Archives for March 2009

Some foodies may turn up their noses, but say hello to my new lunch buddy! It’s a sandwich maker, which apparently have been around for decades. My wife introduced me to them originally in college, but we had to throw it away a few years ago because the cord was fraying and I thought it was a fire hazard. A few weeks ago I saw one on sale at Wal-mart for $9 and picked one up. I can’t find it online, but here is a close example. There is even a Hello Kitty version.

If you’re not familiar with them, they are similar to George Foreman grills. Plug them in, throw in two slices of bread and some filling, and in 3-5 minutes you have a hot, toasted sandwich. They’re non-stick, and you can clean it with a damp paper towel. It’s so compact (and cheap) that you can leave one at work and just bring it to the office kitchen when you use it. (You might even make a few new friends…)

For an easy and cheap lunch, simply bring a bag with bread, meat, cheese, or veggies. Here are several recipe ideas:

• Classic grilled cheese
• Ham and swiss, or turkey and swiss
• Roast beef and cheddar
• Tuna melt
• Cheesesteak – bring leftover steak, sliced thin and add cheese and peppers.
• Veggie – Add any of following to cheese: tomatoes, mushrooms
• Pizza pocket – Mozzarella cheese, pepperoni or salami, and bit of leftover pasta sauce.
• Italian Margherita – Basil, fresh mozzarella, tomato.
• Breakfast – Make an egg omelet w/ fixings on one side, make waffle mix or toast bread on the other.

Hot, melty, and delicious! Perfect for cold days. Throw in a $1 can of soup.

To reduce fat, you can cut down on the cheese to what is needed to keep the sandwich together. Shredded cheese seems to work better than slices in my opinion. Or pack some veggies like carrots and broccoli, or fresh fruit to round things out.