Dinner doesn’t always need to be complicated. A solid sandwich can hit the mark without a lot of effort. These recipes are simple to make, easy to clean up, and still feel like a real meal. They’re filling, packed with flavor, and way more satisfying than a thrown-together snack. If you want dinner to be quick but still count, these sandwiches get the job done.
Garlic Yogurt Chicken Salad Sandwich
Garlic yogurt adds a bold kick and pulls the chicken salad in a fresh direction. Sun-dried tomato spread punches it up even more. Served on ciabatta, it’s big, messy, and absolutely dinner-worthy.
Get the Recipe: Garlic Yogurt Chicken Salad Sandwich
Chickpea Pesto Sandwich
Mashed chickpeas and pesto come together fast with zero cooking required. It’s filling, easy, and still feels like an actual meal instead of something sad thrown together.
Get the Recipe: Chickpea Pesto Sandwich
Pickled Pineapple BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwich
Slow-cooked pork meets tangy pickled pineapple in a combo that hits every flavor note. It’s messy, sticky, and stacked high enough to count as a full dinner.
Get the Recipe: Pickled Pineapple BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwich
Roasted Sweet Potato Apple Ham Sandwich
Thick slices of sweet potato, sharp cheddar, and ham get pressed until melty and crisp. Add in apples for crunch and you’ve got something that holds up at dinner.
Get the Recipe: Roasted Sweet Potato Apple Ham Sandwich
Slow Cooker BBQ Apple Pulled Pork Sandwiches
Let the slow cooker do its thing while you kick back. The pork is tender, the apples add a pop, and the sage slaw keeps it sharp. Worth the wait and big enough to skip the sides.
Get the Recipe: Slow Cooker BBQ Apple Pulled Pork Sandwiches
Strawberry Goat Cheese Roast Beef Sandwich
Roast beef brings the weight while the strawberry goat cheese gives it a fresh, punchy edge. It’s not your standard sandwich and definitely pulls dinner duty without any extras.
Get the Recipe: Strawberry Goat Cheese Roast Beef Sandwich
Southwest Ranch Chicken Salad Sandwich
Loaded with ranch, cheddar, and bold spices, this chicken salad means business. Serve it on pumpernickel and it’s big enough to hold down dinner all on its own.
Get the Recipe: Southwest Ranch Chicken Salad Sandwich
Blackstone Steak Sandwich
Thick-cut steak with a good sear goes straight onto crusty bread with minimal effort. It’s hearty, bold, and checks every box for a dinner you can make fast.
Get the Recipe: Blackstone Steak Sandwich
Homemade Hot Roast Beef Sandwich
Slow-cooked beef smothered in gravy and layered on crusty bread hits that comfort zone hard. No sides needed. It’s filling enough to stand on its own.
Get the Recipe: Homemade Hot Roast Beef Sandwich
Chopped Italian Sandwich
Loaded with deli meats, cheese, and crisp veggies, chopped and packed into a hoagie. It’s got crunch, salt, and everything you need to make it count as dinner.
Get the Recipe: Chopped Italian Sandwich
Traeger Reuben Sandwich
Smoked meat, sauerkraut, and thousand island dressing come stacked and hot. It’s rich, messy, and absolutely not lunch material.
Get the Recipe: Traeger Reuben Sandwich
Pesto Chicken Sub Sandwich
Juicy chicken and pesto get paired with tomato and onion in a sub roll that holds it all together. It’s fresh, easy, and lands right in the dinner zone without trying too hard.
Get the Recipe: Pesto Chicken Sub Sandwich
Cranberry, Feta & Almond Chicken Salad Sandwich
Crunchy almonds, tangy feta, and sweet cranberries take chicken salad somewhere better. It’s got texture, flavor, and enough going on to be a proper meal.
Get the Recipe: Cranberry, Feta & Almond Chicken Salad Sandwich
Corned Beef Sandwich
Thick slices of corned beef with a punchy sauce piled onto rye. Skip the overpriced deli version and make this instead. It’s quick, salty, and exactly what a dinner sandwich should be.
