BLT Pasta Salad

Ingredients

  • 8 ounces dry whole grain penne pasta, uncooked
  • 1 can (14.5 oz each) Hunt's® Diced Tomatoes-No Salt Added, drained
  • 1/3 cup light mayonnaise
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
  • 1 pkg (6 oz each) refrigerated diced oven roasted chicken breast
  • 10 slices fully cooked bacon, heated, chopped
  • 2 cups baby spinach leaves, coarsely chopped

Directions

  1. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and rinse under cold water until cool.
  2. Meanwhile, stir together drained tomatoes, mayonnaise and garlic salt in large bowl. Add pasta, chicken and bacon; toss to combine ingredients. Add spinach; gently toss together. Serve immediately.

Countryside Italian Salad

Ingredients

  • 2 cans (14.5 oz each) Hunt's® Diced Tomatoes, drained
  • 2 cups cooked farfalle (bow-tie pasta), chilled
  • 2/3 cup chopped fresh basil (2/3 cup = about 1-1/3 oz)
  • 1/2 cup diced part-skim mozzarella cheese
  • 4 slices fully cooked bacon, heated, chopped
  • 1/4 cup balsamic vinaigrette dressing

Directions

  1. Combine drained tomatoes, pasta, basil, cheese and bacon in large bowl.
  2. Add dressing; toss to coat.

Sandwiches Save the Day!

Though they may not be the first thing that comes to mind when putting dinner on the table, sandwiches are an easy win with kids of all ages (and parents alike!) and can be incorporated into weekly or monthly meal rotations without becoming boring.

“Dinner is more leisurely than lunch—and more of a meal where people gather at the table—and sandwiches are people-pleasers,” says Lisa Cherkasky, food stylist and writer of The Lunch Encounter. “So, it can be very satisfying to make a sandwich meal memorable or even create new traditions.”

Dinner sandwiches can become part of a comfort food repertoire, like grilled cheese sandwiches that feature a special ingredient, like a fancy cheese or bakery bread, Cherkasky says. You can also consider tackling sandwich recipes for dinner that may be a little too much work for lunchtime, like a Monte Cristo, Reuben or grilled Panini. Making a more complete meal out of sandwiches can also include heartier side dishes.

“At dinnertime, you might include a soup or side that is a little more ‘grown-up’ than potato chips or cheese puffs,” Cherkasky says. “Think baby kale salad, homemade lentil soup (see recipe below) or red potato salad.”

Keys to Easy Sandwich-Making

Sandwiches are known for being quick to make, but Cherkasky offers the following tips for building your dinner sandwiches even faster:

  • Keep sandwich components ready for grabbing by prewashing and drying your lettuce and greens.
  • Have yummy, fresh toppings on-hand in your fridge at all times. Toppings can include sprouts, grated carrots, wilted broccoli rabe, sliced pickles, coleslaw and hard-boiled eggs.
  • Stock a selection of condiments, like horseradish, various mustards, tartar sauce, chipotle mayonnaise or sriracha sauce -- just a smear of any one of these items can make a plain sandwich sing.
Buying pre-cooked ingredients, like meatballs, or using your slow cooker to make pulled pork, can also speed up evening prep and cook time during the week. The options for building a perfect dinnertime sandwich are endless. But, there is one tip to keep in mind as you create: how much of each ingredient you’re using. The key to a perfect sandwich, according to Cherkasky, is the bread to filling ratio. Keep this in mind and you’ll be well on your way to building beautiful sandwiches every night of the week.

Sandwich Side Dish Recipe: Slow Cooker Lentil Soup

A basic slow cooker vegetarian soup recipe made with brown lentils, tomatoes, celery and onion for comfort food goodness.

Hands On:15  
Total: 495
Makes: 6 servings (about 1 cup each)

Ingredients:

  • PAM® Original No-Stick Cooking Spray
  • 1 can (14.5 oz each) Hunt's® Petite Diced Tomatoes, undrained
  • 1 cup dry brown lentils, sorted, rinsed
  • 1 cup chopped yellow onion
  • 3/4 cup chopped celery
  • 2 cups vegetable broth
  • 2 cups water
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions

  1. Spray inside of 4-quart slow cooker with cooking spray. Add all remaining ingredients to slow cooker; stir to combine.
  2. Cover; cook on LOW 8 hours or on HIGH 4 hours. Remove and discard bay leaves.

Nutritional Information:

6 servings (about 1 cup each) Calories 151; Total Fat 1 g(Saturated Fat 0 g); Cholesterol 0 mg; Sodium 648 mg; Carbohydrate 27 g; (Dietary Fiber 11 g, Sugars 5 g); Protein 9 g; Percent Daily Values*: Vitamin A 10%; Vitamin C 17%; Calcium 4%; Iron 17%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Recipe: BBQ Bacon Chicken Sandwiches

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon Pure Wesson® Canola Oil          
  • 4 slices boneless skinless thin-sliced chicken breast (4 slices = 3/4 lb)
  • 4 slices (1 oz each) Cheddar cheese
  • 4 slices fully cooked bacon, cut in half
  • 1/4 cup Hunt's® Hickory & Brown Sugar Barbecue Sauce
  • 4 sandwich rolls
  • 4 leaves green leaf lettuce

Directions

  1. Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook 6 to 8 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink, turning once.
  2. Top each breast with 1 slice cheese and 2 bacon halves. Cover and heat until cheese melts.
  3. Spread 1 tablespoon barbecue sauce on cut sides of each roll. Place lettuce leaf and topped breast on each bottom half of rolls. Close sandwiches with top half of rolls. Serve immediately.

Recipe: Crazy Corn Dogs

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons yellow cornmeal
  • 1 pkg (11.5 oz each) refrigerated cornbread twists
  • 1 pkg (12 oz each) Hebrew National® Beef Franks (7 franks)
  • 2 tablespoons Concord grape jelly
  • 1/2 cup Hunt's® Tomato Ketchup

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Sprinkle cornmeal on large cutting board. Unroll dough on cornmeal; separate dough into 8 long strips.
  2. Make each corn dog: Press dough together at perforations and flatten slightly. Spiral wrap 1 dough strip around each frank. Place on ungreased baking pan so both ends of dough are under franks. Discard remaining dough strip or bake with wrapped franks and use for dipping into sauce. Bake 13 to 15 minutes or until golden brown.
  3. Place jelly in small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on HIGH 15 to 20 seconds or until jelly melts. Stir in ketchup; mix well. Serve with corn dogs for dipping.