TSP Sandwich Planning Guide

Welcome to the Sandwich Project Planning Tool!

This page is designed to help volunteers and organizers plan group sandwich-making events when working with The Sandwich Project! Use this tool to estimate costs, quantities, and supplies for your event— whether you’re making 20 or 2,000 sandwiches!

🧮 Interactive Calculator: Plan by sandwich count or budget.
📊 Current Ingredient Pricing: See up-to-date price estimates for bread, meat, cheese, and bags.
🎯 Quick Reference: Popular quantities and cost estimates at a glance.
🥪 Recipe & Safety: Standard sandwich recipe and food safety tips.
💡 Planning Tips: Advice for smooth, safe, and successful events.

How to use: Start with the calculator below, or jump to any section for details and tips. All pricing is based on recent shopping at various retailers (Costco, Kroger, Publix, etc.) and may vary by location.

🧮 Interactive Calculator

🥪

Standard Sandwich Recipe

🍞 2 slices bread 🧀 2 slices cheese 🥩 3 slices meat 📦 1 bag

Calculator uses slice counts for accurate purchasing - no more leftover meat!

Plan Your Sandwich Making Shopping Trip

How would you like to plan your sandwich making shopping trip?

How much will it cost us to make ___ # of sandwiches? How many sandwiches can we make with a budget of $____?

Number of sandwiches Enter the number of sandwiches you want to make.

Budget ($) Enter the total amount you want to spend.

Meat type

Cheese type

Bread type

💡 Pro Tips: Consider buying an extra loaf of bread. Cool sandwiches in freezer for 20-30 minutes before loading into coolers that have been brought inside to cool down.

🛒 Custom Package Calculator

Found meat at Sam's Club, Costco, or another store that's not in our dropdown? Enter your package details below to calculate how many sandwiches you can make!

Calculate Sandwiches from Your Package

What info do you have from the package label?

I can count the slices (most accurate) I only have oz/servings info (we'll estimate slices)

Number of slices in package Count the slices or check the label

Package price ($) The price you paid for this package

📊 Full Custom Shopping List Builder

Have custom packages for all your ingredients? Enter details below to build a complete shopping list.

How would you like to plan?

How much will it cost to make ___ sandwiches? How many sandwiches can I make with $___ budget?

Target number of sandwiches

Budget ($) Enter the total amount you want to spend.

Slices per meat package

Meat package price ($)

Slices per cheese package

Cheese package price ($)

Sandwiches per bread package A double loaf typically makes 20 sandwiches

Bread package price ($)

Standard Sandwich Recipe (Per Sandwich)

2slices bread

2slices cheese

3slices meat

1sandwich bag

3 slices of deli meat = approximately 2-3 oz depending on slice thickness

🥜 Peanut Butter & Jelly Calculator

Plan Your PB&J Sandwiches

Number of PB&J sandwiches Enter the number of PB&J sandwiches you want to make.

Peanut butter type

Jelly type ⚠️ IMPORTANT: Use JELLY only - no jam, preserves, or fruit spread!

Every PB&J Sandwich Contains

2slices bread

3tbsp peanut butter

1.5tbsp jelly

1zip-lock sandwich bag

📊 Pricing Information (Updated 9/17/2025)

📝 Important Shopping Notes

🥩

Meat: Buy pre-packaged only
Don't get meat sliced at the deli counter—pre-packaged is safer and easier to work with.

🧀

Cheese: Avoid individually wrapped slices
Individually wrapped American cheese slices do not hold up well and are so much to work to unwrap during sandwich-making. Get deli-style sliced cheese—the kind sold together in one pack, not individually wrapped processed singles

Ingredient Cost Guide

Based on recent shopping • Prices vary by location

MEAT - Best Value Options

🦃

Kroger Turkey Family Size ⭐

1 lb • 30-32 slices

$4.39

~$0.14/slice • BEST VALUE!

🐷

Kirkland Ham

2-pack • 48 slices

$9.89

~$0.21/slice

🦃

Publix Turkey Breast

16 oz • 32 slices

$7.07

~$0.22/slice

🦃

Kroger Turkey Thin Sliced

9 oz • 18 slices

$3.99

~$0.22/slice

➕ Show More Meat Options

🦃

Land O'Frost Premium

16 oz • 32 slices

$9.53

~$0.30/slice

🦃

Hillshire Farm Ultra Thin

9 oz • 18 slices

$6.07

~$0.34/slice

🦃

Kirkland Turkey

2-pack • 40 slices

$13.99

~$0.35/slice

🦃

Kroger Private Selection®

8 oz • 11-12 slices

$6.49

~$0.56/slice

CHEESE

🧀

Adams Reserve

44 slices

$7.70

~$0.18/slice

🧀

Finlandia

40 slices

$9.69

~$0.24/slice

🧀

Arla Havarti

32 slices

$9.69

~$0.30/slice

BREAD & SUPPLIES

🍞

Nature's Own

Double loaf

$4.49

~$0.22/sandwich

🍞

Store Brand

Double loaf

$5.39

~$0.27/sandwich

📦

Sandwich Bags

480 count

$7.99

~$0.02/bag

✅ Right Cheese Regular sliced cheese: cheddar, swiss, provolone

❌ Wrong Cheese Kraft singles or any individually plastic-wrapped slices

🎯 Quick Reference: Popular Quantities

Costs include meat, cheese, bread, and bags. Based on 3 slices meat per sandwich, Adams Reserve cheese, Nature's Own bread. Prices may vary by location.

