School Lunch Ideas: Italian Grinder with Olive Tapenade

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Make school lunches more fun with Hellmann’s new squeeze bottle and an Italian Grinder with Olive Tapenade. Who says kids won’t eat gourmet? Sponsored by Hellmann’s.

When I was in elementary school, I discovered that I loved sandwiches. Unfortunately, my mom was never good at making sandwiches. You see, my mom was born in Iran and came to the U.S. for graduate school, where she met my dad.

Sandwiches weren’t very popular in Iran, and if Persians did eat sandwiches, they were made with flat breads. My mom’s idea of a sandwich was to slap a few slices of meat between two pieces of bread and call it a day. Don’t get me wrong. My mom is an excellent cook. But she knew nothing about making a good sandwich.

After voicing my complaints, my dad took pity on me and presided over the sandwich making responsibilities. Under my dad’s lunch reign, new condiments appeared between my sheets of bread: mayonnaise, mustard – even olives. My taste buds exploded!

Quickly, I realized that even my dad’s sandwich skills were starting to bore me, and I soon took over the task of making my own lunches. I varied the meats and switched out the vegetables, but I always kept the mayonnaise and olives. In fact, I would cut my green olives into perfect little circles so I could have an even layer of that salty goodness in every bite.

In high school, my older brother realized I had some mean sandwich making skills, so I began making HIM sandwiches. By now, I was adding oil and vinegar to our sandwiches, way before those franchise sandwich shoppes took over the mini mall scene. I told you I was cutting edge!

Today, I find myself making sandwiches in five different styles, catering to each family member’s personal taste. I suppose this kind of insanity is a mom thing. I want everyone to enjoy their meal, with the added bonus of sneaking in something healthy without anyone noticing.

Middle-Child inherited my love for olives, as well as my addiction to salami. This Italian Grinder is one sandwich the whole family can agree on, with only a few adjustments on the embellishments inside. My simply sliced green olives have been replaced with a tangy olive tapenade, but the mayo is definitely still there.

Whether I need a small dab or a solid layer of mayonnaise, I’m loving these new Hellmann’s Squeeze Bottles. The new squeeze tip makes it super easy for little hands to use or for parents to write secret mayo messages inside the sandwich. But what I love the most is that there is no mess or fuss when you are trying to get your mayonnaise fix.

You can, too, can #SqueezeMoreOut and get 50¢ off a new Hellmann’s Mayo Squeeze Bottle by clicking here.

Take the time to make a healthy school lunch for your kiddos. It’s a great memory for them and you can guarantee that your kids are getting the good stuff their little bodies need.

Italian Grinder with Olive Tapenade

Author:

Laura Bashar

Make school lunches more fun with Hellmann’s new squeeze bottle and an Italian Grinder with Olive Tapenade. Who says kids won’t eat gourmet? Recipe by Laura Bashar of Family Spice

Ingredients:

• 1 6-inch hoagie roll
• 1 TBS mayonnaise
• 1/8 lb mortadella, sliced
• 1/8 lb Genoa salami, sliced
• 1/8 lb pepperoni, sliced
• 1/8 lb provolone, sliced
• 1/2 oz micro greens
• 1/4 cup basil, fresh, coarsely chopped and loosely packed
• 1/2 small red bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
• 4 oz mixed olives, pitted and finely chopped
• 1 oz capers, finely chopped
• 1 TBS extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp sherry vinegar

Directions:

1. Split in half lengthwise:
• 1 6-inch hoagie roll
2. Spread inside roll with:
• 1 TBS mayonnaise
3. Start layering onto the bottom half of roll with:
• 1/8 lb mortadella , sliced
• 1/8 lb Genoa salami , sliced
• 1/8 lb pepperoni , sliced
• 1/8 lb provolone , sliced
4. Top with:
• 1/2 oz micro greens
• 1/4 cup basil, fresh , coarsely chopped and loosely packed
• 1/2 small red bell pepper , seeded and thinly sliced
5. In a small bowl, mix together:
• 4 oz mixed olives , pitted and finely chopped
• 1 oz capers , finely chopped
• 1 TBS extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp sherry vinegar
6. Generously spoon olive tapenade over the peppers.
7. Place top on sandwich, cut in half and serve.

Notes:

Cooking Tips: Also terrific with ham, capicola, prosciutto and mozzarella. Additional condiments and veggies you can use are tomatoes, romaine lettuce, spinach, sprouts, pickled pepperoncini and red wine vinegar. For a smoother tapenade, combine ingredients in a food processor.

Prep Time: 10 mins

Yield: Serves 1

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Disclosure: As part of the Kitchen PLAY Community, I was paid a stipend to develop a recipe for Hellmann’s. All of the opinions I expressed here are my own. If I didn’t like it, I wouldn’t blog about it.