Cost Breakdown (Avocado Tuna Sandwich)

Cost Breakdown (Cold Tuna Stuffed Pepper)

Cost Breakdown (Tuna Melt)

Cost Breakdown (Tuna Melt Stuffed Pepper)

Cost Breakdown (Optional Add-ins**)

*Items commonly stocked at SNAC

**Costs will fluctuate with different add-ins. Use ingredients you already have at home for no extra cost. 

Recipe Making Process

Cold Sandwich:

1. Mix 1 can of tuna with either 1 avocado or ½-1 c. greek yogurt (enough to just barely hold together the mixture)
2. Spread over bread to create an easily transportable lunch, eat like a dip with cucumber slices for a snack, or fill a halved bell pepper for a more light, refreshing meal
3. Add-ins can be incorporated directly into the mixture or layered with it when assembled

Tuna Melt: 

1. Mix 1 can of tuna with ½-1 cup cottage cheese (enough to just barely hold together the mixture
2. Spread over toasted bread or fill a halved bell pepper, then broil on high for 10 minutes, or until the top forms a golden-brown crust
3. Add-ins can be incorporated directly into the mixture or layered with it when assembled

Tuna Sandwich Four Ways

Author: Camille Simpson, Evelyn Saldana Negrete, Jocelyn Hyder, Kenzie Cook Cooking Method:Broiling Cuisine:American Courses:Lunch Dinner Snacks

Difficulty:BeginnerPrep time: 10 minutesCook time: 10 minutesTotal time: 20 minutesServings:1 servingsEstimated Cost:2.00 $ Best Season:Summer, Available, Fall, Spring, Winter

Description

This versatile tuna sandwich recipe is perfect for college students looking for a quick, affordable, and nutritious meal. It swaps traditional mayo for healthier alternatives like Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, or avocado, boosting protein and heart-healthy fats. Whether you prefer a cold sandwich, a crunchy bell pepper boat, or a warm tuna melt, this recipe is a great way to add more protein and fiber to your diet while keeping meals delicious and easy to prepare. 

Ingredients

Cold Sandwich

• 1 can of tuna
• 1/2 c of plain Greek yogurt or 1 avocado
• 2 slices whole wheat bread or 1/2 bell pepper
• Additional Mix-ins

Tuna Melt

• 1 can of tuna
• 1/2 – 1 cup cottage cheese
• 2 slices whole wheat bread or 1/2 bell pepper
• Additional Mix-ins

Instructions

Cold Sandwich

1. Mix 2 cans of tuna with either 1 avocado or ½-1 cup of Greek yogurt (just enough to hold the mixture together). 
2. Spread over whole-grain bread for a classic sandwich. 
3. Alternatively, serve as a dip with cucumber slices or fill a halved bell pepper for a lighter, crunchy meal. 
4. Add any optional add-ins like tomatoes, leafy greens, pickles, or mustard either directly into the mixture or layered on the sandwich. 

Tuna Melt

5. Mix 2 cans of tuna with ½-1 cup of cottage cheese (enough to hold together). 
6. Spread over bread or fill a halved bell pepper. If desired, sprinkle with shredded cheese.
7. Broil on high for about 10 minutes or until the top is golden and slightly crispy. 
8. Add toppings like cheese, tomatoes, pesto, or hot sauce for extra flavor. 

Video

Notes

• Optional Additions: 
  1 tomato, sliced 
  1 can black beans 
  1 cucumber, sliced 
  Pickles 
  Cheese (pepper jack, cheddar, or a blend) 
  Greens (arugula, kale, or lettuce) 
  Dijon mustard 
  Basil pesto 
  Hot sauce or buffalo sauce 
  Additional Seasonings: 
  Mustard 
  Garlic 
  Dill 
  Red pepper flakes 
  Black pepper 
  Lemon juice 
  
• Make-Ahead & Storage: Store tuna mixture in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. 
  How to Serve: Serve with a side of whole-grain crackers, fresh fruit or veggies, or a simple salad. Additionally, this is perfect for tossing in a lunchbox or fold-top bag for an on-the-go meal!
  Scaling the Recipe: Easily double or halve the ingredients based on how many servings you need. One can of tuna is generally enough for one full sandwich, but can easily spread farther with more add-ins. 
  Variations: Try different seasonings, swap in different cheeses, or use alternative bread options like wraps or lettuce cups. 

