Brown Bagging Sandwiches

Brown bagging is a fact of life around here. Kids get set off to school with lunch boxes, folks working in town grab a brown bag, and those working out in the pasture all day just take a box of sandwiches so they don't have to drive all the way back to the house.

But pb&j get to be a wee bit boring after a while. So does luncheon meat and sandwich slices of cheese. Sandwiches are one of the most convenient meals available and it is possible to jazz it up. Try changing the bread - use pita, or bagels, or bollitos. Keep your eye out for bargains in the meat department. Recently we found a steal on turkey ham and the meat department was more than happy to slice it up for us for free. Make a little extra chicken or roast beef and set it aside for sandwiches.

By the way - alfalfa sprouts hold up much better than lettuce on sandwiches. Thinly sliced cabbage also keeps its crunch better. (And can be cheaper than lettuce, depending on the season.)

Tomato slices can be a hassle. To keep them from making the bread soggy, try sending them separately in a plastic bag. Or you can seal the bread with a thin layer of butter.

You may also want to try some of dinner's leftovers. Hamburgers and hot dogs that have been cooked may be served as a cold sandwich tomorrow. Be creative!

*Ham and Cheese Sandwich*
If you have it, swiss and rye bread is the traditional favorite.....

Herbed butter (recipe below)
Thinly sliced ham
Thinly sliced cheese
alfalfa sprouts
2 slices of bread (sturdy bread is good for this)

Butter the bread (the butter helps keep the bread from getting soggy), and assemble your sandwich between the 2 slices of bread.

*Herbed Butter*

1/2 c. butter, softened (but not melted)
1 T. lemon juice
1 T. parsley, chopped
1/2 t. dried basil

Mix all of the ingredients together.

*CBT*
A twist on a traditional favorite

2 slices of sourdough bread
Spreadable cream cheese (or softened reg. cream cheese)
2 slices of bacon, cooked until crispy
2 slices of tomato

Spread both pieces of bread with cream cheese (keeps the bread from getting soggy.) Add the bacon and tomato and assemble. Add sprouts for extra crunch.

*Ham and Pineapple Sandwich*
If you like ham and pineapple pizza, this one's a natural

8 slices of bread, toasted
butter
mayonnaise
1 can (8 oz) crushed pineapple
1 can (6 oz) chunk ham
Chopped red cabbage

Very lightly butter the bread to seal it, then lightly add mayonnaise. Mix together the pineapple and ham until well blended. Spread on the bread and add cabbage.

Go To Page: 1 2

Articles in this Topic    Discussions in this Topic