The 3-Minute Tomato Sandwich I Can’t Stop Eating

Every summer, I can’t get enough of my home-grown tomatoes. My favorite thing to do with them is make this super easy, 3-minute tomato sandwich.

Jul 24, 2024 - 16:00
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The 3-Minute Tomato Sandwich I Can’t Stop Eating
3-ingredient tomato sandwich (open-faced) on a plate
Simply Recipes / Emma Christensen

I jokingly tell people that I bought a tiny house with a big backyard just so I can grow all the tomatoes I could possibly want every summer. And it’s not not true! 

Right now at the end of July, I have tomatoes of every shape, size, and hue lining my counter waiting their turn to become pasta sauces, dinner salads, and everything in between. But every day at noon, I select one lucky winner for my standby summer lunch: this super easy, super quick open-faced sandwich consisting of cheese, basil, avocado, and thinly sliced tomatoes.

The Best Tomatoes for This Sandwich

For this sandwich, you want big, meaty, slicing tomatoes—the kind that reveal a dense, intricate web of archipelagos and peninsulas with slim channels of juice in between. This year, I’m growing Cherokee Purple and Black from Tula heirloom tomatoes, but any fist-sized garden tomato will be great.

For the best flavor (and why wouldn’t you want the best flavor?!), leave your tomatoes out on the counter, upside down, until ready to eat. Don’t refrigerate them unless they’re already at peak ripeness and you won’t be able to eat them within a few days. 

How To Make My 3-Minute Tomato Sandwich

For two open-faced sandwiches, which is what I eat for lunch by myself, you’ll need:

  • 2 slices sandwich bread (I like sourdough)
  • 2 slices provolone or other favorite cheese, or enough to cover your sandwich
  • Handful of fresh basil
  • 1/2 ripe avocado
  • 1 big tomato, sliced, or enough to cover your sandwich
  • Sprinkle of salt, preferably something flaky like Maldon

Toast the bread until golden brown. Top with the cheese, followed by a layer of basil leaves. Arrange the sliced avocado over the basil, and then your tomato slices. Finish with a sprinkle of salt over top.

3-ingredient tomato sandwich (open-faced) on a plate
Simply Recipes / Emma Christensen

My Favorite Variations on this Sandwich

I like the creaminess and mild flavor of provolone for this sandwich, especially if you can find a smoked variety. But I’ve swapped in fresh mozzarella, Monterey Jack, Colby, and even cream cheese. Arugula is also fantastic in place of basil—it adds a similar peppery, spicy flavor and some crunchiness.

The avocado is here to give the sandwich enough heft to get me through the rest of my day, plus I like the flavor and texture. But you could skip it, or swap it for another filling ingredient like sliced hard-boiled eggs.

The tomatoes are the one non-negotiable here. This sandwich—and summer days in general—just wouldn’t be the same without them.