An Emergency Sandwich Is The Once-Popular Meal From The '20s

We've all had times when we could have used an emergency sandwich on hand. However, we're not talking about just something to carry in your pocket to stave off sudden hunger pangs. Rather, we're referring to an actual meal from the 1920s that combined cheap, readily available ingredients to fill your belly when times were tough.

While it may be an old-school sandwich nobody eats anymore, the emergency sandwich was a surprisingly clever combination of ingredients for a heckuva low price. The filling was a salty, creamy mixture similar to egg salad, made from a chopped hard-boiled egg, shredded stale cheese, chives, and a scoop of mayonnaise. The spices — a dash of cayenne, paprika, and salt — added flavor and heat. The bread was spread with butter and mustard, which brought a rich, sharp contrast to the filling and rounded out the whole thing. It was a resourceful way to use up ingredients you might have already had on hand.

Some variations under the "emergency sandwich" name exist. While a few call for sweet pickles or even peanut butter, they all share two things: affordability and availability. Since it's essentially just a cheesy egg salad, the century-old emergency sandwich is ripe for modern twists. Whether you want to bulk it out with more protein or spice it up with 21st-century hot sauces, it's easy to adapt this recipe to today's palate.

The base of cheese and egg provides a solid start to the emergency sandwich, but both ingredients are versatile enough to pair with just about anything. If you aren't a huge fan of mustard but still want that sharp tang in your meal, tartar sauce is a classic condiment that amps up the flavor of egg salad. If you're fine with mustard but not with mayonnaise, cottage cheese makes a surprisingly great substitute — mix it directly with the egg for creaminess and extra protein. For a 21st-century upgrade, try swapping the mayonnaise with Kewpie for a richer, more umami-packed taste.

Feel free to add extra ingredients, too — but you may want to choose options with less salt, such as low-sodium bacon, and skip non-sweet pickles entirely. If you'd like to bulk up your sandwich without losing its soft creaminess, try adding a thick slice of fried and perfectly crispy tofu. The golden exterior introduces a new texture, while the pillowy inside keeps the sandwich close to the original recipe. And finally, it's hard to go wrong by sprinkling in a little MSG instead of salt. Its savory goodness will keep you coming back for more, helping preserve the legacy of this once-popular meal.