Corn Chip Sandwiches: A Surprisingly Good Sandwich

A Guest Post by Charles Pogue

 

I once worked at a small chain of grocery stores in Central Texas. It is not surprising that one might be introduced to a good snack in that work environment, but what was a surprise was the particular one I learned about.

One day, I was walking down the east west aisle of the store, when I met my good pal Kenneth headed in the direction of the break-room. Ken had three items in his hands, the identity of which made me think he was probably headed toward the case where the cold cuts were located to pick up a package of sandwich meat. But no, Kenneth walked right on past the meat counter, through the opening leading to the back room and made a left toward the door of the break- room.

For a moment, I thought he would come back out and pick up his meat, but no, he never emerged again. With my curiosity up, I decided to go into the break-room myself and see what he was up to. I gently pushed open the door and stood there quietly to watch what he was doing.

Ken was sitting at a table with his three purchases spread out before him. They were a loaf of bread, a bottle of mustard, and a package of Fritos corn chips. That was before the days of the mustard squeeze bottle, so he also had a knife in his hand.

As I watched him, I got that tight feeling you get in your throat when you realize you are about to see someone eat a concoction that awakens your slumbering gag reflexes. Kenneth spread a generous amount of mustard onto a slice of bread, covered that with a handful of corn chips, slapped another slice of bread on top of them, and commenced transferring the sandwich to his mouth.

I could contain myself no longer, so I said to him while he sat there munching with the noise of a thrashing machine, “Kenneth, if you need a buck or two for a package of meat, I’ll loan it to you.” When he finished the bite he had in his mouth, he replied, “Don’t want it. I’ve got all I want right here. You ought to try it.”

While I have never had a reputation of being overly courageous, my tendency to gullibility precedes me. Why not, I thought. "Okay, make me one,” I answered his challenge. I have had some shocks in my life, and when I took the first bite of that sandwich I had another surprise. I’m serious; it may not have been anything you will ever see featured on a cooking show or on the menu at a fast food place, but it was very good.

This is not a joke. Some day when you gotta have something, it’s got to be a lot, and you got to have it now-–if you have the makings, try a mustard and corn chip sandwich. Surprise your friends at a picnic by taking some already made sandwiches with you.

While you are enjoying the reactions of astonishment and disgust, you can take refuge in the likelihood that most of them will leave your sandwiches alone. They may run out of fried chicken and potato salad before they are all satisfied, but you will not go away hungry.  

Do you like any strange sandwiches?