Ditch the PB&J, go bold with school lunches

Posted September 09, 2015 5:45 am

It's back-to-school time, and that means lunches packed with tasty sandwiches.

Things have changed since the basic tuna or chicken salad on whole wheat was considered an upscale lunch. Now you can get as creative as you want. I was thinking that today when I went in to have lunch at my local cheese shop. I ordered a turkey sandwich; what I got was a sandwich with red pepper mayonnaise and California blue melting cheese with smoked turkey on a crisp, warm, grilled French roll. For added texture they dotted the filling with Spanish Marcona almonds, which turned out to be a nice surprise.

Grilled vegetable sandwiches can get pretty interesting, too, depending on which vegetables you choose and what you spread on the bread. This luscious mixed vegetable and cheese sandwich is good with French or sour dough rolls, or with slices of focaccia. Make sure to select a good quality pesto (or make up a batch of mine) when creating this Mediterranean-style sandwich.

The key to perfect grilled vegetables is to make sure they are branded with grill marks on the outside and just cooked through inside. The grill should be medium-high so the vegetables can cook evenly. To vary the sandwich, try grilled onion slices, portobello mushrooms or even peeled avocado halves. Thick slices of ripe, colorful tomatoes are a great addition as well. Serve some good quality potato chips alongside and you have a satisfying main course.

Sandwich making tips:

• Grill the vegetables ahead and assemble just before serving.

• If peeling peppers is too much work, look for jarred, peeled peppers. Make sure to rinse them and then slice into ½-inch strips

• Use any flavored mayonnaise or pesto to spread on the bread; think garlic, red pepper or basil mayonnaise.

• Try out different rolls from your favorite bakery.

• Add thinly sliced grilled chicken breast or flank steak as an addition to the vegetables.

• Vary the fresh mozzarella with burrata, goat cheese, Brie or pepper jack.

• Serve these warm and grilled on a grill pan or at room temperature. If you are grilling them use a weight to press them down for even cooking

• Diane Rossen Worthington is the author of 18 cookbooks. You can contact her at www.seriouslysimple.com.

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