Deli Never Had It So Good

The lunchmeat sandwich - homemade fast food.  I have lunchmeat sandwiches filed in my brain under "cheap, easy, fast, not junk."  This isn't really the case, though.  Unless you're talking about the cheapest, most byproduct-and-chemical-laden products available, lunchmeat and cheese aren't cheap.  When you're talking about 6 kids making sandwiches or needing sandwiches made for them, it's neither fast nor easy.  And as for "not junk,"  well, that's only the case if you buy the REALLY good stuff, which STARTS at $9 /lb or so!  Needless to say, this is a meal that needs re-filed in my brain....

That said, I still like a good sandwich every once in a while.  If I take the time for prepping sandwich fillings, the older kids are fairly self-sufficient with making their own and things come together easily for the younger ones.  I can slice veggies early in the day if I need to save time at dinner.  As long as I'm not delusional about throwing it all on the table, eating, and getting out the door in 20 minutes, it's actually a decent option for our busier evenings, and leftovers are a nice bonus for lunch the next day.  Also, since all the veggies are included, I really don't have to think about side dishes if I don't want to, and that makes it a quicker meal, too.

So here's the deli spread for our house:

Whole-grain bread
Avocado spread (recipe follows)
Sliced portobello mushrooms, grilled
Provolone cheese slices
Sliced red onion, green peppers, and tomatoes
Leaf lettuce or spinach
Mayo and mustard (if anyone asks for them)

Avocado Spread
2 avocados, cubed and mashed
1 tsp. dried cilantro 
1 tsp. red pepper flake (opt., more or less to taste)
sea salt and black pepper to taste
**Use in place of mayo on sandwiches

Game Night Goodies

My kiddies are getting older, and (inevitably, I suppose) they've gotten involved in sports.  Weeknight games are the bane of my meal-planning existence.  I've been lucky enough to stumble across some great recipes that save us from bologna sandwiches or drive-thru atrocities.  This is one I found on MomAdvice.com  Amy's recipe is made with ground chuck, but I've been using black beans.  The boys love it, and I can make it early and keep it in the crock pot if I need to.  It's great with pretzels and finger veggies!

Sloppy Joes
6 c. (or 4 cans) cooked black beans**
1/2 green pepper, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 c. ketchup
2 tsp. mustard
2 tbsp. brown sugar
Salt and pepper to taste


Cook green pepper and onion in 1 tbsp. oil until soft.  Add all other ingredients, stir well, and let simmer until heated through and sauce is homogeneous...about 30 minutes.  Serve on buns, bread, in pita pockets, or with corn chips.  **If using ground chuck, brown 2lbs., drain, then add veggies and cook until soft.  Proceed as directed.