Oven-Melt Deli Sandwiches

Jeffrey is part of a major project at his office  to convert to electronic medical records.  Their computer system is being finicky,  so he's pretty much stuck at work all weekend.  That leaves the cooking and posting to me!  It feels like it's been such a long week, and I'm never much inspired to cook just for myself.  Isn't it funny how cooking for two seems ok, but cooking for one seems like a wasted effort? 

I decided to make the super-fast Oven-Melt Deli Sandwiches.  This is more a procedure than a recipe, but here is what you'll need:  Deli meat of your choice, about 1/4 pound per sandwich (or less, if you're more frugal).  I bought a pound of thin-sliced brown sugar deli ham on sale, and then splurged on 1/4 pound each of rare roast beef and mesquite turkey breast. 

Then, choose the sliced cheese of your choice:  I like a variety, so I picked up provolone, swiss, and colby jack cheese. I should point out that each sandwich only takes one slice, so if you don't think you'll use up three kinds of cheese, just pick one you like.  We don't have a problem using up any variety of cheese and were completely out of the sandwich slices, so I went ahead and got the three flavors.  The cheese slices were also on sale, which influenced my decision. You'll also need hoagie or brat buns, a package of six.

First, preheat the oven to 350 degrees (F).  Cut each bun lengthwise, if they aren't pre-cut.  Layer about 1/4 pound of meat and one slice of cheese, torn in half to fit in the bun.  If you like mustard you could add some at this point.



The assembled sandwiches

Wrap each sandwich tightly in aluminum foil, then twist the ends to close.



Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the cheese gets nice and melty.  Serve with fresh fruit or potato chips.  Makes a nice, fast dinner!

Mesquite Turkey Oven Melt with CoJack cheese and mango slices

I like to make more sandwiches than I need, because they heat up very nicely for later lunches.  After your first meal, remove the aluminum foil and re-wrap any remaining sandwiches in plastic wrap.  When you're ready for another sandwich, re-heat in the microwave for the shortest amount of time possible- you want to just warm the sandwich, and it will get soggy if you microwave it too long.  Enjoy!