Make Yourself a Sandwich

Cooking on the cheap shouldn't mean minute rice and buttered pasta every night. With a little creativity and a little planning, you can make the most of a tight budget -- without sacrificing flavor or variety. 

Today: Gabriella thinks it's time you ate more sandwiches.

If you were on the Internet at some point last week, you probably heard about 300 Sandwiches lady. The gist? If she makes her boyfriend 300 sandwiches, he'll propose to her. I gagged. I rolled my eyes and invoked the f-word (feminism) a whole lot. Then I clicked through to her blog.

Questionable content aside, the sandwiches are...not bad looking. I found my mouth watering. I felt guilty. I ate a sandwich. 

So here's what I'll do. I'll make 300 sandwiches too, just for myself. And so should you. You should make more sandwiches for yourself, and you should eat them for dinner on weeknights because they're cheap and fast and never get old. 

Let's take back the sandwich.

Bread

We've got a foolproof, lazy man's No-Knead Sandwich Bread to get you started if you're serious about DIY-ing your whole meal.

Fillings

Remember all those spreads that we made together over the summer? They're key for elevating your sandwich to a real meal and not something reminiscent of an elementary school lunch.  If you're freestyling your sandwiches, make sure you have some mixed greens to add freshness, roasted vegetables (think red peppers, eggplant) for richness, and a leftover protein on hand to mix and match for heft. 

For inspiration, here's a sandwich and a side for every night of the work week:

World's Easiest Falafel and Tzatziki

With Moroccan Carrot Salad with Harissa. 

 

Grilled Aged Cheddar Cheese Sandwich with Pistachio Cheese Pesto

With tomato soup made from Marcella Hazan's Genius tomato sauce.

 

Collard Wraps with Herbed Cashew Spread and Roasted Peppers

With a White Bean Salad with Tarragon.

 

A Not Sad PB & J

With Homemade Potato Chips.

Manchego, Grilled Red Pepper + Potato Sandwich with Paprika Mayo

Plus Kale with Avocado and Pickled Red Onions.

Tell us: what are your favorite weeknight sandwich dinners?