When my husband and I decided to eat healthier, he expressed that some of his favorite foods weren’t hearty enough for him. He felt like he had to remove all of the extras from his sandwiches and the deprivation wasn’t helping him lose weight. When it was my turn to cook dinner, I pulled a switch. I told him that I just didn’t feel into making diet food that day and it was time to deviate from the diet just this once. I made low-fat hot turkey and cheese sandwiches.
Since it was a new recipe, my trick was especially convincing. My husband focused on the freshness of the Hillshire Farm turkey and how it complemented the other ingredients.
This low-fat hot turkey and cheese sandwich utilizes several diet-friendly ingredients easily found in most grocery stores. The primary ingredient is Hillshire Farm oven roasted low-fat turkey. This turkey comes pre-sliced. Including baking time, this sandwich takes about 15 minutes to prepare. This recipe is prefect for large groups-you can fit about four custom sandwiches per tray. The baked sandwiches are a toasty treat, especially during fall and winter seasons.
Ingredients
· Part-skim shredded mozzarella cheese · Hillshire Farm oven roasted turkey · Deli roll (whole grain white, 6 or 12 inch) · Mayonnaise (or Miracle Whip)
(Additional toppings could include: turkey bacon, cucumbers, lettuce, onions, tomatoes or mustard)
Directions
· Preheat oven to 350 degrees · Cover baking tray with tin foil · While oven pre-heats, slice roll · Add mayonnaise (or preferred condiment) · Place four slices of Hillshire Farm oven roasted turkey (per 6 inches) · Sprinkle shredded cheese liberally atop sandwich · Place sandwich on tin foil · When oven is heated, place tray in oven · Bake 10 minutes; if roll isn’t crispy enough, bake to taste · Slice sandwich in half diagonally
Picky Eaters and Alternative Selections
I’m the first to admit that I’m a picky eater. This recipe is ideal for me because I can stick to the basics. My husband enjoys onions, peppers and tomatoes on his sandwiches. While I prefer low-calorie foods, others might like to add bacon to this recipe.
This sandwich is ideal for large gatherings and families. The host can set up one table as a build-your-own-sandwich station, starting with rolls on one end and ending with the lighter toppings.
Convenient Packaging
The convenient Hillshire Farm packaging is helpful for dieters. The turkey comes pre-sliced in a tub; it’s easy to re-seal. Since the meat lasts a bit longer, I don’t feel like I have to eat more than I should on my diet. (In a household of two, some things unfortunately go to waste.)
Aside from being pre-sliced, the lunchmeat comes pre-folded. It makes for a perfect presentation on the sandwich, and it’s a big time-saver if you’re preparing the sandwich for a guest.
Fast and Convenient
I greatly enjoy the speed of this meal. Unless you go with a microwave meal, it’s hard to come up with something hot and filling in less than 20 minutes. This sandwich takes about 15 minutes to prepare.
Great for Multitaskers
I’m big on multitasking. It seems like there’s always email to answer and laundry to do. While the sandwich is in the oven, I have time to address brief responsibilities (like put some laundry in the machine) and clean up my sandwich preparation area.
The dirty dishes created in making this custom sandwich are minimal. My husband likes that he isn’t confined to my picky habits as the sandwiches are individual servings whenever we have this meal.
Disclosure: The author received one free package of Hillshire Farm lowfat oven roasted turkey.