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We all love delicatessan food, and we all have our favorites at our local deli. The Busy Cook, however, looks at all that food in a new way. Think of the deli case as a source for prepared ingredients that can be used in recipes, jump start your cooking and save lots of time! Vegetable salads can become quesadillas. Add some cooked leftover pasta to fruit salad for a great lunch. And prepared meats can be transformed into a hearty main dish recipe with just a few ingredients. These foods can become wonderful home cooked meals in very little time, with just a bit of imagination on your part - and the chart below.

DELI FOOD RECIPES & MEAL IDEAS
Roasted or Fried Chicken Asian Apricot Chicken
Barbecue Chicken Pizza
Italian Chicken Salad
Asian Chicken Salad
Chicken Croquettes
Turkey Turkey Salad With Raspberry Mint Dressing
Turkey Sandwiches with Spinach Aioli
Baked Turkey Sandwiches
Smoked Turkey Pizza
Turkey Mornay
Roast Beef Roast Beef Sandwiches With Garlic Aioli
Mini Roast Beef Pizzas
Beef Quesadillas
Roast Beef Hash
Roast Beef with Penne
Ham and Pork Ham, Broccoli & Rice Dinner
Hero Sandwich
Ham Au Gratin
BBQ Pork and Coleslaw
Sour Cream Ham Over Potatoes
Ham and Spinach Pie
Cheeses Quesadillas
Almost Instant Fondue
Boursin Soup
Vegetable Salads Corned Beef and Slaw Sandwiches
Hot Antipasto Subs
Couscous Vegetable Salad
Speedy Veggie Wraps
Vegetable Omelet
Veggie Burritos
Grilled Steak and Antipasto Salad
Mediterranean Pitas
Fruit Salads Creamy Fruit & Pasta Salad
Fruited Chicken Sandwiches
Fruit Pavlova
Pasta, Potato, Meat Salads Spinach Tortellini Salad
Potato Salad Loaf
Pasta Focaccia Sandwich
Chicken Salad Wraps
Salad Nicoise
Bread Overnight French Toast
Caramelized Onion Focaccia
Waffle Wiches
Vegetable Supreme Pizza
Seafood Salmon Pesto Rolls
Smoked Salmon Florentine
Sizzling Seafood Sandwiches
Shrimp Salad in Bread Bowls


Hints:

  • Make sure you taste the salads and other foods before you buy them so you know you like the seasonings before you put them into a recipe.
  • Add more of your favorite ingredient to the deli food to make the finished dish seem more home made.
  • Stir some low-fat mayonnaise or sour cream, mixed with a little milk, into the salads when you add more ingredients so the salad stays creamy.
  • Serve the roast chicken "as is" one night, and use the leftovers for any of these recipes the second night.
  • Browse the selection at your deli and pick out some great pizza toppings. Put them on a Boboli crust with some sauce and cheese and you have designer pizza in a flash.
  • Any stew or meat sauce makes a great baked potato topping.
  • Toss deli meats and vegetables with pasta sauce, heat, and serve over spaghetti for a quick meal.

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