PrintPlease help me find a mayo subsitute!
So my boyfriend hates mayonnaise, but loves sandwiches. If I have to see him eat another sandwich soley consisting of meat, cheese and pepper- I'm going to throw up. He's open to making his bread moist, but he refuses mayo. Does anyone have any suggestions as to what I can try as a mayo substitute?
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23 Comments:
Mustard, butter, chili sauce, horseradish or horseradish sauce, cheese sauce, pesto, salsa, barbecue sauce, oil & vinegar, tahini, hummus, sofrito, steak sauce, harissa, cranberry relish, pickle relish, jerk sauce, chimichurri, mole, flavored butters, flavored oils...
what did I miss? Must be more!
dbcurrie at 7:28PM on 02/23/08
I had a SO who wouldn't eat mayo, but would eat Miracle Whip. Does he want a substitute?
I'm thinking you could take a base such as butter, olive oil, sour cream, cream cheese and add fresh or dried herbs, or spices, or garlic, or even finely diced meat or veggies to give them some flavor and zip. Does he eat salad dressings? Maybe a smidge of that brushed on the bread? I love an Italian hoagie and never with mayo - I like olive oil and oregano and even a little parmesan cheese with the meat, cheese, lettuce, onion and tomato. Hot peppers don't agree with me anymore, but they sure add flavor, too! A sandwich never has to be boring. You can fill it with all kinds of tasty foods and you don''t even need a spread on the bread.
PerkyMac at 7:36PM on 02/23/08
I hate mayo-- it's a texture thing. Sometimes I smear a little butter on the bread, but I like plain meat, cheese, and pepper too. I have had sandwiches with homemade mayo, and that is less "icky" to me than the store bought stuff. Maybe you could try making some homemade stuff and test that on him?
Or-- let him have his sandwiches how he likes them, and think of it as more mayo for you!
Greyhoundgrrl at 8:12PM on 02/23/08
I wonder if he wouldn't like home-made mayo better, and even more if it had a flavoring to it.
TikiPundit at 8:23PM on 02/23/08
My DH hates mayo too - he lovingly refers to avocado as 'nature's mayonaise'. Works pretty well in tuna salad with a bit of wasabi and green onion.
francie at 8:38PM on 02/23/08
Italian Vegetable Spread - it's eggplant and red pepper based, and tastes fantastic. I can find it in large grocery stores, as well as the Italian market.
Peasantwench at 9:02PM on 02/23/08
francie beat me to it. If he eats avocado, mash it with some salt and spread it on the bread like mayo. Good quality butter works well for some sandwiches. Also, if the flavor of red peppers is agreeable, try ajvar. It's a roasted red pepper spread that is so wonderful on many, many sandwiches. Come to think of it, we love it with avocado, cheese, tomatoes, red onions and lettuce for a delicious veggie sandwich.
LoCo at 9:04PM on 02/23/08
I don't like mayo (or ketchup). In fact, I don't care for any condiments on my sandwich. I do the avocado thing, but actually, I prefer to keep the avocado from getting my bread too damp.
When I was a teen I loved cream cheese sandwiches, often with shredded carrots or slices of cucumber and sprouts.
What's the big deal if it's HIS sandwich?
cybele at 10:27PM on 02/23/08
What about one of the hundreds of types of mustard? or hummus? either one is much healthier than mayo, and can be changed to complement the flavor if the individual sandwich.
beth1 at 1:03AM on 02/24/08
Maybe I've fooled myself into thinking that mayo is unhealthy but over the years I've cut the Best Foods back considerably. I've found that in almost every case I can spread on herbed, white jogurt or light sour cream and end up with an equally satisfying accompanyment to my beer and chips ;~)
czken at 1:52AM on 02/24/08
Well, Cybele, this big deal is that I'm sick of him complaining that he wants me to find something other than mayo for him. He's not a picky eater, but he has this freakish aversion to all things white: salad dressings, sour cream, cream cheese. I was talking to him earlier today about this post and he told me that he wants something similar to what Subway does- he specifically named their "sweet onion sauce" and cited the fact that they put oil on the bread. I haven't eaten at Subway in ages so I have no idea what he's talking about. When I was little my grandpa would make us "grinders," which were just huge sandwiches filled with assorted deli meats and cheeses, but I always remember him squirting oil on the bread. I was too young to take note of what kind, but do you think it was olive oil? Anyhow, I'm going to look into, but he seems pretty keen on the avacado idea.
PumpkinBear at 9:20AM on 02/24/08
I'd guess your Grandpa used extra virgin olive oil. If the olive oil isn't for heating & cooking, buy the best extra virgin olive oil he can afford. Some specialty stores even allow tastings.
