Pineapple Sandwich Recipe: Part of the Southern Anything-Is-Better-Between-Two-Slices-of-Bread Philosophy by Melissa Vickers

My last 30Seconds food post mentioned my dad’s favorite dish at the annual Clark family reunion – the pineapple sandwich. These juicy sandwiches, I guess, are a Southern thing, even Southern Living magazine chose to do a feature article on its origin, likely as a product of a readily available pantry staple thanks to James Dole.

My Aunt Martha, a nutritionist by trade, used to bring pineapple sandwiches to the reunion every year, and she’d bring some especially for my dad. Aunt Martha could rival another more well-known Martha (Stewart) for her ability to make even simple meals both nutritious and lovely, and she added that kind of touch to her pineapple sandwiches.

The pineapple sandwich, in its most basic, most Southern form, consists of nothing more than two slices of white bread, some mayonnaise and a ring of canned pineapple. Aunt Martha cut the crust off to create a circle of fruity sandwich.

My dad, however, sought out to improve this basic sandwich – in his eyes (and taste buds), the juicier the better. He felt that putting the mayonnaise directly on the bread and the pineapple on top prevented the juice from soaking up in the bread. His solution? Dowse the bread with the juice and then slather the mayo and add the pineapple and another piece of soggy bread. Slurping while you eat one of these things is optional. Daddy believed in engaging all the senses in enjoying things like this!

There are certainly more “gourmet” (and less messy) versions of pineapple sandwiches. You can grill the pineapple, melt cheese on it, combine it with bananas (though just a plain banana and mayo sandwich is hard to beat!), put it on chicken sandwiches or pizza. But I’m guessing that when Daddy was growing up on a farm south of Atlanta with five older brothers and a younger sister, my grandmother probably resorted to plain pineapple sandwiches as an easy, quick and cheap treat to keep the kids happy. I also suspect that eating one of these was a memory trigger of days gone by.

Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 0 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes
Servings: Makes 1 sandwich

Ingredients

• can pineapple slices (rings, not chunks or crushed)
• mayonnaise (please, no Miracle Whip)
• 2 slices white bread

Here's how to make it (Jere Clark Style):

1. Take two slices of white bread and drizzle them with pineapple juice straight from the can.
2. Slather on mayonnaise to cover the bread.
3. Place a ring of pineapple on the bread.
4. Add the second piece of soggy bread (or be fancy and have an open-faced sandwich).
   
   

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