Looking for good (healthy) sandwich ideas

[newchowhound]

I am getting bored with my usual homemade salads for lunch and am thinking of going the sandwich route. Any healthy but filling ideas would be appreciated!

As for breads, I usually keep a good loaf in the freezer and just use slices as needed. Any other tips for keeping bread fresh? I'd love to use baguettes but they go stale on me too quickly.

Thanks everyone!

[slowfoodgrrl]

I bake slabs of tofu and use them in sandwiches all week. The baked slices can also be chopped up in salad or eaten plain out of the fridge at midnight.

Basic recipe (easily doubled):
1 block of firm tofu
olive oil
Several types of dried herbs (I like basil, oregano, marjoram, rosemary, garlic powder, and often make a mix)
Salt and pepper

Oil a large baking pan or cookie sheet with sides and preheat oven to 325 (or 350). Slice block of tofu in half so you have two chunks about 3" x 2" and then slice those blocks into about 1/4 to 1/3" thick slices. (Or slice up however -- you want about a centimeter thick slices.) Place on sheet, sprinkle quite liberally with herbs and pepper. Flip over, drizzle a little more oil if you like, and sprinkle with herbs, pepper, and salt this time. (I only salt one side to keep it under control and also to have flexibility with salty sandwich toppings later.) Bake for 45 minutes to one hour, depending on how browned or crunchy you like your tofu. I like mine baked for a long time.

I make a sandwich with the tofu and avocado slices, and then improvise with other ingredients: usually mustard or cream cheese. My favorite (and a guilty pleasure, but not that unhealthy) is the Philadelphia smoked salmon cream cheese that comes in the tub, on whole grain bread.

[morleyo]

When I worked, I made a meat loaf - execptional recipe - lasts a full week refridgerated:
1lb gr beef
1/2lb gr pork
1/2lb gr veal
I cup plain Yogurt
1/2cup fresh chives
1/4 cup fresh parsley
1 cup coarsely crushed plain soda crackers
3 cloves garlic minced
1 sm oniion diced finely
1/2teasp salt
2 eggs (beaten up)
2 tblesp Worcestershire Sauce
dash tobasco
Method:in a large bowl combine meats first - two using forks - to keep the meat light - do not compress mixture -add saltines, sauteed onion, garlic, chive, parsley, beaten eggs, Worcester, and tabasco, roll mixture onto a large piece of plastic and holding sides roll back and forth to shape into a log - then roll this onto a prepared oven grill pan (cover grill pan with foil, and where holes are push foil through to allow drippings to escape), you can spray surface of foil, next cover with bacon, and paint with barbeque sauce, and bake at 375 degrees for 1 1/2 hours. Cool and transfer to plate,,,,you'll get dinner and a week of lunch sandwiches. Really good if you have four lunches to make daily.....(You can remove bacon before slicing thinly for use as lunch meat)

[VirgoBlue]

I take an italian sandwich roll and fill it with lots of peppery arugula, summer tomatoes, fresh mozzerella, and a few slices of proschutto. If you want, you can add a touch of light mayo. The perfect summer sandwich!

[danhole]

I like to make a mini salad, add some ham or turkey, a touch of dressing and stuff it into a pita pocket. I keep the pita pockets in the fridge and they stay fresh a very long time. If I am going to eat it right away I pop in the micro for a bit, but since you are taking it to work it will be room temp by the time you eat it.

[chloe103]

Depending on how you feel about red meat (at least a bit of which I think is perfectly healthy)...

Very thinly shaved roast beef + oven roasted tomatoes + horseradish sauce (yogurt/sour cream stirred with lemon juice and horseradish to taste) + hearty bread = bliss.

(If you're feeling decadent, add carmelized onions.)

Other favourites (I think some of these might already be up here): turkey and avocado; grilled veggies and a bit of cheese; hummus, tomato and alfalfa sprouts; almond butter and apple/banana.

[lekkercraft]

I keep ciabatta rolls in the freezer at home. Instead of layering things onto my sandwich at home, I make up the layers in a tupperware, let the roll defrost on the way to work, and make up my sandwich at lunchtime -- adding mustard that I keep at the office. It's nice that way as the sandwich is fresh and the bread isn't soggy.

[daily_unadventures]

These chickpea burgers from Rachael Ray would make great sandwich fillers. You could make a few and then have them for lunch all week.

http://www.rachaelraymag.com/recipe/29948/

I haven't tried them yet but they are on my list.

