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More easy gift ideas:
Over on Eater, I updated my annual Target gift guide. I am especially enthusiastic about this glass carafe and this almond croissant candle, both of which would make outstanding white elephant or secret santa gifts.
Most items in the gift guide are still available and will reach recipients before the 25th. So far, readers are loving this butter-themed crewneck sweatshirt, this kid-safe knife set, this recipe notebook, and these olive charm earrings.
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5 Easy Dinners: Sandwich Edition
Welcome to 5 Easy Dinners, which offers, well, five easy dinner ideas based on a category, theme, or ingredient. Today's edition: Sandwiches.
As things have gotten busier between holiday events and school stuff, I've relied on sandwiches for the evenings I just do not have it in me to turn on the oven or stove. Most of these sandwiches started in my meal rotations as my version of "little treat" work-from-home lunches. The treat was, of course, me spending more than two minutes assembling something other than a basic turkey / cheese / mayo / mustard / pickle sandwich and eating it at my desk.
When I serve these to my preschooler, I say we're having "fancy sandwiches" for dinner. If it makes sense with the ingredients, I like to set the components up on a large cutting board, and let everyone assemble their own. If anyone wants their sandwich toasted, I stick it in the air fryer (you could use a toaster oven). My daughter loves fancy sandwiches for dinner because she, like many 4 year olds, loves cheese and bread. I love it because it's easy.
The first three sandwiches below require no prep at all, and work great with the build-your-own approach above. The final two sandwiches need just a tiny bit of prep, using either a food processor or a bowl.
Do you do fancy sandwich dinner, too? What sandwiches feel dinner-worthy to you? Are there any ingredients or themes you want to see in a future installment of 5 Easy Dinners? Drop ideas and requests in the comments!
1. Crunchy Ploughman's
Brown bread, rye, wheat, sourdough, or other sturdy bread; sliced ham; cheddar cheese; bread and butter pickles; apple chips; grainy mustard; mayo
2. Remember Think Coffee
Baguette or ciabatta; sliced turkey; sliced apple; sliced brie; drizzle of honey; grainy mustard
3. Ode to Arthur Ave.
Semolina bread, kaiser rolls, or ciabatta; sliced fresh mozzarella, sliced tomato, prosciutto, basil, drizzle of balsamic vinegar, drizzle of olive oil
4. Feta and Veggies
Wheat, sourdough, or country bread; whipped feta with dill; sliced cucumber; sliced avocado; microgreens dressed with olive oil and flaky salt
To make the whipped feta: Pulse feta with some greek yogurt and/or olive oil in a food processor until combined and smooth. I like to add lemon zest and dill, too.
5. My Favorite Egg Salad
White bread, sourdough, wheat, or rye; egg salad; everything bagel seasoning
To make the egg salad: Combine hard boiled eggs, kewpie mayo, and chopped chives in a mixing bowl. I prefer a texture that's not totally smooth, so you can still see pieces of egg white.