Keywords:Budget Friendly Recipes, College Student Meals, Healthy Lunches, Meal Prep Ideas, Quick meals, Sandwich Variations, Tuna Recipes, Customizable, Easy

But wait!!! Could your dream be a possibility? Could there be a way to turn your regular toasted bread to be a masterpiece of a meal?!

YES and you’ve come to the right place.

A three-course meal! That takes five minutes! And it’s toast!! No fancy equipment needed. This recipe consists of four fresh and gourmet toasts, developed by Lori at the Kitchen Whisper, that will have your mouth exploding with unique flavors. A loaded toast with fruits, veggies, good carbohydrates and proteins, for every course of your meal: appetizer, main dish, and dessert. Your toast craving will be satisfied and your body will be happily fueled with this hearty goodness in no time.

We know, being college students ourselves, what it’s like to have the “hanger monster” roaming around your mind and needing a fast and cheap meal. Toast is not a bad option! We want to take it to the next level! Choose whatever bread you so desire. Because of allergies, we are making it with gluten-free bread, but whole wheat, Asiago cheese, focaccia, or whatever bread you choose would be exceptional too! These recipes are adapted from The Kitchen Whisperer website, and will change the course of your college-student toast life. We are changing the future of toast. You will never go back to PB and J.

Cost Breakdown

Berry Toast

BAE Toast

Veggie Curl Toast

Caprese Toast

Recipe Making Process

Okay, you’ve got your grocery list… Where to next? Where’s the best place to shop? What’s great is you are a student in college, so there are resources for you! If you are attending Utah State University you have access to the SNAC food pantry which can get you a bag of food free each week, no questions asked. The hard part is you do not always have control over what they give you. But many times there is a good loaf of bread, and if it is in season, you can get some good veggies. If not, the next best option is a relatively inexpensive grocery store near you. We shopped at Smith’s for quality and price, however Walmart and WinCo are also good options.

Zucchini and squash and tomatoes and berries are great and easy to find during the summer and early fall months, but what about those long winter months? Try substituting berries for orange slices or pomegranate seeds. There are canned tomatoes that can be substituted for fresh and as for the squash, look for local winter squash that may be available to you!

To help reduce the cost of the gourmet toasts, we chose toasts with similar ingredients. This way, we can make varying meals throughout the week while using as much of the same ingredients to save money. One example of this is with our Caprese and BAE toast options. They are both avocado based toasts, but all of the ingredients differ. They have very different flavors but by using avocados for multiple toasts we can save money on other ingredients. Another way we worked to reduce the cost was taking advantage of the SNAC pantry when possible. They offer breads and fresh produce that can be used in our toast recipes.

The preparation process may feel the most time consuming, but is essential for an organized and successful cooking outcome. Luckily for you, the mise en place (aka preparation process) of these gourmet toast recipes are simply gathering of the ingredients and cooking tools. For these recipes that means gathering fruits and vegetables, a pot for boiling an egg, as well as cutting boards and knives. Once these items are all called for, the fun begins!

These recipes were so fun and easy to put together. Most of the procedures are pretty self explanatory, just compiling all the ingredients and spreading it out on the toast. The basic skills you need are putting the toast in the toaster, boiling an egg, and correctly measuring out your ingredients. Piece of cake! Or should we say piece of toast!;)

Here are a few cooking tips that might help if you’re a little stuck…

To boil the eggs, in a medium saucepan, add just enough water to cover them. Bring the water to a boil, then set a timer for 10-12 minutes. This will ensure that the yolks are done in the middle. Then, carefully place the boiled eggs in a bowl of ice cold water. This will make them easier to peel and will help them set correctly without turning a pale green color around the yolk.

The Veggie Toast requires veggie curls, which we had never done before, but was a lot easier than it sounds! Start off by filling a bowl with ice water. Wash your vegetables as usual and peel the skin off just the carrot. Then, use your peeler and repeatedly peel one area of the vegetable to get thin strips. They should naturally curl on their own! You can help them curl by rolling them up and sticking them in the water like so….

Super easy and looks super cool, right?! We found that the strips peeled from about 1⁄3 into the width of the vegetable were the best looking. Once you’re ready to use the curls, just dry them off with a paper towel, and boom! Perfection!

Reflection of the Process

These toasts turned out great! They were delicious, full of flavor, and looked beautiful. Another thing that we loved about these toasts was that they were very filling and full of nutrition while still being so easy to prepare and easy to find the ingredients.

