The Classic French Sandwiches To Eat On Your Next Trip

6 Classic French Sandwiches

Let’s start with classic French sandwiches. Here are six sandwiches to try for a taste of classic French food: 

Chevre Tomates

There is no hard and fast recipe for this sandwich as it’s more of an idea. When you go to bakeries or cafes, you’ll see variations of fresh tomatoes and chêvre (fresh goat cheese), sometimes with the rind on and sometimes without. 

From there, things go in many directions. Sometimes it’s served on sliced pain au levain or sourdough bread, while others are served on a skinny baguette known as a ficelle. Some add olive oil and balsamic vinegar and make it more of a Caprese while others add arugula or fresh herbs. We’re fans of variations such as one that includes beefsteak tomatoes, goat cheese, honey, and walnuts or this Goat Cheese Confit Tomato sandwich. 

Croque Monsieur (and Croque Madame)

The Croque Monsieur is perhaps the most famous French sandwich. It’s often coined a French grilled cheese sandwich, but it’s more akin to French toast and a sandwich coming together.

To make it, ham and gruyère cheese is mixed with béchamel sauce and then placed between bread which is dipped in egg and then fried until golden brown.  

Add a fried egg to the top, and the sandwich becomes a Croque madame. We love the taste of ham and cheese (aka jambon fromage) so much that we made this Croque Monsieur Bread Pudding. 

Jambon Beurre

One of France’s most essential and beloved sandwiches is the simple jambon beurre. This is a ham sandwich with butter, but it’s so much more than that. To make one, you’ll need half a baguette, salted french butter, and ham; if you can find jambon de Paris, a French seasoned ham, then even better. 

Spread the butter on the baguette, add the ham, and enjoy. It’s so simple, but it’s so good. Of the many sandwich recipes on our site, the jambon beurre is the most popular. 

Saucisson Beurre

A saucisson beurre is similar to the jambon beurre, except instead of ham as the meat component, dried cured salami – aka saucisson sec –is substituted. There are dozens of varieties of cured sausages in France, made from a vast number of game and ranch animals, so there are many different ways to enjoy these classic French sandwiches.

Pan Bagnat

Many consider the pan bagnat a Niçoise salad in bread, but that’s not quite right. Yes, both recipes hail from the Provence region of France. And, yes, a typical pan bagnat contains tuna, olives, capers, bell peppers, red onions, tomato, basil, anchovies, and a hard-boiled egg. 

But what makes this sandwich unique is that it’s smashed on purpose because, once you assemble the sandwich, you weigh it down until it is all smashed together. It’s a classic picnic recipe because it can be made well ahead and only tastes better as it sits (like this French Carrot Salad that’s also a picnic classic).

It’s not uncommon for this sandwich to be personalized by each person who orders one. It’s usually served on a French baguette, but any fresh bread will do. Try your hand at making the pan bagnat with our recipe.

Pate Cornichon

If you’ve ever snacked on pâté, Dijon mustard, and cornichon, then you don’t need any convincing as to how fabulously delicious this combination is.

As the name suggests, this is chockfull of pâté de Campagne sandwich, a collection of different cuts of pork ground and then cooked with herbs and spices at a long, slow simmer. 

It’s a hearty sandwich, and the cornichon or small pickles are key as their sourness balances the richness of the pate.