Take Club Sandwiches To A New Level With One Roasted Ingredient

The double-decker sandwich known as the club has been around since the late 1800s and typically sports at least a couple of meats, lettuce, tomato, and mayo all layered between three slices of toasted bread. Over the years, plenty of people have taken liberties with the ingredients, switching up the meats, adding cheese, piling on bacon, swapping the condiments, or changing the veggies. It's that last swap that Owen Han, a self-taught chef, content creator, and cookbook author of "Stacked: The Art of the Perfect Sandwich," is a fan of. Instead of simple slices of raw tomatoes, he recommends using tomatoes that have been roasted, a process that he says will "deepen their flavor and soften their texture."

There are loads of different types of tomatoes you can use for roasting. If you're using a larger variety, you'll want to slice it, while smaller tomatoes can remain intact. All you need to do is add a little olive oil, sprinkle on some salt and pepper, and pop them in the oven for about 20 minutes. You'll know they're ready when they have a nice char. Smaller, unsliced tomatoes will also burst open during cooking.

While the roasting process is relatively easy, there are a few missteps to avoid when cooking with tomatoes. First, be sure to leave room between the tomatoes so that they can evenly roast. And don't skimp on the salt — it will help to draw some of the moisture out of them before cooking, as well as making the flavor even more intense.

Adding roasted tomatoes to a club sandwich adds a concentrated sweetness, but you can introduce other flavors, too. For some garlicky goodness, try tossing some sliced cloves on the baking sheet with them, or give them an infusion of herbal flavor with thyme, basil, or other fresh herbs. You can also introduce earthy flavor with a bit of cumin, or spice them up with red pepper flakes.

In addition to tomatoes, Owen Han loves using other roasted vegetables such as bell peppers, zucchini, eggplant, mushrooms, and onions. You could use just one of them in addition to (or instead of) the tomatoes, or experiment with a combination. The key, though, is to give any of the cooked vegetables a little time before piling them on top of the other sandwich fillings. "Let them cool slightly to avoid making the bread soggy, unless the sandwich is meant to be warm, like a panini," Han said.

Outside of incorporating charred veggies, there are other simple ways to level up the classic dish. Give club sandwiches an herby twist by slathering on pesto, or get creative and whip up an easy two-ingredient dip with Greek yogurt, sour cream, or mayonnaise as the base. You can also spread on prepared dips, salad dressing, or flavored cream cheese. Finally, if a cheesy rendition of the classic club is what you're after, you can layer on slices of your favorite variety, or give it some Southern flair with a smear of pimento cheese.