Home-made sandwich spreads

Decadent_Fool

Hi, I'm hoping somene can help, and I think this is probably the best board to post my question on

I'm looking at making my own sandwich spreads for me and my daughter, freezing them in small pots (say a couple of days worth of sandwich spread in each) and then defrosting as required. I'll probably do a curried chicken one (probably from a Homepride type sauce), boiled egg and bacon, prawn mayonnaise, and a chicken salad type.

However I'm unsure if it will be safe to defrost them afterwards to be used as spreads. Also, I'd be defrosting in a fridge, not microwave, not that it should make any difference ?

If anyone can offer any advice then I'd appreciate it, or of course better recipes and techniques !

Many thanks in advance; I'm away over the weekend so will be dishing out the 'thanks' on Sunday night :cool:

Gingham_Ribbon

I don't know about defrosting fish, but why not make up the sandwiches and then freeze them? Then take them out of the freezer in the morning and they'll be defrosted and still cool by the time you come to eat them?

Queenie

Copying this from a post I answered in February "Freezable Sandwiches" :-

Queenie wrote:

Last year I posted some sandwich spreads which are freezable which you might find useful if you want ... to make and freeze ahead as sandwiches.

HTH

HM Sandwich Spreads (these are all freezable recipes)

NB: The following applies to all the recipes below.

Put the ingredients in a bowl and beat well.
To Freeze: put into a freezeable container; seal, label, freeze.
Defrost: Thaw at room temp for 2 - 3hrs.
Yield: Fills approx 4 large sandwiches

Chocolate:
2oz butter
2oz melted, plain chocolate
1 Tbsp black treacle/golden syrup

Honey, Raisin (or Sultana) and Nut Spread
2oz butter
2 Tbsp honey
1oz raisins (or sultanas)
1oz chopped almonds/walnuts

Cheese and Herb
2oz butter
3oz finely grated cheese
1 Tbsp top of the milk or cream
1 tsp dried mixed herbs

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

.... I replied to a thread, Comprehensive Freezer List ..... below are the links I posted. If you read through the foods which are freezable, you'll be able to work out which can be made into sandwiches and frozen in advance:-

Food Storage - fridge and freezer

Selecting and Storing Fruit and Veg

Freezing Food

Food Freezing Guide (PDF)

Preserving Food - freezing fruits

Preserving Food - freezing Veg

Freezing Advice - by Delia

HTH

thriftmonster

One sandwich spread I make a lot is chicken:

Once you have eaten a roast chicken and saved all the good meat, go back over the carcass and pull off all the bits of meat that look too messy to serve on a plate or too tiny - there is usually quite a bit, especially underneath and round the top of the wings etc

Put it in the food processor with half the weight in butter - so twice chicken to one lot of butter, pepper to taste and a pinch of mace (if you have it and like it) and process to ckicken paste.

At room temperature it's spreadable, out of the fridge you can cut it in thin slices. Also the slices can be served with salad etc as another meal

mollymunchkin

Salmon and prawn spread

Poach a salmon fillet in milk, leave to cool. Blitz in a food processor with 2oz cooked prawns, 1 tbsp mayo and a few drops of lemon juice. Process until smooth.

thriftlady_2

Does anyone have recipes for homemade meat/fish/veg spreads or pastes for sandwiches ?

I've tried an Elizabeth David recipe for potted tongue, but because of the large amount of butter in it it was unspreadable (straight from the fridge anyway).

Yesterday I did this:

Whizzed together in a food processor
2 handfuls of leftover ham (from a joint I'd cooked for sandwiches)
1 handful of leftover roast chicken
2 tbsp of fat and juices from the roast chicken (I save everything )

It made the most delicious spread. Needed no other seasoning as it had salt from the ham and other flavour from the chickeny fat/juices.
It also had much less fat in than the Elizabeth David recipe which had equal quantities of butter and meat.

I've had a go with mashed bean/lentil spreads too, the chicken and ham is best though

Any other ideas out there ?

Pink.

Hi thriftlady,

That sounds lovely. We have an older thread that may give you some more ideas: Home-made sandwich spreads

I'll merge the threads later to keep the suggestions together.

Pink

HariboJunkie

Our favourites are;

tuna, sweetcorn and mayo
Chicken, sweetcorn and mayo.
Cheese and mixed beans
Potted shrimp
Potted crab

These can either be used as they are or whizzed to give them a more sandwichy spread consistency.

Your chicken and ham one sounds lovely Thriftlady but the fat is the one thing I don't use from the chicken. might try it with a bit of stock though.

Raksha

Tuna and mayo with an added handful (or so) of finely chopped spring onions is a big favourite here.

thriftlady_2

Lovely suggestions :T

I was thinking specifically of recipes for meat/fish spreads - like potted meats rather than tuna-mayo type fillings yummy though they are. My kids like meaty fillings best.

HariboJunkie

Sorry Thriftlady. Meaty ones are more difficult aren't they?

what about corned beef? Not sure what you'd do with it to make it a spread though.
The fish ones I've suggested have a good texture when blended and do taste quite meaty IYKWIM.

I'll keep thinking.