Sunday, January 08, 2012

Dagwood Approved!


I carry a thermoelectric cooler in the ol' mobile office. I hate to stop for something to eat when daylight is at such a premium for us, and I pretty well have to eat breakfast or lunch with some meds. So, I carry sandwiches I make on Sunday and freeze, as well as something to drink. I used to carry Diet Pepsi, but the sodium was making me retain more water than the diuretics could handle. So, it's Propel and sammiches for the Tubby Trucker.

I prefer onion ciabatta rolls, but these plain ones work ok, too. I got them from the bakery clearance rack and tossed 'em into the deep freeze. Wal Mart carries these things - but not in every store. They also have a multi grain coated version, too. All have a chewy consistency that I like. I suppose if they stop carrying the ciabatta rolls, I could use Kaiser rolls. They just don't have the thicker consistency.

Wal Mart is where I get all my ingredients for these puppies. Mustard is their Southwest Spicy version, liberally applied. Then, I alternate deli sliced roast beef, pepperjack cheese, roast turkey, sharp cheddar cheese, and beef Pastrami. I buy two pounds of each at a time and freeze what I don't use. A better ratio would be a two to one meat to cheese - it just takes longer to use the cheese up. The things just about don't fit into a Ziplock sandwich bag.

I usually carry more than I'll need for lunches, just on the off chance that I might have to eat one for supper, plus if the end of the week finds me on a job site in Nowhere, ND, c/o The Bakken Oilfield, with more sammiches than I can eat - well, if my compadres are hungry and didn't bring anything for themselves, the excess is excessed from inventory. A lot of Friday nights when I get home for the weekend, a leftover sammich with a bowl of tomato soup rather hits the spot. Or chicken noodle.

I really like the onion rolls the best - that flavor, the spicy mustard, and the pepperjack give 'em some zing. More zing than without the onions in the bread. Plus, reviews from the coworkers have been overwhelmingly positive, with Dagwood's name bandied about.

So, if you're a regular sammich eater, too, and are totally bored with white, wheat,  or whatever bread, give the ciabatta rolls a try. Good stuff!

15 comments:

drjim said...

Geez, Jeffro, you got me droolin' again!

Jeffro said...

Should I find myself in your 'hood, I'll give ya one!

Yer Hunee said...

Jeffro, you make sammich making into a whole new art! Yer Huneeb

Jeffro said...

Thanks, schweetie!

Mo K. said...

Dang, I thought I wasn't hungry! Those look mahvelous!!

Anonymous said...

No lettuce? No tomatoes? Not even a slice of green apple or a pickle? (well, maybe not a pickle, since you avoid salt)

If it isn't crunchy with vegetables between all those coldcuts, I am bored. The bread sound good, though, and Pastrami is always a winning proposition.

But how do you eat it on the go if it's in the cooler, frozen?

Jeffro said...

Tatyana: If you try to store a sandwich like that with pickles and tomato (which I love on sandwiches), they lose all their liquid and turns the bread into a sloppy mess. When I worked for the USPS, I used to put sliced dill pickles and a slice of tomato in a separate baggie to put on the sammich during lunch. This works well when seated at a table, driving down the road, not so much. Sometimes, I carry whole dill pickles in a ziplock bag, and fruits that are easy to eat with one hand, like bananas or apples. I love oranges, but peeling and driving mix poorly.

And, on the first and second days out, I'll pull a sammich out and set it on my dash for an hour before eating it just to thaw it out. By the third day, they're thawed as a rule. Plus, the cooler is strapped to my passenger seat, so I have easy access. Just pop the lid and reach in.

I can assure you when I eat one of these things at home, it has pickle and tomato, and maybe even sliced jalapenos.

Anonymous said...

Phewwww
Now I can relax knowing you do eat your veggies
Do you want a super-easy recipe for home-made pickles?
You can make them in 5 min and leave in a fridge while you're out on the road; when you're back they are ready.

Jeffro said...

Heh. Sure, I'll check out your recipe - I've heard of refrigerator pickles before, is this a version of the same?

Anonymous said...

Allright, wait then. I'm going to photo-document the end product for posterity, then I'll post it.

Jeffro said...

Thanks!

threecollie said...

Ah, those look wonderful. "Make me a sammich," is a very popular refrain around here. lol

Bob's Blog said...

If you ever find yourself in the Parker, Colorado hood, come in to the Wal-Mart there. We got great sammiches. Like you, I eat em every day. Fact is, I'm munching on a turkey and colbyjack cheese one right now, with multigrain french bread! Look for the cashier who has a tag that says "Bob."

James said...

I wonder how much you save a year by not buying McDonalds...

Terry said...

I wish I could find room for a cooler. Those look scrumptious!!