Nov. 3, 2026
Contact: Cary Littlejohn, carylittlejohn@missouri.edu
Photos by Reagan Manis and Campus Dining Services
For University of Missouri professor Chris Prestigiacomo, the perfect sandwich doesn't need two slices of bread — or conventional ingredients.
His favorite? An open-faced peanut butter and Cheetos sandwich, a childhood creation that has stood the test of time.
Prestigiacomo first tried the combination as an elementary school student in Kansas City, where peanut butter sandwiches were a familiar part of his school lunches. Nearly 60 years later, he still enjoys it between the classes he teaches in Mizzou’s Robert J. Trulaske, Sr. College of Business.
“It's more nostalgic than anything else,” Prestigiacomo said.
But there’s also a scientific explanation for why his unusual combination works.
In celebration of National Sandwich Day, Mizzou experts are sharing what makes a great sandwich, from the chemistry of flavor to the importance of texture.
The science of a satisfying sandwich
According to Ruojie Zhang, an assistant professor of food science in the College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources, a memorable sandwich starts with the right balance of flavors and textures.
Think of crisp lettuce or toasted bread paired with soft, creamy cheese.
“But texture isn’t the whole story,” Zhang said. “Structural integrity matters, too. The bread needs to be sturdy enough to hold the fillings, but not so tough that everything gets pushed out when you take a bite. Even the way ingredients are layered can affect how well the sandwich holds together. How do we create the right texture while keeping the sandwich from falling apart? That's where food engineering and even physics come in.”
Building a better bite
The secret to a better sandwich isn’t necessarily a fancy recipe. It’s knowing how to balance flavors, combine textures and choose ingredients that work together.
“Think about the savory taste of meat and cheese, balanced by the acidity of pickles or mustard,” Zhang said. “Why do these flavors work so well together? That’s a food chemistry question.”
Salt enhances savory flavors. Fat adds richness. Acidity cuts through heavier ingredients, and sweetness helps balance sharper tastes.
And those same principles can explain why even the strangest sandwich combinations work.
“Even unusual food combinations can work because of how their flavors and textures interact,” Zhang said. “Take the peanut butter and Cheetos sandwich, for example. Peanut butter is rich, creamy and slightly sweet, while Cheetos add saltiness, cheesy flavor and crunch. The savory flavors complement each other, while the contrast between creamy and crunchy textures makes each bite more interesting.”
While food science helps explain why unexpected combinations can work, it also reveals how much thought goes into the sandwiches we enjoy every day.
The meat of the matter
Flavor and texture issues don’t first arise when a sandwich is being assembled; they are key considerations from the earliest steps in the ingredients’ preparation and packaging processes.
At Mizzou’s new Michael L. Parson Meat Science Education and Training Laboratory, students learn how factors such as seasoning, preparation and even the thickness of a slice of meat can change the way food tastes and feels.
After mastering the fundamentals of meat science, students are encouraged to experiment with ingredients, spice profiles and slicing techniques, said Teagan Schnurbusch, assistant director of the lab.
“There’s an appeal to the thinner slices of deli meat when it comes to the mouthfeel,” she said. “Even though you might still pile on the meat to ensure you get more flavor, the thinner slices give you a better eating experience because when you take a bite, you’re not actually having to chew through as much muscle fiber yourself.”
Then again, a thicker slice may provide a more savory bite.
“Thicker slices of meat tend to favor better quality cuts of meat, and you’re definitely going to taste more of the meat because your mouth is doing the work of breaking it up and extracting flavor in the process,” Schnurbusch said.
The new facility also includes a dedicated ready-to-eat space that will eventually allow the Mizzou Meat Market to offer deli-style luncheon meats. In the meantime, customers can purchase sandwich-ready ingredients such as sliced brisket, marinated chicken breast, thin-sliced ribeye and bacon.
“The great thing is: You can make a sandwich out of a lot of things,” she said.
Putting sandwich science to work at Mizzou
The science doesn’t stop with selecting and preparing ingredients. How they’re brought together can make just as much difference.
That’s something students can experience firsthand at Tiger Cheesesteaks, the newest concept at Restaurants at Southwest on Mizzou’s campus.
Cheesesteaks have long been a favorite among students, making them a natural fit for the new dining concept, said Derrick Cripps, director of Mizzou Campus Dining Services. The most popular option so far is the Beef Tiger Cheesesteak, featuring beef, provolone cheese, sautéed onions and peppers, and chipotle mayo.
“For me, it's all about how it's prepared,” Cripps said. “Every cheesesteak is made fresh to order, with the ingredients sautéed together on the grill. One of the most important steps comes at the end, when we place the bread directly over the ingredients and let it steam. This helps bring all those flavors together while warming and softening the bread. It's a small detail, but it makes a big difference in the finished sandwich.”
While a freshly grilled cheesesteak might seem worlds apart from an open-faced peanut butter and Cheetos sandwich, both demonstrate how familiar ingredients can become something special when the flavors and textures work together.
“From the chemistry of flavor to the physics of texture, every bite tells a scientific story,” Zhang said. “What makes food science so fascinating is that it helps us understand not just what tastes good, but why.”
Of course, science isn't the only explanation for our love of sandwiches. Sometimes, as Prestigiacomo knows, the best sandwich is simply the one that reminds you of childhood.
