corky

Have you tried putting tomatoes between not wet ingredients? Like...bread, condiment of choice, lettuce, tomato, cheese, pickles, meat, other condiment and then top slice of bread. so the wet things like tomatoes and pickles aren't next to the bread.

StuckInYYZ

The wet ingredients always work their way around the other ingredients. I'm always having to pick out the wrapping paper as they always get soaked in any liquid.

Finkface

When I was flying during the heart of lock-down covid and there was no food onboard and nothing open at the airports, my go-to plane food was pasta salad. I made it with rotini, casarecce, or strozzapreti pasta, cheese-filled spinach tortellini, orange or yellow pepper, cubes of fontina cheese and an oil/vinegar/italian herb dressing. It tasted great at room temp and nothing to go bad when unrefrigerated for a few hours. It was so good that I had several FAs ask me how I made it.

CDTraveler

As someone who had to dish up the cat's sardines every night for 2 years, I heartily agree with that sentiment.

StuckInYYZ

Wouldn't you have issues getting it through security due to the sauce? Or am I just reading too much FT vs. TSA?

corky

I am sure she dressed the salad before she packed it up so there would not be a separate container of liquid dressing.

Finkface

As Corky said, i dressed it when I made it. It doesn't go soggy like a green salad as it is just pasta and orange pepper. It isn't swimming in oil, just dressed to coat. Think of a pasta salad you would get at a deli counter.

StuckInYYZ

That would do it. I just see horror stories in some of the other forums of TSA being annoying by telling people this meal can't go through even though it is just a little liquid in the corner of the container.

JBord

Unfortunately the airport sub shops don't usually give me that option . But that is how I'd do it at home. In fact, I put the condiments in the middle too. When I'm feeling really reckless, I'll put a slice of cheese on each piece of bread - double the cheesy calories but it's a great sealant. I'm never going to bring a sandwich from home on a plane though, or really anything that doesn't come pre-packaged.

Eastbay1K

A sandwich from home is the best sandwich you can have. (Ok, I'll qualify that - a sandwich that I would make for myself from my home ...)

1) Use sturdy roll, such as a crusty sourdough.
2) Keep the liquidy stuff to minimums, but don't be afraid of them.
3) Consider a less fragile green, such as arugula.
4) If the center of the tomatoes are really wet, take some of that out. Or use some dried ones.
5) Wrap in a paper towel lined piece of foil.

DELee

Well,since you asked, here's what I brung this week:



Blueberries out of LAX since it seems that UA's catering has been fighting its own shortage recently.

In the past, I've been known to bring tortillas which are handy to contain/constrain scrambled egg ball bearing-type spheres. Still pack a stash of nuts, jerky and a spare stroopwafel as well as the odd non-banana piece of fruit.

For my return flight from IAD, I'd brung what ended up being three separate cuisines on board as my planned dinner in E+: Vietnamese (bahn mi), Italian (sausage roll) and Afghani (beef kafta wrap).

That being said, I ended up getting upgraded, refused/decline the J dinner offerings, had a burger+Pringles as well as some of what I brung to the flight as well (2022 Let's Eat - United First, United Business, & Premium Transcon Service).

David

Eastbay1K

Blueberries from Peru via Salinas (and probably stopped in LAX on the import trail) back to an LA area grocer for you to take back to LAX for your travels! Farm Fresh!

AyrMiles

Heading back to Scotland from France, it will always be 1/2 baguette filled with ducks hearts

Redheadpeter

We need someone to start selling Bento boxes in airports - like the ones on Japanese Rail stations. Delicious.

GW McLintock

The last time I flew I did something I thought was pretty clever. I had gotten chicken gyro sandwiches the day before (on BOGO from Uber Eats). I chopped up a romaine heart and put it in a quart-size soup container, then poured out the contents of the gyro sandwich (chicken, diced tomatoes, some more lettuce) over the lettuce. I kept the white sauce in its little container to pour over when it was time to eat. Worked out really nicely and did not make a mess at all. I think that will be my new go-to when traveling.

-J.