Great Ideas

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Back to School SANDWICH MAKEOVERS!

Build a Better PB&J

The Kitchen cohost’s AB&C (Almond Butter & Cherry) is a delicious combo of sweet, salty and savory

½ cup almond butter

8 multigrain bread slices

Barbecue kettle-cooked potato chips

½ cup cherry preserves

1. Spread almond butter evenly over one side of 4 bread slices; top with potato chips.

2. Spread preserves evenly over one side of remaining bread slices. Carefully assemble sandwiches.

Makes: 4 servings

Hands-on time: 5 minutes

Total time: 5 minutes

A New Twist on Ham & Cheese

The executive chef of New York City’s Landmarc shares a Prosciutto Pesto Panini that tastes great hot or cold

4 large heads garlic

¾ cup olive oil, divided

½ cup walnut halves

4 cups fresh basil leaves

1 cup grated Parmigiano- Reggiano cheese

1 tsp. kosher salt

1 tsp. freshly ground pepper

4 mini baguettes

8 oz. prosciutto, thinly sliced

16 oz. fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced

1. Preheat oven to 400°. Cut off pointed ends of garlic heads, place on large piece of heavy-duty aluminum foil and drizzle evenly with 4 tbsp. olive oil. Wrap tightly. Bake 40 to 45 minutes or until soft. Remove from oven; let cool.

2. Reduce oven temperature to 300°. Bake walnuts on a rimmed baking sheet 8 to 10 minutes or until fragrant. Transfer walnuts to a dish; cool completely.

3. Unwrap garlic; squeeze pulp from each head. Combine ½ cup roasted garlic, walnuts, basil, next 3 ingredients and remaining olive oil in bowl of food processor; process until coarse but smooth, scraping sides. Transfer mixture to container; cover and chill up to 1 week. Cover and chill any remaining roasted garlic up to 1 week.

4. Cut baguettes in half lengthwise. Spread ½ cup pesto evenly over cut sides of bread. Arrange prosciutto and mozzarella evenly over 4 bread slices; top with remaining bread. Place sandwiches on panini grill; cook 3 to 4 minutes or until golden and cheese is melted.

Makes: 4 servings

Hands-on time: 25 minutes

Total time: 1 hour, 5 minutes

Add Tons of Flavor to Turkey

The chef of Graffiato in Washington, D.C., makes a Roasted Turkey Sandwich that packs a punch

1 tsp. kosher salt

1 tsp. fresh cracked black pepper

½ tsp. ground cumin

½ tsp. ground coriander

1 (1½-2 lb.) boneless, skinless turkey breast

¼ cup light mayonnaise

1 tsp. lemon zest

1 tsp. finely chopped fresh thyme leaves

1 cup Italian giardiniera, drained

8 slices whole-grain bread, toasted

2 oz. baby spinach leaves

2 whole tomatoes, sliced

1. Preheat oven to 325°. Combine salt, pepper, cumin and coriander. Rub spice blend evenly over turkey breast.

2. Bake turkey breast on a lightly greased baking rack over a rimmed baking sheet at 325° for 75 to 90 minutes or until a meat thermometer registers 160° and the juices run clear. Remove turkey breast to wire rack; let stand 20 minutes.

3. Whisk together mayonnaise, lemon zest and thyme; set aside. Pulse giardiniera in bowl of a food processor until finely chopped; set aside.

4. Thinly slice turkey breast. Evenly spread giardiniera on 4 slices of bread. Top slices with turkey, spinach and tomato.

5. Evenly spread mayonnaise mixture on remaining slices. Arrange bread over tomatoes.

Makes: 4 sandwiches

Hands-on time: 50 minutes

Total time: 1 hour, 55 minutes

Hearty & Healthy Vegetable Pita

The Food Network chef’s Hummus, Feta & Veggie Pocket is a lunch even carnivores will love

4 (6-in.) whole-wheat pitas

3 large lettuce leaves

1 (16-oz.) container prepared hummus

1 cucumber, peeled and sliced diagonally into ¼-in. slices

1 beefsteak tomato, sliced (¼-in. thick) ½ cup crumbled

feta cheese

1. Slice top 1/3 of each pita crosswise to open pita and create a pocket; discard top. Set pitas aside.

2. Stack lettuce leaves and roll tightly lengthwise; cut crosswise into ½-in. slices; set aside.

3. Spread hummus evenly over inside of each pita. Fill pitas evenly with cucumber and tomato. Top with reserved lettuce and feta.

Makes: 4 servings

Hands-on time: 15 minutes

Total time: 15 minutes

PLAY WITH YOUR FOOD

These creative parents turn kid-friendly lunches into edible works of art

FUNKY LUNCH

Mark Northeast just wanted to make his son smile. That simple idea led to a kids’ cookbook and catering business. “It’s been an amazing journey.” funkylunch.com

CRAFTY COOK

“I started making food art to encourage my daughter to eat independently,” says Samantha Lee, who shares her intricate rice and veggie creations with her 500K Instagram followers. @leesamantha

LUNCH BOX DAD

Beau Coffron’s daughter opens her lunch box every day to find hand-carved treats (like this tiger made of cheese!) and a sweet note from Dad. “This has really helped bring us closer together,” he says. lunchboxdad.com

SANDWICH KING

David Laferriere first tried to decorate bread with food coloring. “The results were terrible,” says the father of two. “So I figured I’d try drawing on the sandwich bag.” Six years later, his Flickr is filled with more than 2,000 images. flickr.com/dlaferriere

HAPPY MEALS

“This is fun for me, and I get to turn my world into a positive, colorful place,” says Sandra van den Broek, who sketches out each of her Instagram designs. @sandravandenbroek

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