I've never made any of these sandwiches.

But my husband, Jeff, is a great sandwich maker and I know when I have a good thing going. When we have a party, we buy all the fixings, then Jeff takes over. Some of his specialties are of the submarine or hero type of sandwich, while others are dripping with melted cheese and hot corned beef, but all of them are perfectly suited to a casual party.

Any sandwich recipe is only a guideline for constructing your own variation, so feel free to add your personal touch to any of these recipes. However, my husband has some useful ideas for putting together a great sandwich.

The bread is important. Submarine-type sandwiches are best made with a long roll that has a medium to soft crust. There should be a slight crunch as you bite into a well-filled sandwich. Very soft rolls tend to fall apart while hard-crusted ones are difficult to tackle.

Pressed sandwiches are an exception. Because the roll for a pressed and grilled sandwich is weighted to compress it, soft rolls will produce thin, crisp sandwiches. You can find both types of rolls in the baking section of most supermarkets.

Meats, cheeses and vegetables for sandwich fillings should be thinly sliced, while chopped ingredients should be cut to the same size. Thin slices piled high make appealing, thick sandwiches with fillings that won't scoot out from between the bread as you take a bite.

Lettuce should have a crisp texture, so iceberg lettuce makes a good choice. It will remain crisp even after dressings are added or when baked for a few minutes under some cheese.

Neatness counts. Layer everything carefully, and spread sauces and condiments evenly over the bread.

But, be flexible; these are no-fail preparations. If your market sells small rolls or long loaves, use the measurements given as a guide. You can go heavy on the meat, cheese or any ingredients that you prefer and leave out any that don't appeal to you. And, if you are a mayonnaise lover, spread it on.

Open-Face Corned Beef and Cheddar

Makes 4 sandwiches (see note)

4 slices seeded rye bread, onion rye preferred

1/4 cup mayonnaise

10 ounces thinly sliced (about 12 slices) lean corned beef

8 ounces sharp Cheddar cheese, sliced

2 tablespoons sweet pickle relish

Place oven rack about 6 inches below broiling element and preheat oven for broiling.

Place bread slices on baking sheet. Using 2 tablespoons mayonnaise, spread mayonnaise over each slice. Cover each slice with corned beef. Top with cheese.

Mix pickle relish with remaining 2 tablespoons mayonnaise and spread mixture over cheese. Broil about 3 minutes just until cheese melts and sauce begins to bubble. Serve hot.

Note: Try these sandwiches when you need a large quantity for a crowd. They are simple to assemble and can be lined up on baking sheets ready for their broiled finish. For hearty appetizer servings, cut each sandwich into quarters.

Spicy Hot and Cold Vegetarian Grinders

Makes 4 sandwiches

4 fresh soft baguettes, 10 to 12 inches long

4 teaspoons prepared mustard

4 teaspoons mayonnaise

4 teaspoons diced hot cherry peppers (see note)

8 slices (about 6 ounces) provolone cheese

2 large tomatoes, thinly sliced

1 medium onion, thinly sliced

1/2 cup grated carrot

24 dill-pickle slices

1 sweet red or yellow pepper, cut into thin strips

2 tablespoons sliced and pitted black olives, optional

freshly ground black pepper

8 large crisp lettuce leaves

Cut each baguette in half horizontally, leaving bottom edge attached. Spread rolls open. Spread 1 side of each roll evenly with mustard, mayonnaise and cherry peppers. Place 1 layer of cheese along length of each roll, folding cheese in half to fit into roll. Add 1 layer of tomato slices, pressing them to fit roll. Add 1 layer of onions, carrot, pickle slices and sweet pepper strips. Sprinkle with black olive slices, if using.

Press filling gently into roll. Grind black pepper over filling. Place lettuce leaves over top of each filled sandwich and press rolls closed. Use large knife and sawing motion to cut sandwiches in half. Serve cold.

Note: Jars of diced red and green cherry peppers are usually found in the pickle section of supermarkets, but any hot pepper relish works fine.

PLT Hoagies With Cheese Makes 4 sandwiches

4 long soft rolls, about 8 inches long (see note)

2 tablespoons mayonnaise

12 slices provolone cheese, about 8 ounces

4 ounces sliced pepperoni

1 1/2 cups chopped iceberg lettuce

1 large tomato, chopped

8 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded

Place oven rack about 6 inches below broiling element and preheat oven for broiling. Line baking sheet with aluminum foil.

