Tag Archives: nationaleatahoagieday

First things first: what is a hoagie? This term is certainly not used nation wide.

According to my National Day Calendar:

The hoagie consists of a meats, cheeses, vegetables, sauces and seasonings on a long roll of Italian or French bread.  The hoagie goes by many names including:

• torpedo
• grinder
• hero sandwich
• Italian sandwich
• submarine sandwich
• sub

“Hoggies” was a nickname for Italian workers at the Hog Island shipyard in Philadelphia during World War I.  These workers were known for bringing giant sandwiches for lunch.  The nickname became associated with the sandwich and the spelling has been altered over time.

Hoagie is a very ‘Philly’ term, but around my parts we just call them subs 🙂

I couldn’t find any great deals from all of the sandwich chains we all love so much, so I wanted to write a little bit about how to make hoagie-making cost efficient. With a meal like this, it’s a little tough, since almost all ingredients have to be fresh, from the bread to meats and cheeses, to veggie toppings.

GoodCheapEats.com gives us some great tips on how we can maximize our sandwiches at smaller costs. Recommendations include:

• Buying big baguettes and chopping into smaller rolls
• Turkey clocks in at the cheapest cost deli meat
• Grilled chicken is also an inexpensive option and allows you to use bulk-brought frozen breasts
• Tuna – canned, cheap!
• Egg salad – you all already know how I feel about the incredibly budget-friendly, protein-building power of the simple egg
• Don’t overbuy on the toppings! Most sandwiches just need some lettuce, a slice or two of tomato, maybe some onion, jarred pickles – don’t overcompensate toppings wise. Buy within reason, and it’ll be enough
• Standard condiments – mayonnaise (jar, bulk buy, or even, make your own!), mustard, pesto (make your own!) – these are all simple and one container generally lasts a long time

It’s simple, although sandwiches are so easy to pick up on the go, don’t forget that if you have enough foresight, these are the easiest of meals to make, and can be immensely cost-efficient if you make them on your own.

Enjoy celebrating #NationalEatAHoagieDay!