This Crunchy Topping Makes Ham Sandwiches Taste Like Simpler Times

A perfect dish has a few specific flavor elements: the balance of sweet, sour, salty, bitter, and umami. Based on this formula, every dish should bright, fresh ingredients and even something spicy. The more a dish engages your sense of taste and smell, the better. But texture is just as important, and it's often overlooked. The right textural choice won't just make a dish delicious. It can evoke a sense of nostalgia that elevates the meal to a whole new level. Now imagine all of that in a simple ham sandwich. Can it be done? Yes. You need potato chips.

Potato chips are a great way to add crunch to a sandwich. Reddit users have shared their favorite combos, reveling in the nostalgia of eating them as a kid and then recreating them as an adult. Ham and cheese are a popular base, and one Redditor kicked off his culinary nostalgia trip by suggesting the addition of Cheddar Sour Cream Ruffles. "It tastes like I'm 12 and out on my best friend's parents' boat in the middle of the summer," they said. Another added, "I used to go boating as a kid with other local families and it never failed that we would all have this sandwich in our coolers."

Other users made their sandwiches with different ingredients and shared some favorites. "We called it a Chip Sandwich. Mortadella, soft white, and Doritos," said one Redditor. "Would've went with the barbecue chips for this one! The combo of mayo and barbecue is delicious," suggested another poster.

Potato chips aren't just a ham sandwich thing. Julia Roberts told Stephen Colbert on "The Late Show" that her favorite sandwich as a kid was a PB&J with the unexpected twist of sour cream and onion chips smashed into it. The audience reacted with surprise, and Roberts acknowledged that people would probably hate the combination. She clarified it was a favorite as a kid, and her tastes grew as she did. But calling it her favorite sandwich proves there's something unmistakably alluring and nostalgic about putting potato chips between two slices of bread and hearing that crunch as you bite into it.

Roberts' version isn't so weird when you think about it, either. How many people dip french fries in ice cream? Or use peanut butter in savory applications? Chips with PB&J are a reasonable pairing in terms of flavors because salty and sweet work so well. One Redditor out there agreed and said, "If I am having a PB&J and own some salt and pepper chips, those can be fire."

Another Reddit thread espousing chips as a condiment rather than a side dish had more recommendations. It suggested not just ham and cheese sandwiches but egg salad, tuna salad, and Julia Roberts' PB&J. We have recommended chips on fluffernutter sandwiches in the past. If you're not a fan of peanut butter or ham, a turkey sandwich with barbecue chips is an excellent combination.