Fun Sandwich Ideas

 

If you’re anything like me, as it gets warmer and sunnier out, you want to spend as much time as possible outdoors. This is especially the case for Seattleites, considering we don’t really get to see that big orange ball in the sky all that often. I managed to squeeze in a run around Green Lake this morning before the clouds parted and the rain started coming down. It actually felt positively hot, which is funny considering it’s now 53 and raining sideways as I write this post. But the point is, in Seattle, people will drop everything and literally run outdoors at the slightest hint of sunshine.

On this long holiday weekend, I urge you to grab your friends and family and get outside with an impromptu picnic. Hopefully, some of these fun, sandwich ideas will give you some inspiration for a grab-and-go meal!

This first sandwich (well, technically it’s a wrap) you may recognize if you follow me on Facebook! This Turkey Wrap comes together in a flash, especially if you make the Chipotle-Cilantro Mayo ahead of time. It’s a favorite of one of my dear friends, and you can change up the fillings to suit your tastes. I think this would be delicious pressed in a panini maker with some grilled chicken and sharp cheddar!

Turkey Wraps with Chipotle-Cilantro Mayo

chipotle-cilantro mayo:

• 1 cup mayo
• 1/3  cup chopped cilantro
• 2 green onions, thinly sliced
• 1 tbsp freshly-squeezed lime juice
• 2 small chipotle chilies in adobo sauce, chopped (remove the seeds if you want less heat)
• 1 tbsp adobo sauce
• salt, to taste

1. Combine all ingredients in a bowl and season to taste with salt.

for 1 wrap:

• whole grain tortilla
• chipotle-cilantro mayo (above)
• 3 ounces smoked deli turkey
• red bell pepper slices
• avocado slices
• romaine lettuce

1. Spread the tortilla with the chipotle-cilantro mayo.
2. In the center of the wrap, place the turkey, bell pepper, avocado, and lettuce.
3. Fold one end of the tortilla over the fillings, and tuck and pull tightly. Roll the wrap up, and tuck in the sides. Slice on a diagonal.

What about a breakfast picnic? This is hardly a recipe since it’s so dang simple, and I feel silly including it, but it’s too delicious not to share! The warm toast melts the Nutella into a chocolatey-creamy dream! It’s also delicious with strawberries or bananas.

Nutella with Raspberries

• slice of whole grain bread
• 20-25 raspberries
• 1 1/2-2 tbsp Nutella

1. Toast the bread.
2. Spread Nutella over toast and top with the raspberries, flat-side down.
3. Laugh at the fact that I wrote out a recipe for this.

Roasting your own pepper at home only seems difficult. It’s actually very easy and pretty quick! You can roast them up ahead of time, and store them in a sealer plastic container in your fridge, for an even fast assembly. I also take a major shortcut here and use store-bought pesto instead of making it myself, but if you have some homemade pesto on hand, by all means, use that!

This sandwich is also majorly tasty when heated under the broiler for a few minutes so that the cheese gets all gooey.

Roasted Pepper, Fresh Mozzarella, and Pesto Baguette

• 1 single-serve baguette (I get mine from the Vietnamese restaurant up the street because I adore how crackly they are!)
• 2-3 tbsp pesto
• 8-10 fresh ciliegine mozzarella (these are just bite-sized balls of fresh mozzarella that are even smaller than boccancini)
• 1-3 bell peppers (I like to roast up a bunch so that I have them lying around)

1. To roast the peppers, turn a gas stove onto high. Set the peppers directly onto the stove over the flames. Turn with tongs until blackened on all sides.
2. Place the roasted peppers in a large glass bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Allow to steam for about 10 minutes. Take the peppers out of the bowl and, using a paper towel, gently slide the black skin off of the peppers. Slice the peppers into quarters or eighths depending on the size.
3. Spread both sides of the baguette with the pesto. Place roasted pepper slices on one side of the bread, and the mozzarella on the other. Broil, if desired.

Much like the second recipe, this one is also very simple; however, the flavors are a bit more complex (and I don’t feel quite as dumb for providing a recipe for this one :P). The secret here is really good, really fresh ingredients. You want crisp, clean radishes that lack that “dirty” flavor, freshly-baked  bread, and a really nice Prosciutto di Parma. I would also recommend using a European-style, cultured butter such as Kerrygold, Lurpak, or Plugra, for a richer, more full-flavored taste. Also, I used truffle salt to top this instead of regular salt because I have an obsession with truffles (in the right places), but plain salt would be just fine.

Radish & Prosciutto Tartine

• Fresh bread, sliced (even a baguette would work really nicely here)
• Thinly sliced radishes
• Thinly sliced Prosciutto di Parma
• Cultured butter
• Truffle salt, or plain salt

1. Spread a thin layer of butter over a slice of bread. Top with a slice of prosciutto.
2. Cover with a layer of radish slices and finish with the salt.

I saved the best for last with this one! This is a really fun take on chicken salad, and I like that it doesn’t use mayo! Before you get excited that that means it’s healthy, just know that the creaminess comes from heavy cream, haha. That being said, there isn’t a whole lot of cream in it. I love the acidity of the balsamic with the sweet strawberries and floral lavender, and the almonds add a tasty crunch. I used a fig balsamic here, and while you don’t have to, I would recommend a fruity balsamic. Arugula and avocado make perfect toppings to turn this chicken salad into a sandwich.

Strawberry-Lavender Balsamic Chicken Salad Sandwiches

recipe adapted from here

dressing:

• 6-8 large strawberries
• 1 tbsp granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup fig balsamic
• 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup heavy cream
• salt and freshly-ground pepper

1. In a large bowl, muddle together the strawberries and the sugar.
2. Whisk in the balsamic and then the oil. Whisk in the cream and season, to taste, with salt and pepper.

salad:

• Rotisserie chicken, shredded
• 1 1/2 cups sliced strawberries
• 5 green onions, sliced
• 2/3 cup sliced almonds, toasted
• 2 tsp lavender

1. Add all of the ingredients to the bowl with the dressing and toss to coat.
2. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper.

to assemble:

• arugula
• avocado
• whole grain baguette

1. Slice the baguette into 4-6 inch pieces and cut each in half.
2. Spread avocado on half of the baguette, and place arugula on other side.
3. Spoon the chicken salad onto the arugula.
4. Enjoy!

Check out my Facebook page for a Minty Pea Soup recipe that I served with this sandwich for the perfect Spring meal!

Also, check out a few more of my sandwich recipes already here on the blog (click on the photos to see the recipes!):

 

 

 

I hope you guys enjoyed this sort of hodgepodge post! Please let me know if you would like to see more posts like this (a collection of recipes that don’t exactly deserve their own post) in the future!