Spreads add kick to quick sandwiches
The humble sandwich used to be allocated only to lunch menus. Dinner at home wasn't any different. In fact, if we served a sandwich for dinner, mother-guilt came rushing in, convincing us that we had shortchanged our family. But that was then, and this is now.
Even in a moderately "fancy" restaurant, you can order a sandwich anytime, and usually you'll pay $10 or more for it. So why not do the same at home for a fraction of the cost?
Sandwiches are easy to make, filling and super quick. The secret to most sandwiches is not only the contents and bread but also the spread. Plain mayo or mustard will work, for sure. But those signature sauces, spreads and smears at the restaurants are easy to make at home.
All you have to do is scoop out some good-quality store-bought mayonnaise and add a few full-flavored stir-ins. Today's recipes feature pesto, roasted garlic and chutney, but a tablespoon or so of chopped roasted red peppers, plain garlic, fresh herbs, avocado or chili sauce also are good choices.
If you're not a mayo fan, ketchups adapt easily to some stir-in magic as well. Check out our fancy ketchup fix-up recipes on our website at KitchenScoop.com.
No matter whether you are serving just yourself or a huge family, dinner-worthy sandwiches with a fancy "smear" are the way to go.
• Write Beverly Mills and Alicia Ross at Desperation Dinners, c/o United Media, 200 Madison Ave., New York, NY 10016, or tellus@kitchenscoop.com. More at the Desperation Dinners website, kitchenscoop.com.
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<li><a href="/story/?id=409458" class="mediaItem">Pesto Mayonnaise</a></li>
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