Convenience Foods Make Good Meals
Convenience doesn’t have to mean that the food you are using is high in fat and calories and low on flavor. Although, most of them are that way …sad, but true, there are others that are simply a help to get dinner on the table. Frozen Bread Dough is one of the good guys.
The truth again is that many new working women and men, had working parents—plural- and as such, didn’t get the training in basic cooking skills. Dealing with yeast and having to think about making the bread in the morning so it will be ready when needed can be a bit much. So, here are some tips – no recipe- for how to use frozen bread dough as a way to make dinner special and healthy.
I suggest a baked sandwich and soup for dinner. It’s fun and fast to make and hot and satisfying for the whole family. Customize the filling to suit your taste and dietary needs. First, have the bread dough on hand in your freezer and on a snowy day, take it out in the morning and throw it in the refrigerator to thaw. About an hour before dinner, roll the bread dough into a 10 X20 rectangle – roughly. Place the dough rectangle on a baking sheet. Spread the dough with condiments for your sandwich. I usually make a baked ham and cheese. So we put mustard and relish on to the dough first, right down the center, then layer about a pound of sliced ham and several slices of hearty cheddar cheese. Layer everything in the center of the dough leaving a little room at each end, and add all the flavors right to the sandwich before baking. Don’t try to add them later, it’s too messy.
Now you can close your sandwich by simply folding the dough over the top of the filling and sealing the seam with a little water brushed on the under layer. Or, use this quick technique to make it look like you slaved all day. Cut into the dough- up to the filling- at one inch intervals, use scissors. Cut one inch intervals all along each side of the dough that should cover the top. It will look like the filling has fringe on each side. Then after each side is cut, fold the top and bottom inward and then alternate covering your filling with strips of dough from each side of the rectangle. Help the dough to seal by using a little water to “glue” it. When finished, whip up a whole egg in a small bowl and brush the egg over the whole sandwich. Bake the sandwich at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes, or until golden brown and cooked through. While the sandwich bakes heat up some soup, and make a salad and dinner is served.