Master the Art of the Sandwich (Win! A Maille Prize Pack!)

Back to school means back to sandwich-making—but did you know that every Canadian tosses away a staggering 170 kilograms of food on average each year? Fortunately, our friends at Maille (purveyors of our personal favourite mustard) are helping to curb household waste and cure the lunchbag blues via the following tips to revamp the humble sandwich into tasty creations unfit for the trash. Yum! —Vita Daily

sauce it up! We get it, eating that same roasted chicken for lunch and dinner twice in a row can get boring quick. However, those leftovers don’t have to be. Whip up a quick sauce or dip to create the base of a mouthwatering sandwich fit for a king! For instand, make your own aioli or hot sandwich dip to bring a whole new flavour profile to the meat you already have prepared and ready in the fridge. Or, make roast beef shine with a spicy Asian-fusion sandwich dipping sauce.

go global. Get inspired by the flavour-packed Banh-mi—a Vietnamese street snack consisting of pork, veggies, jalapeños and coriander served on baguette—or by the Turkish doner kebab, a late-night snack filled with shavings of lamb, vegetables and yogurt. No matter what tickles your taste buds, try new layering options that will bring new life to your lunches—like this Chacarero-inspired monster-sandwich originally from Chile. Serve it with a heap of turkey or steak piled high between a bread roll and topped with tomatoes, chili peppers and green beans.

cut back the carbs and go bun-less. Eating less carbs is always a good idea. Experiment with new alternatives to traditional bread—for example, try using vegetables in lieu of buns. Layer your concoction in between lettuce leaves for a delicious low-calorie wrap. In addition to holding your filling well, it is an ideal solution for those looking to cut out gluten. Other ideas: use brown rice burger buns or tortillas or thick multigrain crackers such as Wasa as healthy alternatives that add a truly unique texture to your sandwich.

making lunch at night? If you typically make your sandwich the night before, you’ll want to think ahead. Since it’s going to be a while before you get to dig in, spread on a thin layer of fresh butter onto your bread to prevent sogginess. If your office is equipped with ovens, bring your ingredients uncooked in sandwich bags or in a container and assemble them at work. Grill on a piece of aluminum foil at the centre of the oven. Expert tip: when you’re making warm/hot sandwiches, set aside any fresh vegetables you want to add to ensure they remain fresh and don’t turn into mush during the cooking process. Pop your sandwich into the oven open-faced to warm up meats, cheese and any grilled vegetables—then add the vegetables on top afterward!

Discover more recipes and savoury tricks on maille.ca!

Win! A Maille Prize Pack!

We have a winner! Congratulations Miranda R. of Calgary, who won a Maille prize pack, including Maille’s essential mustard trio and two limited-edition mustards (only available in Canada this summer!).