Get the Recipe: Corned Beef Sandwich
Smoked Pit Beef Sandwich
Thin-cut smoked beef with horseradish sauce and a crusty roll keeps things simple and solid. No extra sides needed when the sandwich hits this hard.
Get the Recipe: Smoked Pit Beef Sandwich
Fried Pork Chop Sandwich
Crispy pork chops get stacked on soft bread with just the right crunch in every bite. It’s the kind of sandwich that skips the frills but still feels like you cooked something legit. You could serve this at the dinner table and nobody would ask where the rest of the meal is.
Get the Recipe: Fried Pork Chop Sandwich
Chicken Philly Sandwiches
All the essentials of a Philly cheesesteak show up here, but with chicken instead of beef. Peppers, onions, and loads of melted cheese pull it together fast. It’s hearty, hot, and easy to throw together when you need something quick that still eats like dinner.
Get the Recipe: Chicken Philly Sandwiches
Hot Turkey Sandwich
Big slices of turkey piled high and covered in thick gravy, then sandwiched between soft bread. Add some peas if you’re feeling fancy, but even on its own, this is classic stick-to-your-ribs dinner food disguised as a sandwich.
Get the Recipe: Hot Turkey Sandwich
Muffaletta Sandwich
Layer after layer of deli meat, provolone, and olive spread all packed into a round loaf that means business. It’s salty, briny, and built to feed your entire appetite without needing a single side dish. Definitely counts as dinner.
Get the Recipe: Muffaletta Sandwich
Roast Beef Gouda Grilled Cheese
This isn’t the grilled cheese from your childhood. Melted gouda and slices of roast beef turn it into something that actually sticks. Pair it with tomato soup if you want, but honestly, it stands on its own just fine.
Get the Recipe: Roast Beef Gouda Grilled Cheese
Chicken Cutlet Sandwich
Breaded chicken cutlets, sharp provolone, sliced tomatoes, and a hit of pesto all get tucked into a sturdy roll. It’s fast, filling, and one of those sandwiches that feels like it should cost $14 somewhere but doesn’t. Great for an easy dinner that still feels like you tried.
Get the Recipe: Chicken Cutlet Sandwich
Rotisserie Chicken Salad Sandwich
Grab a rotisserie chicken and mix it up with whatever you’ve got in the fridge. It’s creamy, packed with protein, and works great when you need dinner to be low-effort but still feel complete. Don’t overthink it.
Get the Recipe: Rotisserie Chicken Salad Sandwich
Tuna Melt Sandwich
Tuna salad with melted cheese, crispy bread, and maybe a few tomato slices if you’re fancy. It’s one of those go-to meals that’s been around forever for a reason. Takes ten minutes to make and still feels like something real.
Get the Recipe: Tuna Melt Sandwich
Prosciutto Sandwich
Fresh mozzarella, sweet jam, and balsamic glaze all meet up with salty prosciutto on sturdy bread. It’s sweet, salty, and sharp all at once, and it eats like a grown-up dinner version of a sandwich. Fast, solid, and hard to mess up.
Get the Recipe: Prosciutto Sandwich
Homemade Panera Frontega Chicken Sandwich
Smoked chicken, bacon, avocado, and chipotle sauce all piled into a warm roll. It’s got big flavor and enough heft to shut down any hunger fast. If you miss the discontinued Panera version, this homemade version nails it and actually fills you up.
Get the Recipe: Homemade Panera Frontega Chicken Sandwich
Gina Matsoukas is an AP syndicated writer. She is the founder, photographer and recipe developer of Running to the Kitchen — a food website focused on providing healthy, wholesome recipes using fresh and seasonal ingredients. Her work has been featured in numerous media outlets both digital and print, including MSN, Huffington post, Buzzfeed, Women’s Health and Food Network.