Katerina
http://dailyunadventures.com

[fran124]

bulgur, lentils, tahini, olive oil, sour pickle, crispy onion shreds (sliced thin, fried in a little oil till brown), and tomato in season served on pita.

[Mila]

For a healthier sandwich I took a cue from Ina G. She made lightly toasted / baked open faced sandwiches called Tartines. The toppings are endless.

Here are some links:
http://chocolateandzucchini.com/archives/2003/11/the_wonderful_world_of_tartines.php
http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/show_...

The healthier part being: one slice of bread and when I slice it into little slices it feels like so much more.

[Splendid Wine Snob]

Toasted baguette, buttered, with sliced avocado, lightly salted, sprinkled with lemon juice

Toasted bagel, with a little bit of mayo, roasted red peppers and the oldest cheddar you can get

Or just roasted red peppers, on Finn crisp, with slices of Parmigiano

[Michael Juhasz]

I eat a lot of sandwiches.

Recent favorites/it's hard to eat well when you're living in Romania and don't have a kitchen:

My dad's sandwich - sliced avocado, sliced hard cheese (whatever you have on hand, but generally the saltier, semi-hard cheeses work best) between toasted oatnut bread.

The Romanian - sliced tomato, mild sardines, semi-hard cheese on a crusty, white, peasant bread

South of the Romanian Border - lettuce, sliced avocado, chili flavored sardines, chopped garlic on that same crusty, white, peasant bread. This sandwich could also be called "the worst thing that's ever happened to your breath. Ever."

[Sharuf]

Sounds like one of my faves - avocado and sardines on sliced sourdough. A little mayo, and no garlic.

[alag77]

Avocado, Sprouts and Munster Cheese
Grilled Chicken, Roasted Red Bell Peppers and Fontina Cheese
Roasted Bell Peppers, Arugula, and Goat Cheese
Sautéed Mushrooms, Spinach, and Fontina Chees
Sautéed Mushrooms, Marinated Artichoke Hearts, and Fontina Cheese (vegetarian)
Ham, Watercress, Munster Cheese with Dijon Mustard on Croissant (okay, not that healthy but yummy)

[shellyesq]

The suggestion of Avocado, Sprouts and Munster Cheese reminds me of a restaurant I used to go to. They had turkey, avocado, alfalfa sprouts, and muenster heated up in a wheat pita. It was delicious.

[m_poochie]

try using left over roast chicken, shred it and box, it, it will be a great topper for salads and filling for sandwiches.
Use a good french mustard instead of mayo and lettuce and cucumber and you have a lovely chicken sandwich !
try buying whole meal baps, low on calories and not that filling !

[atomic]

I like to make chickpea or white bean salads - mashed beans, celery, onion, capers, bit of sour cream or yogurt, lemon juice, cumin. fresh parsley is a good addition. I usually have it in a pita pocket with sprouts, lettuce and cucumber.

If you like, you can mix tuna and mashed beans together - very creamy and healthy. Mmm, sandwiches...

[HillJ]

Give lettuce sandwiches a try. Sometimes I tire of salads too but I started replacing sandwich bread with lettuce leaves and rolling turkey, roasted veggies, spreads inside the leaves. Still enjoy the crisp, crunch of salad but with a bit more substance.

Right now my fav combo is romaine lettuce with steamed shrimp, a few mint leaves and lemon hummus.

[chef chicklet]

My husband loves his sandwiches. So I try to make them and give him a bit of creativity during the week. But you said healthy, key word there. Lean ham with swiss and tomato, arugula, and red onion. Turkey, provolone, and sprouts with sometimes a few cranberries mixed in the mayo. I love to make him chicken salad too, that is where I bring in all sorts of things, from red grapes, celery, onion, apple and a nice cruncy lettuce. I think his all time favorite bread, are these Portugese rolls I get at the store, they are 3 for 99 cents. and I freeze them, pull them out as I use. Zap in the mico wave for maybe 10 seconds tops, He loves those rolls. And they are big enough to split between the two of us, we have. Roast beef with cheddar. And last night we had cheese burgers on toasted english muffins. Which I enjoyed MORE than a hamburger bun. Crunchy and just the right size. My best luck with sandwiches is to bring the insides in a container and put it together, I don't like any bread soggy....so make a salad with some nice deli meat, egg or tuna, and then just throw it on the roll. The rolls are sort of football shaped and very good.

[laurendlewis]

Laughing Cow cheese makes a good spread - and comes in a variety of flavors. I'm a huge fan!!

