Culinary.net : Online Features - Can't Take the Heat?

Can't Take the Heat?
Get Out of the Kitchen!

Sweet & Crunchy Turkey Sandwich, Southern BBQ Chicken Sandwich, Not-Your-Everyday Ham Sandwich and Roast Beef & Cheddar Sandwich

(Family Features) - With summer in full swing, the temperatures outside continue to soar and simple tasks like preparing meals feel as monumental as climbing Mount Everest. A warm kitchen, with a hot stove, is the last place anyone wants to be.

That's why summer is the season for swimming pools, cool drinks and big deli sandwiches. The summer sandwich is easy enough for even the youngest family members to prepare, it tastes great and you won't even need to touch the stove.

Variety is the key to summer activities and sensational sandwiches. And by purchasing meat at the service deli counter, you can choose an assortment of freshly-cut meat and cheese in any amount you'd like.

Everyone Loves a Sandwich!

Great taste and ease of preparation have helped make the sandwich a cornerstone of the American diet. Here are some fun facts that confirm our love for sandwiches:

Americans eat more than 45 BILLION sandwiches in a single year.
The average American eats 193 sandwiches in a year.
The average American eats a sandwich every 3 days.
Sandwiches are the #1 usage for deli meat.
About two-thirds of households eat a deli sandwich one or more times a week.
Sandwiches are the number one home lunch meal.
Over half of all home lunches contain deli meat sandwiches.
Sandwiches are in the Top 10 most-frequently eaten foods.

Here are some delicious deli sandwich recipes for a quick no- cook meal ... for a personal touch, add your favorite ingredient or condiment.

Sweet & Crunchy Turkey Sandwich

1 slice Sara Lee American cheese
3 slices Sara Lee Honey Roasted Turkey
1 tablespoon honey mustard
1 deli roll
Lettuce leaves
6 apple slices

Spread mustard on deli roll. Add lettuce, cheese, apple and turkey.

Southern BBQ Chicken Sandwich

3 slices Sara Lee American or Monterey Jack cheese
6 slices Sara Lee BBQ-Basted Chicken Breast
2 slices country potato bread
Red onion slices
Red pepper slices
1/8 cup deli cole slaw, optional
2 tablespoons prepared BBQ sauce, optional

Place cheese on bread slices. Add onion, chicken and peppers. Cole slaw and BBQ sauce are optional additions.

Not-Your-Everyday Ham Sandwich

3 slices Sara Lee Brown Sugar Ham
2 tablespoons coarse ground mustard
2 slices sourdough bread
Lettuce leaves
Yellow tomato slices

Spread mustard on bread slices. Add lettuce, ham and tomatoes.

Roast Beef & Cheddar Sandwich

1 slice Sara Lee Cheddar cheese
3 slices Sara Lee Roast Beef
1 tablespoons horseradish
2 slices honey wheat bread
Lettuce leaves
Red onions slices
Tomato slices, optional

Spread horseradish on bread slices. Add lettuce, cheese, onion and roast beef. Tomato slices are optional addition.

Adding Flavor to Your Summer

Sandwiches have long been an American favorite, and as food trends have changed to bolder flavors, the sandwich has had to change with the times. Traditional sandwich ingredients like tomatoes, lettuce and cheese have had to make room for apples, coleslaw and avocado.

Sara Lee has responded to this trend by adding new flavors to its deli meat line. New chicken flavors like BBQ, Slow-Smoked, Buffalo and Golden-Roasted take sandwiches to the next level in flavor.

Just remember - new flavors and combinations are easy ways to liven up your sandwiches.

For more information and more tasty recipes, visit saralee.com.

SOURCE: Sara Lee Meats