Sandwich Sweet Sandwich

There is a lot I miss about working full-time. One of the things I miss is the ability to have lunch. Not only the ability to eat without kids asking me for juice, to change their diaper, for a toy that fell on the floor, but the ability to eat whatever I wanted.

I loved running out during my lunch hour to grab a sandwich. There were so many places from which to choose near my office building. Whether it was a wrap, a panini, a sandwich or a sub, they were so yummy. I loved trying out different connoctions and different breads. I’m salivating thinking about it.

Needless to say, I don’t get lunch hours anymore as a work-at-home Mom. More accurately, my lunch hour is getting the kids’ lunch ready, getting them fed and down for a nap so I can get to work while scarfing down a protein bar. Yet, there are times I do get time to eat a real sandwich (whether luck or sheer willpower to make it happen.) When I do, there are two sandwiches I love to make.

In the recipes below, I am using Flatout Hungry Girl Foldit Flatbread - a new bread line at Walgreens. It is pretty popular because I spent a couple of weeks looking for it. I finally found it and it was the last one on the shelf.

Depending on your Walgreens, it probably will be in the Walgreens bread aisle. Though I have heard that it may be in the frozen food aisle. (Eh…Go figure.) Anyhow, I was on a Hungry Girl hunt because I was asked to do a review about the product. (Imagine me, recovering from abdominal reconstructive surgery shuffling through various Walgreens stores. Though I didn’t mind since I often had to pick something up for my recovery anyway!)

After trying the Flatout flatbread, I can see why it is popular. It has great taste, much softer/moister than typical pita bread, with fewer calories. Super delish. So, I decided to put together some easy kid-friendly recipes using the Flatout flatbread. The key word is easy because if you do get some time making a sandwich, it needs to be fast. You still need to fold the laundry, pay the bills, empty the dishwasher, and clean the bathrooms before the kids get home from school. The second key word is kid-friendly. If you make yourself a sandwich or a snack, it saves huge time if they eat the same thing too. (You know how that goes - Bonus!)

Toasted Peanut Butter and Banana Sandwich (Serve Warm)

Slice some bananas and place in a bowl. Take the Flatout Hungry Girl Foldit Flatbread 100% Wheat with Flax Seed (90 calories) and smear peanut butter on both sides of the bread. (Feel free to substitute with sunflower butter or almond butter.) Place the bananas on the peanut butter. (Kids can help with this part.)

Then fold over the Hungry Girl bread to make the sandwich. Lightly (very lightly) butter the outside of the bread. Then place the sandwich in a panini maker and cook until the bread is slightly toasty and the sandwich is warm. (If you don’t have a panini maker, you can use a skillet on a stove.) Serve warm! If you want, add a little bit of toasted coconut in the sandwich. Cut into quarters, secure the bread with a toothpick, and serve for a party.

Cucumber and Havarti Sandwich (Serve Cold)

Slice cucumber and tomato and set aside. In a bowl, mix pesto and goat cheese together. No specific amount. Just mix to suit your taste. (More pesto if you love pesto or more goat cheese if that’s your fave.) Take the Flatout Hungry Girl Rosemary and Olive Oil bread (100 cal) and smear the pesto/goat cheese mixture on both sides of the bread. (If you want, you can skip the pesto/goat cheese and add a slice of havarti cheese instead. So delish!) Place the cucumbers on top. Then place the sliced tomato on top of the cucumbers. If you are having a party, cut the sandwich into quarters, secure the bread with a toothpick, and add an extra slice of cucumber for a garnish (or a slice of a pickle!) and place in the fridge until it is time to serve.

I thought I would also throw in some non-sandwiches ideas for the Flatout Hungry Girl Foldit Flatbread. These are great for parties too or as after-school snacks. Super fast to make, and kids can help.

Mini-Pizza and Calzones (Serve Hot)

You can also use the Flatout Hungry Girl bread to make mini pizza ‘calzones’. Place a variety of toppings in bowls and let kids make their own. Fold over the bread and place in a panini maker (or a stove-top skillet) to heat the cheese and toppings. Serve hot. Alternatively, don’t fold it over and place the mini-’pizzas’ in an oven. Broil for two minutes until the cheese melts. (A microwave will do if you are short on time and don’t need crispy bread.)

Pita Chips (Serve Warm or Cold)

You can also cut the Flatout Hungry Girl bread into triangles for Pita Chips. Place on a baking sheet in a 350 degree oven for about 5 minutes. You can salt them, dust with cinnamon and sugar, or sprinkle grated cheese on them before baking. (Again, another kid activity.) Then you have some great Pita Chips to serve for an after school snack or a party. (I’m currently snacking on the fruits of my labor right now. Yum.)

