U.S — Thanksgiving leftovers. People either love or hate them.
A recent nationwide survey indicates love is winning though, with an overwhelming majority of Americans, 94%, preferring to dine on Thanksgiving leftover sandwiches. It broke it down further, with turkey of course topping out as the stacker of choice.
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The survey also took a look at the generational divides over non-leftover, must-have ingredients.
When it comes to crafting the choice Thanksgiving leftover sandwich, more than half who use bread on it, 54%, say their bread selection is because it's their favorite for all sandwiches. White bread (20%) was the bread winner for sandwich bases, with whole wheat and Hawaiian bread varieties following closely behind (15% each)
"What the survey makes clear is that, while Americans may prefer myriad different ingredients on their Thanksgiving leftover sandwiches, we can all agree that a great bread is essential to any day-after-Thanksgiving sandwich. As our founder liked to say, great sandwiches start with great bread; that's something we believe so strongly here that we put it on all of our bread bags," said Tim Lotesto, Vice President of Retail Sales at Alpha Baking Co., Inc.
According to the survey, nearly half, (47%) of Thanksgiving leftover sandwich makers include non-leftover ingredients in their culinary creations. Mayonnaise topped the list, with 47% saying they add it to theirs. However, mayo is used by this group of Baby Boomers (ages 65+) almost twice as much as Gen Z and Millennials combined (age 18-44) (63% vs. 35%).
Not surprisingly, cheese (34%) and tomato (22%), perennial sandwich staples, take the second and third spots for non-traditional ingredients. While bacon emerged as a popular non-leftover ingredient, 20% need it on their Thanksgiving leftover sandwiches. Gen Z and Millennials prefer it nearly twice that of Boomers.
Chips also made the list as a desirable non-leftover ingredient, with 15% incorporating the salty snack into their sandwiches. Notably, the younger generation (18-34) professes a deep love for crispy chips, enjoying them nearly three times as much as those aged 65+.