Brown bag it in style

Daily Press (Newport News, Va.) (MCT) - Lunches out are the first thing to go when a budget tightens. But the same turkey, cheese and mustard sandwich gets tired after a few days. Here are some tips and recipes from deli owners to help you spice up your bagged lunch.

BRIGHTEN THE PRESENTATION AND ADD A GOURMET FEEL

Virgie King and her husband, Tom Jones, prepare hundreds of bagged lunches every week for their customers at The Deli Basket in Newport News, Va.

King says she likes to add themed tissue paper to mark special occasions, or decorate the bags with stickers for kids.

On the food side, you can add gourmet-flavored chips, like the rosemary-olive oil chips The Deli Basket serves. Or you can change the types of bread you use and add different types of deli sauce.

Jones also makes nontraditional sandwiches like his shrimp salad sandwich. Here's the recipe:

SHRIMP SALAD SANDWICH

shrimp

chopped onions

fresh parsley

chopped red peppers

light mayonnaise

chopped garlic

garlic salt

Old bay spice

2 slices of cooked bacon

lettuce

5-inch kaiser roll

Boil shrimp until reddish-pink and drain. Add chopped onions, a pinch of fresh parsley, chopped red peppers, a pinch of chopped garlic and garlic salt and a pinch of old bay spice to your preference. Add light mayonnaise to taste.

Put shrimp salad on the kaiser roll and top with lettuce _ Jones prefers the sweeter taste of romaine _ and bacon. Add mayonnaise if you wish.

Jones does not use recipes to make his sandwiches, so ingredients can be used in amounts of preference.

ADD VARIETY TO AN OLD FAVORITE

The best way to create a great-tasting sandwich is to think about how the flavors of the ingredients will complement one another, says Matthew Daly, the co-owner of Ceriello, an Italian deli in Newport News, Va.

For example, you should pair a salty cheese with a more mild-tasting meat, or if you want to make a grilled vegetable sandwich, use a softer cheese such as goat cheese. Flavorful dressings can also make a big difference. Instead of using plain mayonnaise on a turkey sandwich, go for a cranberry flavored mayonnaise or dressing.

You should also try to use condiments and toppings that are in season, since fresh ingredients always taste the best. A tomato-heavy sandwich, for example, is not a good choice for the winter months. But new takes on old favorites are usually the biggest seller for Daly, he says.

Here's one of his favorite sandwich recipes:

ROAST BEEF SANDWICH

slices of roast beef

red onion

1 ounce shredded asiago cheese

horseradish herbal mayonnaise (Thousand Island dressing mixed with some horseradish will have the same taste)

focaccia or ciabatta bread

Directions: Saute the red onions. Place the roast beef on the sandwich bread and top with cheese, mayonnaise and onion. Warm the sandwich in the oven until the cheese is slightly melted.

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© 2009, Daily Press (Newport News, Va.).