Sandwich Bento (Outdoor Picnic Set)
Julie N.
Assorted fillings sandwich bento. The variety makes it great to share with friends! Perfect to make for an outdoor picnic!
Prep Time 30 minutes mins
Cook Time 15 minutes mins
Total Time 45 minutes mins
Course Lunch, Main Course, Side Dish, Snack
Cuisine American, Asian, Japanese
- 8 slices Japanese shokupan or sandwich bread
Egg Salad
- 3 boiled eggs
- 3 tablespoons Japanese mayonnaise
- 1/4 teaspoon sugar
- Salt and pepper to taste
Katsu Sando
- 1 boneless pork loin
- 1 egg for dredging
- 70 g all-purpose flour for dredging
- 70 g panko
- Vegetable oil for frying
- 1 tablespoon tonkatsu sauce
Tomato Cucumber
- 1 tomato
- ½ cucumber
- 1 tablespoon Japanese mayonnaise
Ham and Cheese
- 1 tablespoon roasted sesame dressing
- 1 slice cheddar cheese
- 3-4 slices deli ham
- 1 leaf lettuce
Sandwich fillings
Prepare 3 boiled eggs and remove the shell. Cut each egg in half and pop out the yolks into a separate container. Chop the remaining egg whites to make mashing it all together easier.
Add 3 tablespoons of Japanese mayonnaise to the eggs and season with the sugar and salt and pepper to taste. Mix it all together to the texture of your liking. If you prefer it more chunky, don’t mix as much or set some egg whites aside to add in later. Set aside
Pound the boneless pork loin under a plastic wrap using a meat tenderizer or rolling pin until it becomes a little less than a centimeter thin. Season with salt and pepper.
In three separate plates or bowls, place the flour and panko and beat the egg. Begin dredging by first coating the pork loin with flour and dust off any excess. Transfer the pork loin to the egg and fully coat it to ensure the panko will stick completely. Finally coat the pork loin with panko and lightly press in to make sure the panko pieces stick.
In a deep pan or saucepan, heat about an inch to an inch and a half deep of vegetable oil or any other neutral oil. When the oil has reached 340-355°F/170-180°C carefully place the breaded tonkatsu into the oil. Let fry for one minute then flip and let the other side fry for one minute as well or until golden brown. Remove from oil and place on a frying rack or cooling rack to allow excess oil to drip.
Prepare the vegetables. Cut two slices of tomato, both about 1cm in thickness, and cut both in half, creating four half moon shapes. Cut off both ends of a cucumber and cut to match the length of your bread slices. Cut a long slice of cucumber also about 1cm thick. You should have a long and flat rectangle of cucumber.
Putting together sandwiches
Prepare two slices of bread by spreading a thin layer of Japanese mayonnaise on both slices. Lay the halfmoon tomato slices on the opposite sides of the bread with the curved sides facing each other, fitting in like a puzzle. The tomatoes should occupy the two outer thirds of the slice of bread, leaving the middle third for the cucumber. Place the cucumber rectangle in the middle and place the other slice of bread on top, completing the tomato cucumber sandwich. Wrap with plastic wrap or parchment paper and set aside for now.
For the next sandwich, spread roasted sesame dressing on two slices of bread. On one slice lay down the slice of cheddar cheese, followed by the slices of ham. Place the leaf of lettuce on top of the ham, fold as needed to fit the slice of bread. Cover with the other slice of bread and the ham and cheese sandwich is done. Wrap with plastic wrap or parchment paper and set aside for now.
For the egg salad sandwich, simply prepare two slices of bread. On one slice, spread a generous layer of the egg salad mixture that was prepared earlier. The egg salad should be about 1.5cm or half an inch thick. Cover with the other slice of bread, completing the egg salad sandwich. Wrap with plastic wrap or parchment paper and set aside for now.
For the last sandwich, spread tonkatsu sauce evenly on two slices of bread. Place the tonkatsu onto the bread, and finish the katsu sando by placing the other slice of bread on top. Wrap with plastic wrap or parchment paper and set aside for now.
After the sandwiches have rested for about 10 minutes, cut them in half. Make sure to check the orientation of the cut for the tomato cucumber sandwich so the pattern of the colors is visible. Place the sandwich halves into a bento and the sandwich bento is done! 完成です!
- I make hard boiled eggs by first bringing a pot of water to a boil then adding the eggs and letting them cook for 12 minutes. There are quite a few different methods for boiling eggs so just do what works best for you!
Keyword Asian Recipe, Easy Asian Recipe, Easy Japanese Recipe, Easy Recipe, Furniture Recipe, Game Recipe, Japanese Recipe, Picnic, Sandwich