Round 'Em Up Ranch Hoagies

Some days are just so busy that a well-rounded meal seems out of the question. Not so! These quick, easy to prepare Deli Ranch Hoagies are the perfect solution. After an unusually long day at work, I had time to make this delicious sandwich for dinner before hunger-induced crabbiness set in!

The official recipe calls for standard hoagie buns found in your local bakery section; however, while I was cruising through the grocery store, I came across these take-and-bake ciabatta rolls. Light, fluffy ciabatta is pretty much my favorite bread in the world, so I couldn't resist. If you would like to follow suit, just place several rolls onto a pan and bake according to the package instructions (this only added about 10 minutes of baking time to the overall preparation).

While the rolls were baking, I set out my sandwich ingredients. Since I had baby carrots on hand, I planned to use those for the shredded carrots portion - not something I would recommend if you want to keep your fingers. In the future, I would either shred large carrots, or you can buy bags of pre-shredded carrots. Of course, in times of great hunger, we make do! So, to save my fingers, I speared each carrot on the end of a fork, then shredded them onto a plate, like so.

After baking, I sliced each roll open and placed my LAND O LAKES® Deli American Cheese on the bottom half so it could melt a little on the warm bun. Then came the turkey, ham, lettuce (fresh from Granddad's garden!), carrots and finally a dollop of ranch dressing. For those who don't like mayo (my hubby, for example), using this dressing is a definite crowd pleaser!

Tip: If you're not a Ranch dressing fan or just want to try something new, pick up some Parmesan Romano dressing. I love this on pitas, wraps and classic sandwiches!

In a matter of minutes I had a delightfully fresh, flavorful meal to satisfy my hunger! Really, I think it's the ranch/carrot combo that makes this sandwich distinct. It gives a hint of  "salad"  feel that is nice and crisp. Plus, the easy prep meant that Ryan and I could prepare a sandwich or two to eat the following day for lunch or a snack.

As with all recipes, there is a whole host of variations on this theme for you to consider. Add fresh vegetables you have on hand - maybe tomatoes, cucumbers or sprouts.

Let me know what great additions you come up with and, of course, remember to review and rate  this recipe, Deli Ranch Hoagies!

It is blueberry season right now! Becky's favorite muffin is blueberry muffins.  On Thursday, she will share a blueberry muffin recipe and her recipe tips for making them.