Sandwiches for brown-bagging

[Jessica]

I just got on a bread-baking kick, and we like sandwiches for lunch, but we are bored with pb&j, and cold cuts and cheese are not that healthy. Any creative sandwich makers out there? We like most anything but mayonnaise.

[lorilei]

I've learned to be creative with sandwiches, as I'm not terribly fond of them. Some of my favorites are:

cucumber and crab on whole wheat
tomato and swiss cheese on rye
Hummus and cucumber or tomato on pita bread
grilled or roasted vegetables on naan
tuna, vinegar and tomato on whole grain
eggplant and mozzarella on frenchbread
Grilled, marinated tofu is also great for sandwiches!

I also have been known to buy and roast small turkeys for sandwiches/leftovers. The meat is inexpensive and worlds better than coldcuts.

[pipely]

One of my favorite CL recipes is the Altuna Melt (Nov 99). It contains artichoke hearts and some provolone cheese, but it is very tasty. It contains no mayonnaise, though it needs to be broiled, so you could possible broil it at home first.

I would love to see more "brown bag" ideas also. I like the convenience of bringing along a can of soup or frozen entrée, and using the microwave, however, even if they are low in fat, some are still very high in salt. The turkey is a wonderful idea! Luncheon meats are also high in salt and other additives. Recent studies have found that reducing salt in the diet not only helps the heart and cholesterol level, it also benefits the blood sugar level for diabetics.

[S]

This is my favorite sandwich from cooking light. It is ssooooooooooo good! I usually grill the ckicken (we can do that year round here in Florida) and I double the recipe to have more sandwiches on hand.

Caesar Chicken-Salad Sandwiches
2 (4-ounce) skinned, boned chicken breast halves
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, divided
2 teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce
Cooking spray
3 tablespoons light mayonnaise
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon anchovy paste
1/2 teaspoon bottled minced garlic
1/8 teaspoon pepper
4 (1.2-ounce) slices whole-grain bread
2 romaine lettuce leaves
4 (1/4-inch-thick) slices tomato

Preheat broiler. Combine chicken, 2 teaspoons lemon juice,and soy sauce in a large zip-top plastic bag; seal and marinate in refrigerator for 10 minutes, turning bag once. Remove chicken from bag. Place chicken on a broiler pan coated with cooking spray; broil 6 minutes on each side or until done. Cool; shred chicken with 2 forks. Combine
chicken, 1 teaspoon lemon juice, mayonnaise, and next 5 ingredients (mayonnaise through pepper). Spread 1 cup chicken mixture over each of 2 bread slices. Top each with 1 lettuce leaf, 2 tomato slices, and 1 bread slice. Store sandwiches in small zip-top bags in refrigerator.
Yield: 2 sandwiches.

CALORIES 366 (28% from fat); FAT 11.4g (sat 3.1g, mono 1.2g, poly 3.7g); PROTEIN 30g; CARB 37.3g; FIBER 3.0g; CHOL 63mg; IRON 2.40mg; SODIUM 1mg; CALC 155mg

[LindaW]

My all time favorite sandwich? Easy! Water packed albacore tuna mixed with low-fat cottage cheese (Knudsen, if you can get it) with a little dill and some caroway seeds thrown in is my base. Depending on my mood, I may also stir in some chopped dill pickle or a couple of sweet cherry peppers that are diced. I crave this filling all the time!