Why it works: Swiss cheese and cheddar cheese share more aroma than cooks usually use. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 80 recipes. Both carry ethyl 2-methylbutyrate, which smells fruity, apple. The science ↓
Tortilla Club
Serves 4Ingredients
Directions
Spread each tortilla evenly with 1 tablespoon salad dressing; sprinkle with 1 tablespoon tomato.
Top with 1 lettuce leaf, 1 slice turkey, 1 slice Swiss cheese, 1 slice ham, and 1 slice cheddar cheese.
Roll up tortilla; secure with toothpicks.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
Counts 10 of 12 ingredients. The other 2 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.
What these numbers assume: 10 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Flour | 1 cup (125g) all-purpose | 455 |
| Pork | 100g cooked | 242 |
| Chicken | 100g cooked | 165 |
| Tortilla | 1 medium flour (45g) | 140 |
| Cheddar Cheese | 1 oz (28g) | 113 |
| Cheese | 1 oz (28g) cheddar | 113 |
| Swiss Cheese | 1 oz (28g) | 108 |
| Honey | 1 tbsp (21g) | 64 |
| Tomato | 1 medium (123g) | 22 |
| Lettuce | 1 cup shredded (36g) | 5 |
| Salad Dressing | not in our table | 0 |
| Leaf | not in our table | 0 |
One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.
Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.
Explore the science
The flavor team
The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.
-
Swiss cheese + cheddar cheesetop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together80 recipes
Shared aroma: ethyl 2-methylbutyrate (fruity, apple).
-
Tomato + lettucetop 6% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together1,655 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
-
Flour + lettucetop 11% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together1,236 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
-
Tomato + cheddar cheesetop 12% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together1,865 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
-
Honey + cheddar cheesetop 13% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together92 recipes
Shared aroma: methyl 2-methylbutyrate (apple, fatty).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Flour tortillas
- Form the wrap that holds all the fillings together.
- Thousand island salad dressing
- Adds moisture and tangy flavor that keeps the fillings from drying out.
- Deli turkey breast
- Provides the lean, savory meat base of the sandwich.
- Swiss cheese
- Melts slightly against the warm tortilla and adds nutty flavor.
- Deli ham
- Adds salty, savory flavor and chew to the filling.
- Cheddar or american cheese
- Adds creamy richness and sharp flavor that binds the layers.
The step that matters
Roll up tortilla; secure with toothpicks.. Tortillas that are not warmed enough crack or tear when rolled, and loose layers can slide out. Rolling tightly and securing with toothpicks keeps the wrap intact for slicing and serving.
Swap the lettuce
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (flour, tomato, turkey, swiss cheese, honey, cheddar cheese):
- Capsicumfits better
- Potatofits better
- Mustardfits better
- Lettucethe original
Fit is the average pairing score against flour, tomato, turkey, swiss cheese, honey, cheddar cheese. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
You might also like
Tomato Soup526 recipes
Cream of Tomato Soup107 recipes
Macaroni and Cheese102 recipes
Turkey Soup71 recipesThe free Flavor Lab newsletter: one surprising pairing a week and the molecular reason it works, in 60 seconds. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
Prefer an account? Create a free account to save pairings and unlock the full chemistry.