Cut each roll in half horizontally, leaving bottom edge attached. Spread rolls open, and evenly spread 1 side of each roll with mayonnaise. Place 3 slices cheese, overlapping them, along length of each roll.

Cook pepperoni slices in nonstick skillet over medium heat until edges are crisp, about 4 minutes. Turn slices once during cooking.

Spread pepperoni slices evenly over cheese. Top pepperoni with lettuce, then tomato. Sprinkle mozzarella over top.

Arrange sandwiches on baking sheet. Broil just until cheese melts, about 2 minutes. Close sand- wiches, cut in half and serve hot.

Note: These rolls, often called hoagie rolls, look like a large hot dog bun.

Jeff's Famous Italian

Makes 4 sandwiches

TOMATO-ONION SALAD:

3 medium tomatoes, very thinly sliced (about / inch)

1 medium onion, very thinly sliced (less than / inch)

1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano

freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon olive oil

SANDWICH:

4 fresh soft baguettes, about 8 inches long

8 teaspoons olive oil

3 ounces sliced pepperoni (larger sandwich pepperoni works well)

4 slices baked ham

12 slices provolone cheese, about 9 ounces

To prepare Tomato-Onion Salad, place 1 layer sliced tomatoes in medium bowl, followed by 1 layer sliced onions. Sprinkle with some oregano, generous grinding of black pepper. Using all tomatoes and onions, continue making alternating layers of tomatoes, onions, oregano and pepper. Drizzle olive oil over top. Toss mixture together. Some tomatoes will break apart. Cover and let stand 2 to 4 hours at room temperature, stirring once.

To prepare Sandwich, place oven rack about 6 inches below broiling element and preheat oven for broiling. Line baking sheet with aluminum foil.

Cut each roll horizontally in half and spread apart. Drizzle 1 teaspoon olive oil over both sides of each roll. Place pepperoni slices over bottom half of each roll and 1 slice ham on top half of each roll.

Arrange rolls open-face on baking sheet and broil about 3 minutes until meat is warm. Cover sandwiches with provolone cheese, 1 1/2 slices on each piece and broil just until cheese melts, about 6 minutes.

Spread generous serving of Tomato-Onion Salad on bottom half of each roll and top with ham-filled half. Serve hot.

Pressed Salami and Swiss Sandwiches

Makes 4 sandwiches

4 fresh soft baguettes, 10 to 12 inches long

3 tablespoons prepared mustard

16 slices (about 6 ounces) hard salami

8 slices (about 6 ounces) Swiss cheese

24 dill-pickle slices

olive oil

Cut each baguette in half horizontally, leaving 2 halves of each roll stacked together. Place rolls on baking sheet and cover them with wax paper. Weight rolls with books or large skillet filled with cans or books about 30 minutes until they are compressed to about half their original thickness.

Over medium heat, heat large skillet or griddle large enough to hold baguettes. Remove weights and wax paper. Separate rolls. Spread each cut side with mustard. Arrange 4 slices salami and 2 slices Swiss cheese on bottom of each roll, folding each to fit bread. Place 1 layer pickle slices over cheese. Top with remaining roll halves. Brush outside of rolls with olive oil.

Place sandwiches in hot skillet, pressing them down firmly with large spatula, and cook about 4 minutes on each side until cheese melts and rolls are lightly toasted. Cut each sandwich in half and serve hot.

Cheese Bombers

Makes 4 sandwiches

4 round or square kaiser-type rolls

3 tablespoons prepared mustard

4 slices havarti cheese (about 4 ounces)

4 slices Swiss cheese (about 3 ounces)

1 medium onion, thinly sliced, rings separated

freshly ground black pepper

8 tomato slices

4 iceberg lettuce leaves

Line baking sheet with aluminum foil. Slice rolls in half horizontally. Spread cut sides of rolls with mustard.

Place slice of havarti on cut side of each bottom roll and 1 slice Swiss cheese on cut side of each top roll. Fold cheese onto rolls so slices don't hang over edges. Place 3 to 4 rings of onion over cheese.

Arrange, cut side up, on baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees about 6 minutes, just until cheese melts and softens but is not crusty. Remove from oven.

Grind pepper generously over each. Top each havarti roll with 2 tomato slices and 1 lettuce leaf. Cover each with 1 Swiss cheese roll. Cut sandwiches in half and serve hot.

-- Adapted from the Corner Shop in Rockport, Maine