Other specialty oils like truffle oil and sesame oil are very strong and I personally wouldn't put them on a sandwich, but it's another option.
You could also carmelize onions and have that as a spread - cook in olive oil over a low heat for a long time until the onions turn light brown and are as sweet as honey. They only need s&p, but if he likes garlic, you could add some of that too. They can also be roasted in the oven. Truly delicious - I could eat them with nearly anything hot or cold!
PerkyMac at 9:37AM on 02/24/08
whenever I poach some garlic, I save the liquid, usually good veggie stock and wine, and reduce it with some chopped onions. the onions pick up all the flavor, and the whole thing turns into a jelly conststancy mass of goodness. I use it on sandwiches or anything else that needs some flavor, last time I reduced it down further still and added a stick of unsalted butter to make a wonderful spread for some fresh bread.
huney_bumper at 10:22AM on 02/24/08
PumpkinBear, I'm going to be devil's advocate: tell him he is a big boy and to find his own damn sandwich spread! And if he likes what they do at Subway, have him, not you, ask them what type of oil it is. It could be pretty similar to one of those Sandwich Oils that you can find near the deli department.
Beano's Original submarine dressing is the one that comes to mind.
http://www.conroyfoods.com/products.aspx
And here are 2 versions of "Subway's Sweet Onion Sauce"
Subway's Sweet Onion Sauce
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1 tablespoon minced white onion
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons white distilled vinegar
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon buttermilk powder
1/4 teaspoon lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon poppy seeds
1/8 teaspoon salt
pinch cracked black pepper
pinch garlic powder
1. Combine all ingredients in a small microwave-safe bowl.
2. Heat mixture uncovered in the microwave for 1 to 1 1/2 minutes on high until mixture boils rapidly.
3. Whisk well, cover and cool.
This one is lower in sugar, or so they say, http://www.recipezaar.com/228438
Hope this helps!!
SayWhat at 10:51AM on 02/24/08
Jake HATES mayo. Wont even go near the stuff. When he knows Im making deviled eggs, he hangs out in the kitchen to make sure I am using ranch dressing. However, as for sandwiches, he adores Wishbone Salad Spritzers in Cabernet Wine. A couple of spritzes and he has a zesty component that doesnt make his bread soggy!
ChelleyD01 at 12:22PM on 02/24/08
there is no substitute for real mayonnaise and if he doesn't like what you prepare, tell him to make his own damn sandwich.
olddad at 1:07PM on 02/24/08
PumpkinBear--I think that "sweet onion sauce" used to be sold at Costco as Sweet Vidalia Onion Dressing or something liket that...it was a light yellow color with specks of poppyseeds...indeed, it tasted like poppy seed dressing. I haven't bought it in years, too sweet for my taste, but maybe they still have it at Costco. It's inexpensive, but you get like two big bottles of it, typical of Costco sizing.
PerkyMac's caramelized onion spread sounds a lot better.
wookie at 2:32PM on 02/24/08
PumpkinBear - your original question did not say anything about him complaining, just that you didn't like him eating an uncondimented sandwich. Sorry for what may have sounded harsh.
I used to work in a pizza place in high school (run by Sicilians). Our subs consisted of deli meat/cheeses on rolls we baked in the pizza oven and then to top it off we put on some shredded lettuce and a bit of "salad dressing" which was made at the shop - it consisted of olive oil, a small dash of vinegar (not as much as you'd have on a salad though), onion salt and red pepper flakes. They were the best freakin' subs I've ever had in my entire life.
Now, some of the regular customers had preferences on how the subs were built. The standard construction was to start with the meat against the bread - which was split open, but the ends not quite, then cheese (then maybe more meat), then the veggies (tomatoes, onions, shredded lettuce, hot peppers). Some people would request oil on the roll first, others liked to have their hot peppers against the bread to soak up all the juices.
cybele at 4:13PM on 02/24/08
I'm pretty sure that the Subway by me actually sells their sauces. Maybe he should just ask his shop if they do.
chisai at 5:30PM on 02/24/08
@chisai--how was your date?!
wookie at 5:35PM on 02/24/08
@wookie - it went quite well. Thanks for asking. There should be a Food and Dating thread on this site.
chisai at 5:47PM on 02/24/08
You guys are awesome. Thanks for the advice. I'm totally going to try Cybele and Say What's suggestions. Say What, you may have saved my life. It must seem like I'm way too concerned about my boyfriend's eating habits, but the thing is: I'm a TOTAL kitchen nazi. At my house, no one does the cooking, but me. It's the way I've always been.
PumpkinBear at 4:33AM on 02/25/08
@PumpkinBear: Ahh, can understand the Kitchen Nazi personna. No worries!
Let us know how it works out for the boy!
SayWhat at 8:10PM on 02/28/08