Published: August 27, 2008 11:15 am            

Cold Cuts

Now that school has started, kick the day off right by having your kid’s lunch ready to go

The school bell has officially rung in San Marcos. It is important to think about lunch plans and, of course, ways to make the morning routine smoother.

Plan ahead and start freezing sandwiches. Sandwiches continue to be a popular food today because of their versatility and convenience. Freezing sandwiches offers several additional benefits:

You save money by making your own “fast food” sandwiches for a sack lunch or meal at home. You save time by making several sandwiches at once. And you utilize “leftovers” or cook extra at a meal for use in tasty and different ways at future meals.

Some common sandwich fillings that DO freeze well include:

• Peanut butter and other nut butters

• Canned tuna and salmon

• Cooked roast beef, chicken and turkey (especially tasty when the meat is finely chopped and mixed with a “salad dressing,” such as Miracle Whip, to

• Natural or processed hard and semi-hard cheeses, such as Swiss or cheddar. As frozen cheese may crumble more after thawing, you may be more satisfied with the result if you grate it before freezing it in sandwiches.

Some common sandwich fillings that DO NOT freeze well include:

• Hard-cooked egg whites (freezing toughens them).

• Jelly or jam (soaks into bread and makes it soggy).

• Tomatoes, lettuce, pickles, onion, etc. become limp when thawed; they can be added to thawed sandwiches just before eating them.

IMPORTANT: “Salad dressings,” such as Miracle Whip, work better as a binder in sandwiches than mayonnaise. Mayonnaise tends to separate on thawing. In comparison to mayonnaise, a Miracle Whip-type salad dressing tends to have a sweeter, tangier flavor. So, experiment to see how you like the result before making a freezer full of sandwiches.



Basic steps in assembling, freezing and thawing sandwiches

The same basic steps may be followed for assembling most frozen sandwiches:

1. For sandwiches where the filling might soak into the bread, spread a thin layer of soft butter or margarine to the edges of the sides of bread that will be the “insides” of the sandwich. Do not use melted margarine or butter. NOTE: Bread that is at least a day-old may be slightly firmer and easier to spread.

2. Make your sandwiches “assembly line” fashion, completing one step for all sandwiches before moving on to the next step.

3. A quick way to freeze sandwiches is to:

• Place them in zip-top/self-sealing type plastic sandwich bags, labeling the bag with the date and type of sandwich. Squish out as much air as possible before sealing them.

• Lay them in a single layer in the freezer on a cookie sheet or other flat surface and freeze them for about an hour until they hold their shape. Then place the sandwich bags in a larger freezer-quality bag, such as a gallon freezer bag. Squish out extra air before sealing. The thin sandwich bags aren’t satisfactory for maintaining food quality during longer-term freezer storage.

4. Use frozen sandwiches within 1 to 3 months for best flavor and quality.

5. Thaw individual sandwiches in their sandwich bag or other wrapping in the refrigerator. Transfer them to the refrigerator the day before you plan to eat them.

6. To keep perishable sandwich foods like meats and cheeses cold, pack them in an insulated lunch bag or lunch box; include a small frozen gel pack. Or, if there’s a refrigerator available, store perishable items there upon arrival.

7. Add tomato or onion slices, lettuce, a squirt or dab of horseradish, pickles, etc. just before eating sandwiches. A small container or snack-size plastic bag of these add-on us can be packed with a sack lunch.



Frozen Beef, Chicken or Turkey Sandwich

The same basic recipe may be used for all these frozen meat sandwiches.

Make extra roast beef, chicken or turkey or use leftovers of these foods for frozen sandwiches. Use the leftovers within a day or two of preparing the original food. Then add your own toppings, such as lettuce, condiments, etc. just before eating the sandwiches. Variation: Add some grated cheese to your meat/poultry mixture.



• 1/4 to 1/3 cup finely chopped cooked roast beef, chicken or turkey

• 2 to 3 teaspoons of a “salad dressing,” such as Miracle Whip

• Soft butter or margarine (do not use melted form), about 2 teaspoons

• 2 slices bread



Mix beef, chicken or turkey with Miracle Whip-type salad dressing. Spread a thin layer of soft butter or margarine to the edges of the sides of bread that will be the “insides” of the sandwich. Top one of each pair of bread slices with meat mixture; spread almost to the edges.

Follow directions mentioned in story “Basic steps in assembling, freezing and thawing sandwiches” found on page 6B.



Frozen cheese Sandwich (for grilling)

• 2 slices bread

• 1/4 to 1/3 cup grated cheese (use natural or processed hard and semi-hard cheeses, such as Swiss, Cheddar, etc.)

• For grilling later: soft butter/margarine (do not use melted form), about 2 teaspoons



Top one of each pair of sandwich bread slices with grated cheese; spread almost to the edges.

Follow directions in story: “Basic steps in assembling, freezing and thawing sandwiches.” These sandwiches may be grilled directly from the frozen state.

Simply spread the outsides of the sandwiches with a thin coating of butter or margarine. Then grill in a double-sided grill (such as a George Foreman-type grill) until the cheese is melted and the outside of the sandwich is golden brown - about 4 to 5 minutes, Or, cook in a skillet on medium heat for 3 minutes per side or until cheese is melted and bread is golden brown.



Frozen Peanut Butter and Jelly (or Honey) Sandwiches

Jelly and honey typically appear in a list of foods that don’t freeze well in sandwiches. The reason: They soak into the bread and make it soggy. The trick to making this sandwich successful is spreading peanut butter on BOTH insides of the bread slices; then, spread jelly or honey in the middle so the peanut butter keeps it from soaking into the bread.



• 2 slices bread

• 2 teaspoons peanut butter

• 1 teaspoon jelly or honey



Spread the inward-facing side of each slice bread slice with peanut butter. Spread jelly or honey on top of peanut butter on one of the bread slices.

Cover with the other slice so the jelly/honey is between the peanut butter and won’t soak into the bread.

Follow directions in previous section: “Basic steps in assembling, freezing and thawing sandwiches.”

        

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