The Viral Trader Joe’s Sandwich (With Our Arugula Twist)

If you have spent any time on social media lately, you have almost certainly seen it: the Trader Joe’s viral sandwich. The delicious sun-dried tomato focaccia, the pesto mayo, the turkey and juicy tomato, and that gorgeous clean slice straight down the middle. We finally caved, made it in our own kitchen, and oh my goodness. It absolutely lives up to the hype.

This one comes straight from Lindsay over at Pinch of Yum, whose original sandwich racked up millions of views (and our undivided attention). We made one tiny change, swapping fresh arugula in for the usual lettuce, because we love that little peppery bite against the creamy pesto mayo. Everything else is pure Trader Joe’s magic, and the whole thing comes together in about ten minutes. Consider this your new go-to for busy weeknights and lazy weekend lunches.

What You’ll Need

Here is everything we grabbed on our Trader Joe’s run. The sun-dried tomato focaccia is the star of the show, so try not to skip it if you can help it. Be warned it does tend to sell out during the day so make sure you’re there on the earlier side if you want to snag a loaf.

• 1 loaf Trader Joe’s sun-dried tomato focaccia
• 1 package (about 7 oz) deli turkey
• 4-5 slices of bacon
• 1 large tomato, thinly sliced
• A big handful of fresh arugula (our swap for the usual lettuce)
• A few thin slices of red onion
• 1/4 cup mayo
• 1/4 cup pesto
• Salt and pepper, to taste

A quick note: the original recipe calls for greens or lettuce, and we chose arugula for that fresh, peppery bite against the creamy pesto mayo. Use whatever you love best!

How to Make the Trader Joe’s Viral Sandwich

1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees and toast the focaccia for 5 to 8 minutes. Toasting it really is better, trust us.
2. While the bread toasts, stir the mayo and pesto together in a small bowl to make your pesto mayo.
3. Cook bacon to desired crispness.
4. Lay the focaccia flat on a cutting board, turn a serrated knife sideways, and slice all the way through the middle so you have a top and a bottom. Keep that crumbly top flat and set it aside.
5. Spread a generous layer of pesto mayo on the bottom piece, then pile on the turkey, bacon, tomato, arugula, and red onion.
6. Dollop a little more pesto mayo right on top of the arugula and onion. This way you do not have to flip the top piece and lose all those good crumbles.
7. Gently press the top piece back on and give it a little squish so it is nice and secure.
8. Use a big knife to cut it down the middle and across a few times, about six pieces total. Serve right away and enjoy!

Why We Love This Sandwich

It is fast, it feeds a crowd, and it tastes like something you would happily pay too much for at a cute little cafe. The arugula keeps it feeling fresh and a touch grown-up, and the pesto mayo pulls everything together. It has quietly become one of our favorite things to make when we are together.

Tips for the Best Focaccia Sandwich

• Toast the focaccia. We know it is tempting to skip, but warm bread makes a huge difference.
• Slice the bread flat instead of flipping it, so you keep all those crispy crumbles up top.
• Add that second dollop of pesto mayo on top of the fillings instead of the bread.
• Eat it fresh. Leftovers get soft, so if you are not serving the whole loaf, cut off a chunk and build a smaller sandwich.

All the credit for this little obsession goes to Lindsay at Pinch of Yum. If you want her original version, with all her notes and the famous video, you can find it right here: Trader Joe’s Sun-Dried Tomato Focaccia Turkey Sandwich. Thank you, Lindsay, for the sandwich that started it all!

Have you tried the viral sandwich yet? Tell us your favorite add-ins in the comments. We are always looking for an excuse to make another one.

Craving more easy copycat recipes? Try our Copycat Zupas Green Goddess Salad next.