Taking Your Lunch to Work Just Got Easier!
It doesn’t sound all that hard – preparing a sandwich at night to take to work the next day. But somehow, it is for me. At the end of a long day, the last thing I want to do is dirty my kitchen after my husband has cleaned it up after dinner. The option of making a sandwich at the same time I prepare dinner is good, in theory. However my dinner preparation now includes keeping a very busy 1-year-old entertained and safely away from kitchen hazards (i.e. the stove, oven, etc.). I find it an accomplishment simply to get dinner on the table, let alone prepare lunch for the next day. The hard thing is I know my homemade lunches are so much healthier, cheaper, and tastier than eating out. So I was determined to find a way to somehow get back into the groove of packing a lunch. And I’m happy to share my answer: FREEZING SANDWICHES!
Why I didn’t know about this wonderful little secret earlier is a mystery to me. But freezing sandwiches is so easy and the results are delicious. The first sandwiches I froze were rolls with sliced rotisserie chicken breast and provolone cheese. They turned out great. Since then, I’ve frozen ham and cheese sandwiches and turkey sandwiches. The one thing I learned quickly was the importance of wrapping each individual sandwich tightly in a freezer plastic bag, getting as much air out as you can. For extra protection, you can place all individually wrapped sandwiches in a larger freezer plastic bag. The extra cost of freezer bags versus regular plastic bags is definitely worth it. The plastic is much thicker and helps prevent freezer burn. You’re going to get a better-tasting sandwich using a freezer bag.
Suddenly, packing a healthy lunch is easy – no joke! I grab a frozen sandwich, some baby carrots, a bottle of water, and a piece of fruit and toss them into my lunch bag. Takes about 1 minute, tops. I throw in a container of yogurt for a snack and even have frozen cookies if I feel like including a treat. Freezing sandwiches saves me so much time because I only have to take out all the ingredients and clean up once.
If you have a lot of leftover ham from Easter dinner, now’s the perfect time to try freezing a few sandwiches.
You have just inspired me, Joan. I’ve been trying to find ways to eat healthier lunches and was just talking about bringing my lunch to work but don’t have the time to actually make them every night. I’m definitely going to try freezing sandwiches instead of grabbing lunch at restaurants with bad-for-you food. Thanks for the great tip!
It’s amazing how time seems to fly in the evenings. If you get a chance, let me know how your sandwiches turned out.