Keep it budget friendly. If there is an ingredient that is over the top of your budget, find a quick substitute. The options are truly endless when it comes to making this toast. It does not have to come from all one recipe. Also remember, spices and bigger containers will make more than one piece of toast; don’t be too afraid to invest, and whatever you don’t use, great for snacking!

Presentation is HUGE with these toasts. If it looks good, you’ve already won. Here are a few tricks to ensure mouth watering upon looking at, and consuming, your lovely toasts:

1. Put a thick layer of your base spread on your toast. No one wants dry toast. This will help it be hearty and enhance the look of all ingredients on top.
2. Balance colors! Make the most of the fresh ingredients by spreading out the diverse colors
3. Pile up that toast, baby! Your toast should be overflowing with your scrumptious ingredients.
4. Don’t be afraid to add those spices. Some of them might be new to you but they add such a good flavor! Especially if you are using all the ingredients, you’re going to want a good amount of spice.
5. SERVE IMMEDIATELY. No one likes to bite into a rock instead of toasted bread.

Here are some photos to use as guidelines for how you can top the toasts. This recipe is so fun because it allows you to be CREATIVE. Change it up! Add your own pazazz! Let us know how it goes in the comments!

Gourmet Toasts

Author: Food Literacy Students Cooking Method:Toasting Cuisine:American Courses:Breakfast Dinner Gluten Free Lunch, Dinner Snack

Difficulty:BeginnerPrep time: 5 minutesCook time: 2 minutesRest time: 1 minuteTotal time: 8 minutesServings:8 servingsCalories: kcal Best Season:Available

Description

This recipe is a great and versatile option for anyone looking to spruce up a simple meal. It takes a simple piece of bread and then adds other ingredients to not only increase flavor but the nutritional profile

Ingredients

• 8 slices of bread of your choice

BAE Toast

• 3 pieces of crispy bacon, chopped
• 1 small-medium avocado, peeled, pitted, and scooped
• 1/2 tsp each kosher salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes
  4 hard-boiled eggs, halved
  2 Tbsp honey
  2 tsp Sriracha

Caprese Toast

• 1/2 small-medium avocado, peeled, pitted, scooped
• 1/4 teaspoon each of dried basil, oregano, kosher salt, and black pepper
• 8 small bocconcini cheese balls (or mini fresh mozzarella)
• 6-8 halved grape tomatoes
• Garnish/Drizzle – micro basil and extra virgin olive oil
• Seasoning – pinch each dried basil/oregano/kosher salt/pepper

Berry Toast

• 1/4 cup ricotta
• 2 tsp honey
• 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 large strawberries, sliced
• 8 raspberries
• 4 blackberries
• 10 blueberries
• Garnish with fresh mint

Veggie Curls Toast

• 1/3 cup plain hummus
• 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
• Thinly shaved zucchini, carrots, and squash (keep in water to help curl)
• Pinch of dried dill, kosher salt, and black pepper
• Drizzle of extra virgin olive oil

Instructions

1. BAE Toast: In a bowl smash the avocado with the salt, pepper and red
   pepper flakes; set aside. In a separate bowl, whisk together the honey and sriracha. On each slice of toast spread some of the smashed avocado. Add 2 halves of the egg on top, some chopped bacon and finish with a drizzle of sriracha honey sauce.
2. Caprese Toast: In a bowl smash the avocado with the dried basil, oregano,
   kosher salt, and black pepper; set aside. On each slice of toast spread some of the Italian smashed avocado. Place 3-4 bocconcini balls, and 2-3 grape tomato halves. Finish each toast with a pinch of dried basil/oregano/kosher salt/pepper, a garnish of micro basil, and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
3. Berry Breakfast Toast: In a food processor add the ricotta, 1 teaspoon of honey, and vanilla bean extract. Process until smooth and creamy; set aside. On each slice of toast spread out the sweetened ricotta, top with
   fresh berries. Finish with a drizzle of honey and a garnish of
   mint.
4. Veggie Curls Toast: On each slice of toast spread out the hummus. Next gently smear on some of the Greek yogurt. To each slice of toast add a ribbon of each vegetable, sprinkle with a pinch of herbs and finish it with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil..

Keywords:Bread, breakfast, Dinner, Gourmet, Healthy, Quick meals