We got up close and personal with the country singer's love of eggs and the realities of teen stardom.
Egg salad is already one of those sandwiches that can spark a strong opinion. Add freshly baked brioche, sourdough and a country singer smashing hard-boiled eggs with her bare hands, and you have the latest episode of The Great American Sandwich Show.
On this episode, comedian and chef Lindsay Ames welcomes Lauren Alaina into the kitchen to make two very different takes on the singer’s favorite kind of sandwich: egg salad. As always, the sandwiches are only part of the story. Between chopping eggs and debating the ideal amount of bread, Lindsay and Lauren talk about American Idol, motherhood, Lauren’s upcoming album and the long journey that brought her here. It gets funny, it gets heartfelt, and, yes, somebody’s manicure gets declared perfectly suited to smashing eggs.
The Guest: Lauren Alaina
If you’ve been listening to country music for the last decade or so, chances are you’ve heard Lauren Alaina’s powerhouse voice. The Rossville, Georgia, native first stepped into the national spotlight as a teenager on American Idol, where she finished as the Season 10 runner-up. Since then, she’s built an impressive country music career with three No. 1 hits, including “Road Less Traveled,” “ONE BEER” with HARDY and Devin Dawson and the Diamond-certified “What Ifs” with Kane Brown. She’s also been a member of the Grand Ole Opry since 2022.
But Lauren’s story is especially interesting because she almost didn’t get there. During the episode, she reveals that she auditioned for America’s Got Talent four times—not the two on public record—and never made it past the first round before eventually landing on American Idol. That determination clearly paid off. And while I love a comeback story, I may love that Lauren’s current era is all about embracing every version of herself even more.
Her new album, Stages, arrives August 28. Lauren says the project spans the life of a young girl who dreamed of becoming a singer, a wilder chapter inspired by partying and exes, and then the life she’s living now as a wife and mom. One of the album’s most personal songs, “Heaven Sent,” reflects on learning she was pregnant with her daughter shortly after her father’s unexpected death. Honestly, I am a sucker for an album with a full emotional arc, so I can’t wait for it to drop.
The Sandwiches
Lauren’s egg salad sandwich is simple, nostalgic and straight from her childhood. She explains that her Nonna made egg salad sandwiches while she was growing up. Her version sticks to the basics: eggs, mayonnaise, mustard, salt and pepper. Well, mostly basics. Lauren’s preparation method is a little less traditional. Instead of carefully chopping the eggs, she eventually starts squishing them with her hands. It’s a move she knows her mother will have plenty to say about. The result is piled onto thick sourdough, making for a delicious, hearty sandwich.
Lindsay takes the egg salad in a more chef-y direction, starting with homemade brioche. She even baked the bread herself, an immediate power move. Her creamy egg salad gets a little extra help from shredded egg, giving the filling a softer texture. Once it’s stacked on that golden, pillowy brioche and rolled in chives, the sandwich looks polished enough for a restaurant menu. Lauren says as much herself, and I have to agree.
Overheard in the Kitchen
“My mother is going to call me and say, ‘Why did you break the eggs with your hands?'” —Lauren Alaina
Lauren says this just before fully committing to the hand-smashing method, and honestly? Every great family recipe has one step that would make someone else’s mother gasp. The important thing is that Lauren’s egg salad was made with confidence. Or at least enough confidence to let Lindsay eat it afterward.
“This was all I was ever going to do.” —Lauren Alaina
When Lindsay asks Lauren what kept her going after multiple unsuccessful auditions, Lauren doesn’t hesitate. She says singing was always the plan. That answer makes her story from America’s Got Talent to American Idol feel even more satisfying. Sometimes, the path to the thing you’re meant to do is not exactly a straight line. Sometimes you have to audition four times, get told no and keep showing up anyway.
“My relationship with food now is completely different.” —Lauren Alaina
The episode also takes a more serious turn when Lauren discusses the intense scrutiny she experienced as a teenager in the spotlight and her long recovery from an eating disorder. She shares why speaking openly about her experience remains important to her, especially now that she’s a mother. Then, she immediately jokes about mashing eggs with her hands so no one will want to eat her food. It’s a perfect reminder that even the heaviest conversations can leave room for laughter.
