Every morning, I wake up and make lunch for my husband to take to work. It saves lots of money and I also can keep an eye on what he’s eating when he’s not home!
For years, I bought deli lunch meat – but over the last couple of years, the prices have skyrocketed! I started looking for alternatives (that weren’t pb&j), and found Hillshire Farm® has a line of pre-packaged deli meats that were just perfect for my needs, and cost less (most of the time).
I try to change up what I put in his lunch box frequently enough because otherwise, boredom sets in and ya know, pretty soon he’s trading his lunch with other kids at the lunch room table and all of a sudden, my healthy lunch I’ve packed gets traded for pizza and beer.
Kidding! LOL
I wanted to share with you a yummy combination I came up with this week that we both loved, featuring Hillshire Farm®’s new variety packs!
Unfortunately, because I make his lunches so early in the morning, I didn’t take pictures of the finished product, but trust me, it looked DELISH!
- 2 slices whole wheat bread
- 2 slices Hillshire Farm® Variety Pack Oven Roasted Turkey (ultra thin)
- 2 slices Hillshire Farm® Variety Pack Honey Ham (ultra thin)
- 2-3 leaves fresh basil,
- Mayonnaise
- Lettuce
- Tomato
On the first slice of bread, place 2 slices of turkey or ham on the bread. Then layer the tomato, lettuce and other 2 slices of turkey or ham. On the second slice of bread, swipe a very thin layer of mayonnaise. (I only used mayo because that’s what glues the basil to the bread.) Pull the basil into small pieces and put those pieces into the mayo – then place that piece of bread on top of your sandwich. The flavors, wow. It’s low fat, it’s low cal, it’s HIGH taste. Delicious! My husband’s only regret that he had to eat it in a car while on the job, so basically, he wolfed it down. But it’ll definitely find it’s way into his lunch box again – and mine as well! I made mine with just the turkey and again, it was delicious. You’d never know the lunch meat came from a package. It tastes like it was just sliced.
Here’s some more info about Hillshire Farm Lunchmeat:
- Hillshire Farm is challenging consumers that their lunchmeat tastes fresher than you think pre-packaged lunchmeat can taste
- Hillshire Farm is offered in a double-sealed, re-sealable tub that is designed to lock in freshness and great taste. No package keeps lunchmeat fresher, longer
- Hillshire Farm products can be purchased in the lunchmeat aisle at grocery stores nationwide
Freshness Tips:
- To keep sandwiches crispy and delicious, place a single layer of premium quality lunchmeat on each slice of bread, then spreading the condiments on those. The meat creates a barrier between the bread and the rest of the ingredients. Cheese also works nicely as a barrier.
- One rule of thumb is to never place tomatoes directly on the cheese – the juice from the tomatoes will make the cheese soft and cause the bread to become soggy. Instead, place tomatoes in between lettuce slices. Cucumbers are also great alternatives for lettuce.
- To defend against sogginess, pack the separates and let the kids make the sandwiches at school. Bread goes in one bag or container, meat and vegetables in another, and throw in little restaurant packets of mayo or mustard.
- The Fresh Squad suggests insulated lunch bags as the best choice for school lunches. You can also pack lunchmeat in re-sealable and re-usable tubs. Some insulated lunch bags are equipped with freezer packs. If not, try freezing juice boxes or reusable bottled waters instead of adding freezer packs. The boxes or bottles will thaw to provide a refreshing beverage and keep the sandwich fresh.
- Be sure to choose the right bread for your sandwich. Keep in mind that the more moisture in the fillings, the drier and denser the bread should be. Breads with thick crusts work perfectly, or swap your regular bread for flour tortillas, bagels, English muffins or pitas. Grill or toast the bread to add crunch and flavor.
- Keep wet ingredients from making your sandwiches soggy by adding a light layer of butter to the bread.
- Get creative with cookie cutters for fun sandwich shapes!
Recipes:
Strawberry Lower Sodium Turkey Wrap
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Makes: 1 serving (1 wrap)
Ingredients:
1 whole wheat tortilla (8-inch)
1/4 cup baby spinach leaves
4 slices Hillshire Farm® Lower Sodium Oven Roasted Turkey
1/4 cup strawberry slices
1 tablespoon chopped red onion
1 teaspoon poppy seed salad dressing
1/4 teaspoon chopped toasted pecans (optional)
Directions:
1. Top tortilla with spinach, strawberries and red onion. Drizzle with poppy seed
dressing and top with pecans, if desired.
2. Roll-up and serve immediately or wrap and plastic wrap and refrigerate until
ready to serve.
Cuban-Style Ham Sandwich
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Makes: 1 serving (1 sandwich)
Ingredients:
1 whole wheat French bread roll, split
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 lettuce leaf
2 slices Hillshire Farm® Hearty Slices Virginia Brand Ham
1 slice Swiss cheese, cut in half diagonally
6 slices dill pickle
Directions:
1. Spread both sides of roll with mustard. Top one side with lettuce, ham,
cheese and pickles. Serve immediately.
Cook’s Tip: To serve warm. Wrap sandwich in foil and bake at 400°F for 10-12 minutes or until sandwich is warm and cheese is melted.
Italian Roast Beef Sandwich
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Makes: 1 serving (1 sandwich)
Ingredients:
1 French bread roll, split
2 teaspoons Italian salad dressing
1 Romaine lettuce leaf
4 slices plum tomatoes
4 slices Hillshire Farm® Ultra Thin Roast Beef
1 slice Mozzarella cheese, cut in half diagonally
4 thin strips roasted red pepper
Directions:
1. Spread both sides of roll with Italian salad dressing. Top one side of roll with lettuce, tomato, roast beef, cheese and pepper strips. Serve immediately.
Turkey BLT Sandwich
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Makes: 1 serving (1 sandwich)
Ingredients:
2 slices whole wheat bread
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 lettuce leaf
2 tomato slices
2 slices Hillshire Farm® Ultra Thin Oven Roasted Turkey
2 slices Fully Cooked Jimmy Dean® Bacon, crisply cooked
3 thin slices avocado
Directions:
1. Spread both bread slices with mayonnaise.
2. Top one bread slice mayonnaise side up with lettuce, tomato, turkey, bacon,
avocado and second slice of bread. Serve immediately.
I hope you try some of these delicious recipes – and I have a great giveaway to help you get started!
Would you like to try one of Hillshire Farm yummy products? I have COUPONS! for free product – which is like… The BEST kind of coupon, right? Want one? Just leave a comment, and let me know what your favorite sandwich recipe is. PB & J? Ham & cheese? I will pick 5! winners to receive 2 coupons each for their yummy creations.
Be specific – don’t tell me a big mac! Give me ingredients! I’ll draw winners on Friday, October 15th.
Disclosure: I received coupons for product to review for this posting. All opinions are mine.