Lot of options and food opportunities using this one product. Saves me space in my fridge as a result. (Swweeeet!)

So, what are your lunch challenges. Do you get to eat lunch? Have picky kid eaters? Have a favorite sandwich or deli to share? Oh, FYI, if your mouth is not all ready watering, stay tuned for an awesome sandwich-y giveaway next week! (Hint, Hint.)

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Image Credit: My Own. All Rights Reserved
Disclosure: I partnered with Flatout Hungry Girl and the Motherhood but all thoughts, opinions and content is my own. Obviously, because who else eats peanut butter and banana sandwiches.
 

As you may know, I am in LOVE with my Ninja 3-n-1 Cooking System. You can see my video post about it here. So I’m always looking for any Ninja Cooking System Recipes to use.

What I love the most about it is that it makes cooking so much easier than having to use tons of pots and pans, waiting for the oven to heat, or the water to boil. When you cook something in the pot, it also becomes a great serving dish too. Which made me realize that it may be a fun to use it for a Super Bowl Party and make a warm, yummy dip.

So here is one of the Ninja Cooking System Recipes to consider, and it is no ordinary broccoli cheese dip! Sautéed onion provides a savory base, then broccoli, cheese and seasonings slow cook until the mixture is hot and the flavors are blended. A bit of sun-dried tomato pesto adds the perfect tasty twist. Divine, right?

No worries if you don’t have a Ninja System. Just use your stove and a basic slow cooker!

Let’s play some football!

Broccoli Cheese Dip

PREP:  10 min          
COOK:  2 hours, 10 minutes      
SERVE:  6

What you need:

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
4 cups chopped fresh broccoli
1 can (10¾ ounces) condensed broccoli cheese soup
½ cup milk
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon sun-dried tomato pesto sauce
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
Ground black pepper

(You can keep the calories low by using reduced fat milk, cheese and soup!)

What you need to do:

1. Pour oil into pot. Set to STOVETOP HIGH and heat oil.
2. Add onion to pot. Cook uncovered 5 minutes or until onion is tendercrisp, stirring occasionally.
3. Add broccoli to pot. Cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Stir soup, milk, Worcestershire sauce, pesto sauce, cheese, and black pepper into pot.
5. Set to SLOW COOK LOW for 2 hours. Cover and cook until broccoli is tender and cheese is melted.
6. Then serve!

Enjoy!

This time of year, cranberries are everywhere. So when I saw huge tubs of dried cranberries at Trader Joes this week for 50% off, I scooped up some and went to work making cranberry oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. My first round of baking resulted in a jar full of soft, chewy, cranberry oatmeal cookies and a house that smelled like cinnamon and vanilla.

While my one year old is a bit too young to help, I set him up in his high chair so he could see the activity and be a part of the fun. Depending on age, older toddlers can help by simply adding the cranberries. Or if they are even older, help mix the batter or drop spoonfuls onto the cookie sheets.

Plus, it is always a nice idea to make a bit more and have your child share with a neighbor who is sick, a friend that is down or to drop off some to your local fire department or church.

So this is what you need:

• 1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour (I use whole wheat for healthier benefits)
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 1/2 cups old fashioned oats
• 8 ounces unsalted butter, slightly softened
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs, beaten lightly
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 1/3 cups of dried cranberries (Or more if you want)
• 1 cup of chocolate chips (You can leave this out all together or substitute with white chocolate chips or pecans.)

These are the steps:

1. Preheat Oven to 350 degrees.
2. Line sheet pans with parchment if you don’t have non-stick cookie sheets.
3. Mix the dry ingredients together, then stir in the oats.
4. Set aside.
5. Beat the butter and both sugars together until light and fluffy.
6. Add the eggs, then scrape down the bowl; add the honey and vanilla and beat until blended.
7. Add the flour mixture in two additions, beating each until well combined.
8. Stir in the cranberries and pecans.
9. Drop spoonfuls about 2 inches apart on the cookie sheets.
10. Bake until the centers of the cookies are soft and no longer look wet; about 9-11 minutes.
11. Let cool for 5 minutes, then transfer to a rack.
12. Then transfer into a cookie jar, container or your mouth.

I usually triple the recipe so I can also freeze some of the batter for a quick dessert or gift later on. To freeze, just scrape the dough onto some plastic wrap, roll into a log, wrap tightly, and freeze. When you are ready to bake, take it out of the freezer, let sit for about 15 minutes, slice into slices and bake as directed.

Enjoy!

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Image Credit: My own. All Rights Reserved.