Back to School

How to Wrap a Sandwich

September 24, 2013

Inspired by conversations on the Food52 Hotline, we're sharing tips and tricks that make navigating all of our kitchens easier and more fun. 

Today: Wrap your sandwich like the gift that it is.

Sandwiches from Food52

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Your much-needed lunch break finally rolls around. But you open up your brown bag only to find that your sandwich, a light at the end of a midday-tunnel, has turned into a sad, disheveled mess. "I don't understand," you think to yourself. "It looked perfectly pristine this morning." Or, even worse, you carefully prepare a sandwich for someone else, but they open it only to find it damaged in transit. 

Sandwiches, though, just like any other present, can (and should!) be mindfully wrapped, with neatly creased corners and tucked-in edges. And, as a bonus, no tape is required. Our preferred method uses wax paper, but parchment paper works just as well.   

More: Check out our exclusive sandwich wraps in Provisions for the ultimate sandwich-protection.

The size of paper is important, so tear off a piece of wax paper that is larger than your sandwich and twice as long as it is wide. Place the sandwich directly in the middle of the paper. Line the edges up and form a tent above the sandwich.

Create a 3/4-inch fold and continue folding over until you reach the sandwich, and lightly flatten the fold.  

Wrapping a sandwich from Food52

Fold the additional flaps on either side into an arrow shape. While maintaining the horizontal 3/4 inch fold, tuck the right side arrow underneath the sandwich. Repeat with the left side. 

Wrapping a Sandwich from Food52 

Now, this sandwich is ready for adventuring. Don't forget to slip in a note! 

Sandwiches by Food52

More: Check out our 9 Back to School Sandwiches.

What's your go-to portable sandwich? Let us know in the comments!

Listen Now

Join The Sandwich Universe co-hosts (and longtime BFFs) Molly Baz and Declan Bond as they dive deep into beloved, iconic sandwiches.

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See what other Food52 readers are saying.

  • DragonFly
    DragonFly
  • Lani
    Lani
  • Bob Ress
    Bob Ress
  • Patricia Schreiber
    Patricia Schreiber
  • Mark Oviatt
    Mark Oviatt
Lactose intolerant cheese lover, who will walk blocks for a good cup of coffee. Recently escaped the corporate world, after discovering her favorite part of the job was ordering catering.

11 Comments

DragonFly October 16, 2014
My mum always wrapped our sandwiches like that, good old fashion wax paper.
 
Lani October 16, 2014
When we were kids, before the days of plastic wrap, we learned to wrap our sandwiches like this. My Father called it the "Drugstore Wrap". I don't know why.
 
Bob R. October 3, 2013
Those of us born before Glad Bags already know this. Everything old is new again.
 
Patricia S. October 3, 2013
Or you can buy a couple of sandwich containers and stop throwing away so much wax paper. I've found them at Target for $1
 
Elana C. October 3, 2013
Yes, Patricia Schreiber that is definitely a great and sustainable alternative! Depending on how messy the sandwich, the wax paper can be reused for multiple lunches.
 
Mark O. September 25, 2013
Didn't everybody's mother wrap sandwiches like this? Mine did.
 
Elana C. September 25, 2013
My mom used plastic sandwich bags. Although, how great the sandwiches were made up for their packaging!
 
DragonFly September 25, 2013
Just like when I was a child, I always remember my mum wrapping our sandwiches this way!
 
Christycreme September 25, 2013
No tape required? It looks cute from above, but if it flips over during your commute, it will come undone. Is it possible I missed a step?
 
Janet September 25, 2013
This is how my mom wrapped our sandwiches every school day of my childhood--they never came undone, and I do my kids' the same way if I am not using a bento box for their lunch. If the wax paper is flattened and the flaps are tucked, it doesn't come undone and should stay folded even if the sandwich gets turned over.
 
Elana C. September 25, 2013
Christycreme, as Janet mentioned if you tightly tuck the flaps under the sandwich it should stay put. Thanks, Janet!