Pepperidge Farm Sandwiches

Pepperidge Farm Presents: Some Highly Interesting Sandwich Recipes (not dated, 14 pages) was the first cookbooklet in the company's history devoted solely to the art of sandwich making. I find that curious considering that bread was their primary product line. What is bread for, if not sandwiches?

The introductory page, like those found in many booklets of this type, features the standard testimonial message from a company spokesperson, in this case, Margaret Rudkin, Founder and Director of Pepperidge Farm.

She remarks that "the company's main business has been bread for 25 years," which would put the date of publication around 1962. (The company was formed in 1937.)

Mrs. Rudkin sold Pepperidge Farm to the Campbell Soup Company in 1961, but remained as head of the company. She retired in 1966 and passed away in 1967.

Six different Pepperidge Farm bakery products are shown on the rear cover in their vintage packaging: White Bread, White Sandwich Bread, Family Rye Bread, Whole Wheat Bread, Snack Rye Slices and Hovis Golden Sandwich Bread.


Choices of bread to use in the sandwiches are not indicated other than the direction to use slices of white and dark bread in the Party Treats section or the Party Rye Bread on the Hors d'Oeuvres page.

Included are a page of helpful hints on sandwich making, a checklist of popular sandwich-making ingredients and a short history on bread.

The recipes and sandwich filling suggestions are divided into variations that include Meat, Fish and Eggs as the main ingredient.

The ideas shown on the Party Treats page seem a bit complicated, particularly in the case of the Mosaic Sandwiches (shown below) where the directions are as follows:

Make sandwich with top slice of white bread, bottom slice of dark bread. (Use sweet fillings for children, savory for adults). Cut and reverse inner shape using small cookie cutter. Then cut outer shape with large cutter.

That seems pretty fussy, and time consuming, unless you had someone else doing it for you.


The center of the booklet is a double page spread with twelve soup and sandwich suggestions. I like the looks of these two pages. The suggestions and presentation of the soups, sandwiches and addition of a fresh fruit on each plate appear to be both practical and appetizing.



There are detailed instructions for preparing Roll-Up and Pinwheel Sandwiches. Also included, but not shown here, are instructions for the Ribbon Sandwiches and Checkerboards.


And, of course, no real sandwich recipe booklet of this era would be complete without the instructions for making a Party Sandwich Loaf.


I'll tell you. If I were going to the trouble to fill up a pastry bag and pipe decorations onto something, it would sure be the frosting for a cake and not cream cheese for a sandwich. But that's just me.