Virginia is made with country ham and not the wet-brined city ham you’ll find shrink-wrapped in the refrigerator areas of your local supermarket in the US.  Country ham is dry brined in salt, sugar and spices and left to hang for several months and then sometimes smoked. It is similar to the iberico and serrano Spanish hams and Italian prosciutto ham but it’s not cured nearly as long.

Day 4 for the US election day countdown by sandwich! Today I salute WASHINGTON STATE!

Today I present to you the Salmon Bahn Mi! Washington state’s official sandwich is a salmon sandwich and it’s no wonder since they produce over 10 million pounds of salmon each year with an economic value of over $40 million. I found a way to combine the official state sandwich with another sandwich that has found it’s way into the hearts and stomachs of Washingtonians. The Bahn Mi.

Day 3 for the US election day countdown by sandwich! Today I salute WEST VIRGINIA!

Today I present to you the Pepperoni Roll! This is not the tiny appetizers or the Hot Pockets you may find in the freezer section of your grocery store. It also isn’t a version of a Philly-born Stromboli. It’s closer to the British sausage roll but with an Italian twist. It is what West Virginia Mountaineers lovingly identify with and call their own and with good reason! I had to break my own rule on what constitutes a sandwich for this shout-out but I think I found a work around.

Day 2 and Election Eve for the US Election day countdown by sandwich! Today I salute WISCONSIN!

Today I present to you the Beer Brat Sandwich! Wisconsin is the undeniable home of the Beer Brat which is not to be confused with a Bratwurst but I’ll get to that in a minute. The Beer Brat is celebrated every Memorial Day weekend in Madison, WI which boasts the “World’s largest Bratwurst festival”. However, in my research into the Bratological Sciences, Bratwurst and Beer Brats are related members of the same German sausage tree with Beer Brats being a leaf on a the Bratwurst limb.

KEEP FOLLOWING THE COUNTDOWN! A NEW SANDWICH WILL BE POSTED EVERY DAY!