If you need a quick (and we do mean quick!) weeknight dinner idea, take a look in your fridge. You probably have a bag or two of pre-chopped lettuce in there, right? Use it to serve up one of these easy dinner meals in 15 minutes or less.
Tip: To make dinnertime cleanup quick and easy, look to Bounty! Absorbent Bounty paper towels are the Quicker Picker Upper for all sorts of spills and messes – enough said!
1. Warm Sub Sandwiches
Melted cheese, crusty bread and fresh vegetables come together to create the ultimate sub sandwich.
Serves: 4
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Cost:
Difficulty: Easy
Ingredients
1 large baguette, or 4 sub rolls, halved lengthwise
1 (6 oz.) package sliced provolone cheese
½ (5 oz.) bag romaine lettuce, shredded
¼ cup Italian vinaigrette
½ small sweet yellow onion, very thinly sliced
1 large tomato, sliced
1 large ripe avocado, peeled, pitted and sliced
Sliced pickles
Preferred deli meat
Instructions
- Preheat the broiler
- Place opened baguette or rolls on a baking sheet and top one half with cheese
- Place under the broiler until cheese has melted, about 2 minutes
- Top bottom halves of bread with lettuce
- Drizzle lettuce with dressing and top with onion, tomato, avocado, pickles and any meat
- Place top piece of bread with melted cheese on top
- Add salami, prosciutto, leftover meatballs or cooked shredded chicken breast if desired
Tip: For dishes and cookware that require hand washing (like baking sheets), Dawn Platinum dish soap has four times more grease-cleaning power per drop,* meaning it can take on even 48-hour stuck-on food.
2. Chinese Chicken Salad
This salad makes for a delicious one-bowl dinner. Cut down on prep time by cooking and shredding the chicken breasts and chopping the veggies ahead of time!
Serves: 4Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cost:
Difficulty: Easy
Ingredients
1 (5 oz.) bag chopped iceberg or romaine lettuce (or sliced Napa cabbage)
1 (11 oz.) can mandarin oranges, drained
1 small red bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 large cooked chicken breast, shredded
2 green onions, sliced
½ cup roasted cashews
½ cup chow mein noodles
Favourite store bought or homemade Asian salad dressing
Instructions
- Place the lettuce, oranges, bell pepper, chicken and green onions in a large salad bowl
- Toss the salad with dressing to coat
- Top salad with cashews and chow mein noodles
3. Caesar Salad Wraps
Wraps turn salad into a hearty, portable meal. Customize these wraps by using your favourite protein. Leftover cooked chicken, shrimp, salmon or white beans all work well.
Serves: 4
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cost:
Difficulty: Easy
Ingredients
1 (5 oz.) bag romaine lettuce
1½ cups shredded chicken, grilled shrimp or cooked white beans
Caesar salad dressing
1 avocado, peeled, pitted and sliced
¼ cup shaved Parmesan cheese
4 large tortilla wraps
Instructions
- Place lettuce and chicken, shrimp, or beans in a large bowl
- Toss salad with Caesar dressing to coat
- Place the prepared salad, avocado and cheese down the middle of the wraps
- Roll wraps and cut in half diagonally
- Serve immediately or wrap in foil and refrigerate until ready to eat
4. Tostadas
Pile crisp corn tortillas high with beans, veggies, crunchy romaine and guacamole for a healthy dinner in no time!
Serves: 4
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Cost:
Difficulty: Easy
Ingredients
4 corn tortillas
2 (15 oz.) cans pinto, refried, or black beans, drained and rinsed (unless using refried)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Cooking spray
1/2 (5 oz.) bag favourite lettuce
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 limes, divided
2 Roma tomatoes, diced
2 ripe avocadoes
1/2 shallot, finely chopped
1 large clove garlic, crushed or minced
Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 F
- Coat both sides of tortillas with cooking spray and place on a baking sheet
- Bake for 5 minutes per side, until crisp
- Place beans in a small saucepan over medium-low heat to warm
- Top each crisp tostada with beans, cheese, lettuce and tomatoes
- Drizzle olive oil and the juice from one of the limes over the top
- To make guacamole — in a small bowl, mash the avocadoes with the shallot, garlic, juice of one lime, and salt and pepper to taste
- Top the tostadas with guacamole and serve immediately
Tip: Did you know Mr. Clean Magic Eraser cleans better than the leading all-purpose bleach spray at removing stuck-on food, grime and grease? Use it to clean stovetops, oven doors and countertops after you’re finished cooking tostadas, Chinese chicken salad and more.
How do you use pre-packaged lettuce? Tell us in the comments section below!
*Based on cleaning ingredients per drop vs. non-ultra Joy.
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