The Winning Sandwich
Lauren’s egg salad was nostalgic, unfussy and made with the kind of chaotic kitchen energy I deeply respect. But Lindsay’s sandwich had homemade brioche on its side, and that is simply a difficult advantage to overcome. When they finally taste each other’s creations, Lauren gives Lindsay the win, saying she basically has to because Lindsay baked the bread herself.
Lindsay’s winning sandwich is called The Eggcellent because apparently, no egg pun was getting left on the cutting board. Lauren names hers Hands-On Eggcellence, which may honestly be my favorite part of the entire competition. Lindsay even jokes that she almost wants Lauren to win based on the name alone. In the end, though, Lindsay rings the bell for herself, and Lauren graciously accepts defeat while promising she hopes never to see Lindsay again. Kidding, obviously.
You Be the Judge
Would you have picked Lauren’s nostalgic, ahem, “hands-on” sandwich or Lindsay’s homemade-brioche masterpiece? Tell us which sandwich gets your vote!
The Full Play-by-Play
Want every egg pun, every sandwich critique and the full conversation between Lindsay and Lauren? Here’s the complete transcript from the episode.
Lindsay: Are you ready to make some sandwiches?
Lauren: Oh, always ready to make a sandwich.
Lindsay: Here’s the thing. Today we’re going to be making some egg salad sandwiches. Very exciting.
Lauren: I love egg salad sandwiches. Did you hear this about me?
Lindsay: I knew this about you. It’s going to be really hard for me not to, like, slip into being like, [Southern accent] I knew this about you.
Lauren: The accent? It’s contagious. I actually forget that I have one until people start doing it and sounding weird.
Lindsay: Yeah. That’s me. A Canadian with a southern accent. You know, very natural. OK, so here’s the thing. You wanted sourdough. I said, “My girl wants sourdough, but which one?” OK, great. Take that one now.
Lauren: I’m gonna eat it all. Who needs anything else but the bread?
Lindsay: Yeah. Let’s go. Let’s get out of here.
Lauren: The shortest episode ever.
Lindsay: I made, for the first time ever, a brioche for my egg salad sandwich. I just wanted the best for you.
Lauren: I like your brioche.
Lindsay: It looks almost like it’s smiling. OK, I know we have to get into making these. I’m gonna have to slice mine. Here are all your ingredients.
Lauren: Yep. What are you doing?
Lindsay: I’m gonna also do an egg salad sandwich. But it’s going to be a special one that I was born and raised doing. And I want to know how you came to pick the egg salad sandwich.
Lauren: So, my Nonna, my mom’s mom, made egg salad sandwiches growing up, so it’s a pretty simple recipe, honestly. I just do a little mayonnaise, a little mustard, salt, pepper. I should have started with the egg. That’s pretty crucial to the egg salad. I told all the ingredients and no egg.
Lindsay: This is my secret weapon. A little shreddy eggy. OK. People have had shreddy letty, but this is shreddy eggy. You know why? Look at that. Look at that.
Lauren: That’s incredible. I just chop mine up with a knife.
Lindsay: Yeah, I got a knife for you.
Lauren: Honestly, I might just squish it.
Lindsay: OK?
Lauren: My mother is going to call me and say, “Why did you break the eggs with your hands?” She’s going to be so mad at me for this.
Lindsay: But actually, I honestly, I really appreciate it because I feel like this is the way now.
Lauren: Do you appreciate the woman with the egg on her hands?
Lindsay: But here’s the thing. I’m going to get a little bit of you in this. It’s like your DNA.
Lauren: Are you going to eat this?
Lindsay: Yes.
Lauren: You’re gonna eat mine?
Lindsay: Yeah. I’m eating yours. And you’re eating mine. Well, here’s my question. Did you wash your hands?
Lauren: Yes, I did. Today I did.
Lindsay: Listen, I’ve survived death three times, so if it actually comes to pass.
Lauren: Wait, really? Let’s talk about that.
Lindsay: No, no, no, we need to talk about your—oh, you need a—give her a napkin.
Lauren: I’m about to use my pants.
Lindsay: I have an important question: August 28.
Lauren: Yes.
Lindsay: It’s a big day.
Lauren: It’s a big day.
Lindsay: Why is it a big day?
