*I have participated in a paid partnership with Lilydale but opinions in this post are my own
Lunch is an important meal as it provides energy and nutrients to keep the body and brain working efficiently through the day (1). As a parent to a toddler, my daily struggles are actually getting her to eat lunch. Especially after a long day at daycare when her food comes home untouched, I have to get a little creative. So with fall and a new school year, I want to put a little twist on the everyday lunch ideas and help you elevate your child’s lunchtime routine with Lilydale® Sweet Mesquite Turkey Breast Roast. This will certainly encourage them to not only eat but enjoy their meal at the same time.
I love using Lilydale® products because they are delicious, protein-filled and add such a wonderful flavour to your meals. Not only are their products Nitrite-free and made with Canadian farm-raised turkey but they are also perfect for making sandwiches, wraps and much more. Found conveniently in the deli counter of your favourite grocery stores, I am going to show you how to create this quick and easy adorable owl sandwich with their Sweet Mesquite Turkey Breast Roast.
First, start by heading to your local grocery deli counter and ask for the Lilydale® Sweet Mesquite Turkey Breast Roast to be cut almost paper-thin. We don’t want the sandwich to be bulky so it can fit conveniently into a lunchbox. Also, try to keep the rest of the sandwich simple because the Sweet Mesquite Turkey Breast Roast has so much flavour that you really don’t need a lot of ingredients or condiments – just a good amount of sweet onion dressing to balance out the sweet and smoky of the Sweet Mesquite Turkey Breast Roast. You can be super imaginative with this lunchtime project and use any animals your child likes. I chose an owl because my daughter likes owls and I think it’s fairly uncomplicated to replicate, because really who has time in the morning to stress over lunch. However, if you have time and want to experiment feel free to let your creative spirit flow. You can even include your children in the process so that they will appreciate it even more.
Follow the instructions below to create your own version of the owl sandwich!
The Sleepy Owl Sandwich with Lilydale® Sweet Mesquite Turkey Breast Roast
Total time: 15-20 mins depending on prep time, serving 1
Ingredients:
2 pieces of whole wheat or multigrain bread or other preferred bread
1 egg hardboiled
1 sliced olive
10 small cucumber slices (for eyes and tree)
2-3 slices of cucumber diagonally sliced (for inside the sandwich)
2 slices of carrots
2-3 pieces of lettuce (romaine or iceberg)
2-3 slices of tomatoes
Sweet onion dressing (TBD by you)
1 slice of Swiss or Monterrey jack cheese
2-3 very thinly sliced Lilydale® Sweet Mesquite Turkey Breast Roast
Pretzel Sticks (a handful)
No salt and pepper since the Sweet Mesquite Turkey Breast Roast have so much flavour, but if you like you can add it in but taste first.
Tools: Knife, round cookie-cutter or jar lid and a pair of food scissors
Instructions:
Start by boiling an egg for about ten minutes. While the egg is boiling you can start to prep the ingredients for your preferred sandwich. The hardest part is cutting the shape of the owl and I’ve discovered the best way to do that is with a round cookie cutter or even a jar lid. Use half of the cookie cutter or jar lid to cut a semi-circle on the top of the bread (looks like a half-moon) leaving almost 2/3 of the bread still intact to leave room for the eyes and nose of the owl. Stack the two pieces of bread together to create an even shape and cut the side edges of the bread for a cleaner look. Here you have already created the owl ears and face and now it’s time for the fun part which is to create the owl face. Slice two pieces of egg, two slices of a small cucumber, and half of one sliced black olive to create a sleeping owl. Then cut a small triangle with scissors or a knife from a carrot to create the owl nose. Finally, half a small carrot slice, and those will be your feet. Use pretzel sticks to make it look like the owl is perched on branches. Use the remainder of your ingredients to add more fun to your dish, for example, cut more small cucumber slices to create a tree and use the rest of your pretzel sticks as the trunk. Now the face is done you can assemble the rest of your sandwich to your liking, but again keep the ingredients simple. I like a little lettuce, sliced tomatoes, cucumbers, and a light cheese but feel free to do whatever you like. Voila, you’ve created a masterpiece of a sandwich that both you and your child will love.
Find out where to get Lilydale® Sweet Mesquite Turkey Breast Roast HERE
Thanks for reading!