🏢

100

👥 Serves 50-75 people

🦃 Turkey (Kirkland): $181

🐷 Ham (Kirkland): $138

⭐ Best Value: Kroger Turkey Family - $152

🏫

200

👥 Serves 100-150 people

🦃 Turkey (Kirkland): $362

🐷 Ham (Kirkland): $276

⭐ Best Value: Kroger Turkey Family - $304

🎪

500

👥 Serves 250-375 people

🦃 Turkey (Kirkland): $905

🐷 Ham (Kirkland): $690

⭐ Best Value: Kroger Turkey Family - $760

🎡

1000

👥 Serves 500-750 people

🦃 Turkey (Kirkland): $1,810

🐷 Ham (Kirkland): $1,380

⭐ Best Value: Kroger Turkey Family - $1,520

🥪 Perfect Sandwich Recipe

Deli Sandwich - Every Sandwich Contains

2slices bread (no heels)

2slices cheese (one per bread slice)

3slices deli meat (turkey or ham) = 2-3 oz total

1zip-lock sandwich bag

Assembly Order: Bread → Cheese → Meat → Cheese → Bread

PB&J Sandwich - Assembly Instructions

2slices bread (no heels)

1 heaping tbsppeanut butter on each slice of bread

1 tbspjelly on one side only (not too close to edges)

1zip-lock sandwich bag

Assembly: Spread peanut butter on both slices of bread, then add jelly to one side. Press the two pieces together gently.

🛡️ Food Safety Requirements

🧤 Personal Hygiene

Wash hands with soap and warm water
Wear disposable gloves (required)
Change gloves if touching non-food items
Use hair ties or nets for long hair
Use beard nets if applicable
Clean and cover all prep surfaces

❄️ Temperature Control

Keep all ingredients at 40°F or below
Never leave ingredients at 80°F or above
Remove only 1 package of meat at a time from fridge
Return completed loaves immediately
Never put warm sandwiches in coolers

📦 Ingredient Standards

Use same quality you'd feed your family
Pre-packaged deli meat only (no deli counter)
Check expiration: 10+ days after purchase
Keep nut products away from deli area
When in doubt, throw it out!

🚚 Transport Safety

Cool sandwiches in freezer 20-30 minutes before packing
Ensure coolers are cool before loading (not hot from garage)
Use ice packs - enough to touch every loaf of sandwiches
Fill coolers completely (no air circulation)
Once packed, do NOT open cooler - it will rapidly heat up
Transport directly to host locations

💡 Planning Tips

⏱️ Timing Guidelines

Small (50-100): 45-90 minutes
Medium (200-300): 2-3 hours
Large (500+): 4-8 hours
Add 20 min for setup/cleanup

❄️ Storage & Transport

~100 sandwiches per large cooler
Plan 2-3 hours ingredient storage
Use your own coolers with ice packs
Never put warm sandwiches in coolers
Once packed, don't open cooler during transport

✅ Quality Standards

Same quality you'd serve family
10+ days until expiration
Pre-packaged deli meat only
Add 5-10% buffer for extras

Item	Price	Notes
Turkey (Kirkland 2-pack, 40 slices)	$13.99	40 slices total
Ham (Kirkland 2-pack, 48 slices)	$9.89	48 slices total
Publix Turkey Breast, Roasted, Thin Sliced	$7.07	16 oz / 32 slices
Land O'Frost Premium Oven Roasted Turkey Breast	$9.53	16 oz / 32 slices
Hillshire Farm Ultra Thin Sliced Oven Roasted Turkey Breast	$6.07	9 oz / 18 slices
Kroger Private Selection® Turkey Breast Oven Roasted Deli Sliced	$6.49	8 oz / 11-12 slices
Kroger® Turkey Breast Oven Roasted Deli Thin Sliced	$3.99	9 oz / 18 slices
Kroger® Turkey Breast Oven Roasted Deli Thin Sliced Family Size	$4.39	1 lb / 30-32 slices
Adams Reserve Cheese	$7.70	44 slices
Finlandia Swiss Cheese	$9.69	40 slices
Arla Havarti Cheese	$9.69	32 slices
Nature's Own Double Loaf	$3.99–$4.99	20 sandwiches
Sunbeam Double Loaf	$5.39	26 sandwiches
Sunbeam Single Loaf	$2.70	13 sandwiches
Other Brands Double Loaf	$5.39	20 sandwiches
Other Brands Single Loaf	$2.70	10 sandwiches
Zip-lock Sandwich Bags	$7.99	480 count

Quick Navigation

Welcome to the Sandwich Project Planning Tool!

🧮 Interactive Calculator

Standard Sandwich Recipe

Plan Your Sandwich Making Shopping Trip

📝 Your Shopping Checklist

🛒 Custom Package Calculator

Calculate Sandwiches from Your Package

📊 Full Custom Shopping List Builder

Standard Sandwich Recipe (Per Sandwich)

🥜 Peanut Butter & Jelly Calculator

Plan Your PB&J Sandwiches

Every PB&J Sandwich Contains

📊 Pricing Information (Updated 9/17/2025)

📝 Important Shopping Notes

Ingredient Cost Guide

🎯 Quick Reference: Popular Quantities

100

200

500

1000

🥪 Perfect Sandwich Recipe

Deli Sandwich - Every Sandwich Contains

PB&J Sandwich - Assembly Instructions

🛡️ Food Safety Requirements

🧤 Personal Hygiene

❄️ Temperature Control

📦 Ingredient Standards

🚚 Transport Safety

💡 Planning Tips

⏱️ Timing Guidelines

❄️ Storage & Transport

✅ Quality Standards