Lauren: My album Stages is coming out on August 28. I’m very excited about it. I called it Stages because it represents three different stages of my life. … I mean, you’re so fancy. Cuttin’ a little circle out of it.
Lindsay: I’m going to do something really fun for this. For you. I feel like you’re going to like it. It’s going to make you drool everywhere.
Lauren: I am such a chef, look how beautiful this is.
Lindsay: Honestly. It’s great.
Lauren: Going to make mine look like a heart. Not really. I’m gonna give you—you’re getting what you get.
Lindsay: And you don’t get it set. That’s what my family motto is.
Lauren: We say, “You get what you get, and you don’t pitch a fit.”
Lindsay: I swear to God, different timelines or something. But we are the same. We are family.
Lauren: Yeah. You get what you get and you don’t pitch a fit.
Lindsay: You don’t pitch a fit.
Lauren: Is that a Southern saying? Pitch a fit?
Lindsay: Yeah, I feel like it sounds very Southern.
Lauren: Do you know what it means?
Lindsay: Yeah, you know, like if I saw you do that egg thing with your hands, and then I was like, [yells] that would be it.
Lauren: Yeah. Exactly that would be pitching a fit.
Lindsay: What’s your favorite song?
Lauren: My favorite song on the album?
Lindsay: Yeah.
Lauren: I wrote a song called “Heaven Sent.” I found out I was pregnant with my daughter two months after my dad passed away. So I wrote “Heaven Sent” about the fact that I feel like when my dad passed, he sent my daughter because I was very close with my dad, and it was very unexpected, and so was she. She was a big surprise.
Lindsay: That’s so lovely.
Lauren: So I closed the album with “Heaven Sent” because it feels like the most, like, really representative of where my heart is right now. But I named the album Stages because it represents three stages of my life. So stage one is like, the little girl who dreamed this all up for me. I started on American Idol when I was 16. This sandwich is gonna slap. Oh my gosh. Um, I don’t even know what I was talking about. I’m not even sure if I put all the ingredients in my egg salad, because I was watching you and I just made it. There it is. It’s going to be the best egg salad sandwich ever. Anyways, so stage two is about like, it’s literally about all of my exes. Literally, like partying. And anyway, so that’s stage two. And then stage three is where I am now. And I have the song about my dad, I have songs about my husband, but I recorded the album over four years and there was so many different things. So the word Stages came up because I feel like I represent three different parts of my life, all in one record, so I’m very proud of it.
Lindsay: That’s beautiful. So now it’s time. Yeah, this is part of the show. It’s called “How do you cut?”
Lauren: Oh, what if I did something crazy? Like I cut it in slices like this. Just a little half there. I’m gonna cut it.
Lindsay: Like I feel like that’s delicious. I go 50/50 on an egg sandwich.
Lindsay: I mean, like, I would go 50/50 either way. And, like, sometimes I would cut like this.
Lindsay: That’s it. Let’s see the cross-section.
Lauren: Should I take a bite of your sandwich, too?
Lindsay: Yeah. OK. So now I’m going to cut mine, but I’m just going to do it right down the middle because you know,
Lauren: This looks like it can be sold in a restaurant.
Lindsay: All right. We have now come to the best part of the show where we try each other’s sandwiches. All right. Lord.
Lauren: Well, if it was based on looks…
Lindsay: I mean. But yours actually does look really great. OK, let’s do this. One, two, three.
Lindsay: There’s a tang and a zip. But I don’t know if it’s coming from your hands or the mayo!
Lauren: All right. Well I quite literally handed you my sandwich. This is really yummy.
Lindsay: I feel like I wish I could taste more of your egg because I actually feel like this bread is like…
Lauren: Too thick? I tried to put a good spread on there for, you know.
Lindsay: OK. That is delicious. OK. Let’s try.
Lauren: Yours is better.
Lindsay: I think it’s probably also my bread.
Lauren: Yeah. Oh, you baked this bread. I mean, you win just because you baked the bread.
Lindsay: I win. OK, speaking of winning, you auditioned twice for America’s Got Talent, right? [Lauren gestures] Four times!
Lauren: Never made it past the first round.
Lindsay: OK. And then you went on to do American Idol.
