Alternative to Lunch Meat?

[crazytimes]

I love sandwiches for lunch but I am so tired of those lunch meats! Not only are they expensive, but they can be so greasy and taste so "processed." Plus it takes me so long to eat a pack of the meats and they end up getting dried out and nasty.

What I'm thinking is, would it be more economiccal to buy a turkey breast or roaster chicken, cook it, and then just use that for sandwiches? What would be a simple way to cook it? Could I just stick it in a pan in the oven and bake it until it's done?

Can that type of meat be sliced and then frozen? I was thinking I could just slice it into portions for one sandwich and then freeze them in a container with a small piece of plastic wrap between each serving. That way I can just take out a single serving portion the night before.

Any ideas/comments/suggestions?

I love to cook and lately have been making grilled chicken sandwiches on my foreman grill. I buy them at food lion or any store pretty much in large bags in the frozen food section. Boneless skinless chicken breasts and they are very inexpensive and really tasty. I use ceasar dressing on them sometimes with tomato and lettuce. Another inexpensive alternative is the new tyson grilled chickens. They are precooked and preseasoned (the bbq is divine).

[crazytimes]

Thanks for the suggestion, I'll have to check them out.

[momof3girls]

I pack by daughter peanut butter sandwiches all the time! As far as the lunch meat, you can freeze it or even make the sandwiches up using all meat at once and freeze them.

[eldo]

crazytimes,

I know how you feel, especially now that the kids are back in school, and I do what I can to make their lunches more interesting.

Lunch meat freezes very well. I usually buy the large packages of meat and divide them up into 2-day supplies (which for me is 8 slices), then freeze in Ziplocs. (I'm cautious about storing lunchmeat for very long once it's been opened, after getting food poisoning from meat that looked and tasted fine.)

For a change of pace, I make sandwiches with egg salad, chicken salad (I like Costco's) and tuna.

Originally Posted by momof3girls

As far as the lunch meat, you can freeze it or even make the sandwiches up using all meat at once and freeze them.

Just add the mayo after you remove them from the freezer -- it doesn't freeze well.

[YorkieLover]

I make these now and then because most sandwiches are so boring:

Put some cold crisp-steamed broccoli spears, a pickle wedge, and a bunch of alfalfa sprouts in a flour tortilla (I like gorditas - they're chewier), and wrap it up like a burrito (closed on both sides), and cut it in half. If that's a little 'dry' for you, you can always squirt in a little Ranch dressing for moisture and flavor. I've never tried it, but I don't see why you couldn't put in some chicken or turkey meat if you want the protein.

It's pretty healthy ... very fast (if you have the broccoli already made and cold) ... and a very nice change of pace.