Start by slicing your pickle in half lengthwise.

Grab a spoon and gently scoop out the seeded center of each half—but don’t go overboard. You want a little trench, not a tunnel. Leaving some flesh helps everything hold together.

Pat the pickle halves dry with a paper towel. This helps keep the sandwich from getting soggy or slippery.

Choose your bottom half. If it doesn’t sit flat, flip it over so the outside is facing up, and carefully slice a little off the rounded side to create a flat base.

Spread a little mayo inside each hollowed-out half—right where you scooped the seeds.

Fold your lunch meat and layer it into the pickle groove, letting a little hang out the sides for that deli-style look.

Halve your tomato and onion slices and stack them next, starting with the tomato. It’s going to start getting tall, so stack carefully.

Cut your cheese slice in half and layer it in, followed by the lettuce.

Line up the top pickle half with the bottom and secure the whole thing with three toothpicks—one on each end and one in the middle—to keep it from toppling.

Slice the whole thing in half and dig in!