Brown Bag It!

[cat lover]

Have any recipes especially sandwich ones that can withstand the summer heat without the fear of something in it going bad? :eek: SO many do not have a way to refrigerate their lunch and some just won't carry one of the many lunch bags that will keep the lunch cool for the day.:(

Here is one I really like. The recipe was a winner in a 1988 sandwich contest run by "ziploc"


Raisin Delight

1/3 cup fat free cream cheese
1 1/2 oz of raisins
2 tbsp shredded carrots
3 tbsp chopped ham
2 slices raisin bread

Soften the cream cheese. Mix all ingredients together except the bread. Spread onto raisin bread. Put into a plastic baggie and this will keep till lunch time. I used to make these the night before and refrigerate then just put in to the lunch bag in the morning.

[VicRae]

My family's favorite during the summer is Just Peanut Butter and Jelly.

My husband has been asking for them in his lunch for work as he says that he thinks the meat ones taste a little funny when they are in his lunch pail for about 5 hours.

And with the kids camping and needing a sack lunch on their first meal they take peanut butter and jelly to as they don't have to go into a cooler to stay cold.

And you can change the sandwich with different kinds of jelly.

[barbszy]

When I was in a "bring a sandwich with no fridge" situation (college) I used to make peanut butter sandwiches on raisin bread. Those really helped get me through a long afternoon.

[Bilby]

If I wanted something else for a sandwich that keeps I make an onion sandwich and take a tin of tuna or salmon to spoon onto it as the salmon/tuna does not need refrigeration until opened.
Another I do it make a salt and pepper sandwich and take sliced tomato and cucumber to assemble.
It may sound a bit of a pain but it makes for a better sandwich and the all fit in a paper bag and gives a bit of variety and you can get some nifty little containers that fill it in, if you can take a brown bag lunch taking home the containers in them is not much harder.
Doesn't have to be a sandwich you can take crackers to dip in your tinned fish or cut up salad that omits the dairy and put in olives or ......

[cat lover]

Like those ideas Bilby!

[LifeStar]

Hi Ladies!

Good question, Cat... I have this issues with packing Dh's lunches. But the kids use one of those insulated lunch bags with an ice pack, so they can have whatever... But here are some ideas for the no-fridge brown bag set...

I make a sandwich on dense multi grain bread that has sliced avacado, tomato and thinly sliced vidalia or spanish onion. I sometimes add thinly sliced cucumbers too. The avacado acts like the mayo would, keeping the tomato from saturating the bread. If you rub the avacado slices with a touch of lemon or lime juice, it won't brown, and still look pretty to eat at lunch time.

Another sandwich that survives niceley till lunch is hummus on pita bread, stuffed with veggies. ( cucumber, tomato, lettuce .. whtever you prefer)

I also send hard-boiled eggs which do fine out of the fridge for several hours, and a little can of tuna.. Those tuna salad packs are good too.. especially the ready-made ones. ( I like the pickle rellish they add)

Laughing Cow cheese wedges don't need refrigeration. Spread on crackers with some cut up veggies, and some fruit ( I like grapes and apples with the cheese)

Vinagar based pasta salads are great. I make mine with tri-colored rotini. I add diced onion, orange, green and red bell peppers, broccoli florettes, and celery. I add canned (drained and rinsed) chickpeas, black beans, and black olives. I sprinkle on some black pepper and garlic powder, and then I pour a big bottle of Kraft Zesty Italian dressing over the whole thing. The next day it's totally melded, and does very well out of the fridge as a healthy lunch.

[cat lover]

I especially like your pasta salad idea Lifestar, and the others sound pretty good too! Thanks for sharing!

[cat lover]

Sandwich Fillings With Honey


Mix honey with chopped dated, cream cheese

Mix honey with mashed banana

Mix honey(creamed) with diced fruit and nuts

All three of these will work well! Yum-yum!

[cat lover]

Nicoise Tuna Salad filling makes a nice brown bag lunch

Take 1 can tuna,add 3 tbsp of green olive paste( you can find this in the local specailty food sections),3 roasted peppers or sliced tomatoes, some sliced red onion and add some shredded iceberg lettuce. Onto your bread or pita place some potato chips for crunch, the tuna filling and this makes a great sandwich!