[sushieat]

On a side note, I am addicted to laughing cow and can no longer have it in the house because I can eat 4 pieces at one time!

[ArikaDawn]

I am a recent Laughing Cow convert myself. I had it on a toasted english muffin last night with a bit of canned salmon. Sounds weird, but I was trying to eat what was left in the cupboards before grocery shopping today. Pretty filling and only 200 calories in the whole thing.

[newchowhound]

Thanks everyone! Those are some great ideas! I think I'll definitely try the freezing baguette thing and see how that works.

Thanks!

[LaLa]

I like egg salad on a baguette or homemade pimento cheese.

[cookiejesus]

I'm tired, so I might not be the most reliable source right now, besides I'm justbrainstorming here...

Portobello, Mozza and pesto.
Salmon, yuzu mayo, and alfalfa sprouts.

As for the bread, the best advice I can give you is to bake your own (pre-cook it and freeze it so you'll have fresh bread anytime)

[Emme]

Used to pack for my ex a lot...

Gonna sound weird, but TJ's makes "Just Salmon" that I would use with a Roasted Veggie Tapenade and a little parmesan.
Grilled eggplant, roasted red peppers, sundried tomatoes, fresh basil, and balsamic vinegarette.
Turkey, cheese of choice cheddar and/or blue (low fat), tomatoes, lettuce, avocado, and apply oil and vinegar dressing before eating.
His favorite tuna could be made the night before... split baguette, rub sides with garlic and sprinkle with oil and vinegar. Layer onions, olives, tuna, tomato, basil, and sometimes avocado, salt and pepper. Wrap up and allow to marinate.

[piccola]

Hummus, pickled beets and sunflower sprouts on toasted multigrain
PB, grated carrot and arugula on lavash
President's Choice artichoke spread (or chopped art. hearts blended with lowfat cream cheese, herbs and lemon juice), tomato and red onion on toasted multigrain
Grilled portobello and eggplant with tapenade on a crusty roll
Curried poached egg with watercress and sliced apples on either a toasted English muffin or dark rye bread

[lollya]

that curried poach egg sounds yummy, how does one make one?

[piccola]

basically, you add a fair amount of curry paste to the poaching water. you can use curry powder but it sometimes gets bitter/gritty.

[adverb]

One of my new favorites: Sliced turkey, pesto, roasted red tomatoes (I get mine from a jar), and sliced mozzarella cheese (which is lower in fat than a lot of cheeses). I pan-grill it in a little olive oil, but a few minutes in the toaster oven would do the trick, too.

I also picked up some eggplant caponata recently and made a sandwich with it and some mozzarella. Super tasty.

[bitsubeats]

I like wasa flatbread for sandwiches - stays good forever

I like the rye and multigrain ones with mustard, smoked herring, sliced onion, cucumbers, and pickles

[Amuse Bouches]

This week I've been eating meatloaf sandwiches with ketchup. I make my meatloaf with a combo of ground turkey and pork sausage, and cook it freeform so it's not too greasy, and very filling.

[ktm]

Sauteed spinach w/olive oil & slices of brie cheese
Sauteed escarole with thin slices of prosciutto
Tuna salad (easy on the mayo) with mango or apricot chutney
Asparagus frittata (cook asparagus, add breadcrumbs & eggs and fry into patties)

As for the breads, I keep my baguettes in the freezer too. Just cut it into a sandwich size then wrap in foil and freeze. You can quickly defrost it in the oven or microwave when you need it.

[luniz]

when I make tuna fish sandwiches I use yogurt instead of mayo.

[susie519]

if you are taking the sandwiches to work you don't have to defrost the bread beforehand. my mom used to make our sandwiches on frozen bread the night before and store them in the fridge. during the day at school the bread would fully defrost, meanwhile keeping the ingredients cool and fresh. i know it sounds kind of gross, but it really works!

as for tuna, i've stopped using mayo and add red onion, capers, and olives, with any fresh herbs i have on hand. i don't miss the mayo at all and with a little juice from the olives the tuna stays moist!

[DougWeller]

Bread isn't unhealthy. Anything can be unhealthy in the wrong quantities of course, even water.

[Jennalynn]

Hummos, cucumbers, red onion.

Avocado, cheddar, sprouts.

Peanut butter (natural), bananas, raisins

[ceejoi]

you could fill a baguette with fresh roma tomato slices, fresh mozerella slices and basil. mix some mayo with pesto for a spread.
YUM!