Lauren: And got second place.
Lindsay: What kept you on the trajectory of staying the course?
Lauren: This was all I was ever going to do. From the time I was six years old, I told people I was going to be on American Idol. It was my favorite show.
Lindsay: What was the hardest thing that you found in that experience?
Lauren: I mean, when I auditioned, I was 15, and I turned 16 on the show, and overnight the whole world had something to say about me. And, 15 and 16 is a tough age in general, doing it on national television and people commenting on, like, my hair and my accent and my body—mostly my body—it really bothered me. I struggled with an eating disorder for a very long time after that. And I obviously got treatment and got better. But being a 16-year-old girl in the spotlight and doing so well in the year I was on it, it was like a huge year. And, I was really young to handle that. But so proud of my journey and so thankful for it. But it was really difficult.
Lindsay: How did you move through it? Did you have a support system in your family? Was it friends?
Lauren: My mom. My mom traveled with me until I turned 18 because I was underage. You know, I think my mom knew what was going on. I actually was struggling with the eating disorder when I went on the show. So, like, people commenting on my weight was like my absolute worst nightmare.
Lindsay: Right, it just exacerbated it.
Lauren: Yeah. And then it got really out of control. And, I’ve spoken out a lot about it. It’s very important for me to share. I talk about it on stage every night, pretty much.
Lindsay: Yeah. It takes such a toll. How did your relation to food change after you were through treatment?
Lauren: Completely. So I struggled with bulimia, and it actually affected my vocal cords. And so I was seeing a doctor for my vocal cords and kind of had a “come to Jesus” in that office. My mom was there. I think my mom was so desperate to help me. Oh man, I have a daughter now. And I think about how she must have felt. Yeah, but I was going to the doctor for that. And I love singing, and I was always so proud of singing. And they were telling me, like, if you don’t get better, you’re not going to be able to sing anymore. So I think that was really the moment of realization of like, OK, I’ve got to get some help. But it still took me years to really get better. And my relationship with food now is completely different. Just mashing up eggs and using my hands to cook it for other people. Yeah, absolutely. So that they don’t want to eat my food. But like, it’s still a journey for me too, like, having my daughter. I had a daughter 13 months ago, and I’ve had to be very gracious and kind to my body again in a whole new way. And I have to kind of practice what I preach a little bit, you know.
Lindsay: Thank you so much for sharing that. But also, thank you for speaking out about it so much because it is so important. Like I work in food, and it’s so important how we relate to it. And how we relate to each other. And now love to eat, of course. Of course.
Lauren: Now I love to eat!
Lindsay: Of course! This is called Order’s Up. I’m going to ask you a series of rapid-fire questions, and you have to answer. OK, here we go. Question one: egg salad or tuna salad?
Lauren: What if I said tuna salad after all this?
Lindsay: Go-to karaoke song.
Lauren: “Baby Got Back” or “If I Ain’t Got You” by Alicia Keys. It really depends on my mood.
Lindsay: Who’s your favorite artist outside of country?
Lauren: Justin Bieber.
Lindsay: Favorite food cities?
Lauren: Chicago, your kitchen, and Rossville, Georgia. That’s where I came from.
Lindsay: OK. Dish you nominate to represent northern Georgia.
Lauren: Cubed steak and gravy, mashed potatoes with gravy, coleslaw and mac and cheese
Lindsay: With gravy?
Lauren: With gravy.
Lindsay: Favorite part of being a mom?
Lauren: Watching her learn to do new things. She makes me want to be better, like for her, and gives me a whole new perspective on life. She’s just so innocent and so sweet, and something about her has just made everything happier.
Lindsay: We’ve got to name the sandwich. You have to name your sandwich. I gotta name my sandwich. And then we’re going to decide. You have to decide whose is going to go up on the board. OK. What’s your sandwich name?
Lauren: Hands-On Eggcellence.
Lindsay: Oh, I actually like that. I almost want you to win because of that. My sandwich is going to be called The Eggcellent.
Lauren: We both did the eggcellent thing.
Lindsay: You gotta!
Lauren: We’re not putting my sandwich up on that board.
Lindsay: Honestly, I …
Lauren: Ring the bell. Yeah you win. OK?
Lindsay: I win.
