4 Quick Dinners Using Bagged Lettuce

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

1. Preheat the broiler
2. Place opened baguette or rolls on a baking sheet and top one half with cheese
3. Place under the broiler until cheese has melted, about 2 minutes
4. Top bottom halves of bread with lettuce
5. Drizzle lettuce with dressing and top with onion, tomato, avocado, pickles and any meat
6. Place top piece of bread with melted cheese on top
7. 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!

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

1. Place the lettuce, oranges, bell pepper, chicken and green onions in a large salad bowl
2. Toss the salad with dressing to coat
3. 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

1. Place lettuce and chicken, shrimp, or beans in a large bowl
2. Toss salad with Caesar dressing to coat
3. Place the prepared salad, avocado and cheese down the middle of the wraps
4. Roll wraps and cut in half diagonally
5. 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

1. Preheat the oven to 400 F
2. Coat both sides of tortillas with cooking spray and place on a baking sheet
3. Bake for 5 minutes per side, until crisp
4. Place beans in a small saucepan over medium-low heat to warm
5. Top each crisp tostada with beans, cheese, lettuce and tomatoes
6. Drizzle olive oil and the juice from one of the limes over the top
7. To make guacamole — in a small bowl, mash the avocadoes with the shallot, garlic, juice of one lime, and salt and pepper to taste
8. 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.