Healthy Egg Salad Sandwiches

With the holiday right around the corner there’s no doubt that you or someone in your family will be dying Easter eggs.  When I was younger my dad and I would dye a few dozen.  The question is what do you do with that many eggs when Easter is over? 

Hard boiled eggs are great paired with breakfast or they can also serve as a nice protein snack (averaging 6 grams).  If you’re like me and would tire of eating an egg each day, then make egg salad sandwiches!  I used to love when my mom would pack this sandwich for me in my school lunch.  Now, looking back, I think there was probably a good amount of mayo that was added to make them so creamy.   That’s why I thought I’d re-create this nostalgic sandwich but make a healthier version.  Instead of using mayo, I replaced it with Greek yogurt.  Greek yogurt is very thick and has a rich, creamy consistency.  Not to mention it’s packed with a good amount of protein.  Keep in mind substituting Greek yogurt for mayo can easily be done with various dishes (ex: chicken salad sandwiches) and provide the same tasty result without the guilt.

Also, I have a huge time saving tip if you do not have left over Easter eggs.  Did you know that you can buy hard boiled eggs in the store?!  You can!  And the best part is they’re already peeled!!!!  They’re by Eggland’s Best and are kept near the fresh eggs.  I know you might be thinking that’s a rip off as hard boiled eggs are so easy to make.  But are they?  Think about how much time is spent boiling and peeling them.  I HATE peeling the shells.  Even if you think you’ve fully de-shelled them, there’s always (ALWAYS!) a tiny bit of shell that remains and manages to make its way into the mix.  AND with these eggs, they’re cooked perfectly.  The yolk is never under or over cooked.  It’s a perfect golden yellow.  I can honestly say I will never make hard boiled eggs again.  Buying them is just too easy.  They also come in a nice re-sealable bag that allows us to store them in refrigerator and quickly grab a snack when we’re on the go.

These egg salad sandwiches came out great.  The spices included were not overpowering and next time I’d like to experiment with adding a little more mustard or perhaps some dill as well.  This salad tastes amazing on toasted bread.  Instead of using regular sandwich bread I decided to try Pepperidge Farm Deli Flats.  They’re a very thin roll that’s perfect for sandwiches.  The best part is they’re only 100 calories!  They taste delicious and provide more support (no more falling apart!) for heavier sandwiches.   We enjoyed topping our sandwiches with fresh spinach, but if you don’t like spinach, try topping yours with lettuce or tomatoes.  Enjoy!

Healthy Egg Salad Sandwiches

Adapted from 101Cookbooks.com

Serves: 3

Prep Time:  10 mins.

Total Time:  15 mins.

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons plain Greek yogurt
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon lemon juice
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 1/2 bunch chives, chopped
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 6 large hard boiled eggs
• fresh baby spinach (optional) or lettuce if preferred
• Pepperidge Farm Deli Flats or whole grain bread, toasted

Directions:

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine first 7 ingredients; stir to combine well.
2. Slice hard boiled eggs into quarters; add to large mixing bowl.
3. Using a fork combine all ingredients.  Mash eggs to desired consistency.
4. Assemble sandwich:  place spinach on top of toasted bread, add egg salad on top of spinach, and top with toasted bread.

Summer Time Turkey Club

This seems like an odd recipe to feature on a cooking blog, however this sandwich is one of my favorites. We’ve all gone to restaurants and ordered the typical club sandwich or maybe even a fancier version with cucumbers and sprouts.  There’s no question they’re good, but you can make just as good of a sandwich at home, if not better.   

I’m an avid lunch packer during the work week as going out to eat every day can be very expensive, not to mention unhealthy too.  If you make a sandwich like this it’s filling and just as good as a restaurant version.  One of the best tips I’ve discovered over the years is to toast your bread.  This is especially helpful if your sandwich is going to be sitting in the fridge for a few hours.  Toasting the bread helps prevent soggy sandwiches.  There’s really nothing worse than mushy bread.  If you love tomatoes on your sandwich like I do, pack them separately in a Ziploc bag.  When you’re ready to each your sandwich, then add the tomato slices.  Adding the tomato slices right before you eat ensures the bread doesn’t become saturated from the tomato juices.

Mayo basil spread

I’ve also discovered that sprouts are a nice alternative to lettuce.  Very seldom do we buy lettuce at our house.  I feel guilty buying a whole head of lettuce when I only need a few pieces, knowing the rest will go to waste.  Sprouts are sold in small packages and when added to a sandwich they add a nice subtle flavor as well as texture. 

A time saving tip for this recipe is to buy packaged hard boiled eggs.  Eggland’s Best produces these and they’re stocked next to the regular eggs in most grocery stores.  I used to judge the people who bought these (who can’t boil eggs?), but then I tried them and saw the benefits first hand.  They’re packaged in a convenient, re-sealable bag with 12 in each.  They’re PERFECTLY cooked and there are absolutely NO traces of shells left behind!  If you choose to buy a package and are wondering what to do with the remaining eggs, eat them as a small snack, or add to salads, as they’re a good source of protein.  

Follow the directions below and you’re guaranteed to put together a good sandwich.  We all have different tastes so if there’s an ingredient below that you don’t care for, substitute it for one you like.  Make this ‘your’ sandwich.

Summer Time Turkey Club by Alissa Hebert

Serves 2

Prep Time: 5 mins.

Total Time: 15 mins.

Ingredients:

• 4 slices multigrain bread
• 6 slices honey roasted turkey lunch meat
• 2 slices provolone cheese
• 1 medium sized tomato
• 1 small avocado
• 1 hard boiled egg
• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 2 teaspoons fresh basil leaves (approximately 12 leaves)
• alfalfa sprouts
• honey dijon mustard

Directions:

1. Lightly toast the bread slices.
2. Slice hard boiled egg (lengthwise) into 4 slices.  Cut tomato into 4 slices.  Thinly slice avocado (lengthwise).
3. Place mayo in a small bowl.  Chop basil leaves and add to mayo, mixing well.
4. Begin making both sandwiches by spreading the mayo basil mixture onto 2 slices of bread.  Top each slice with provolone cheese.
5. Lay sprouts over cheese.
6. Place 2 tomato slices on top of the sprouts (2 tomato slices per bread slice).
7. Add 3 slices of turkey to each sandwich.
8. Add 2 slices of hard boiled egg on top of lunchmeat.  Add the avocado slices around the egg slices and over the egg slices. 
9. Spread honey dijon mustard onto remaining bread slices.  Add each slice on top of the prepared sandwiches.  Cut sandwiches in half and serve.

Please note the completed Summer Time Turkey Club photos above do not follow the same order as my directions above.  This is the first recipe I've written and I wrote it afterwards.  The sandwich can be put together in any order and the results will still taste good.