Cooking for One: Sandwiches, Personal Pizzas, & Quesadillas

Sandwiches, personal pizzas, and quesadillas are delicious and convenient options for college students and other single adults. These versatile, popular dishes are tried-and-true satisfiers when it comes to lunch-hour dining. Squelch the urge to order take-out because you can most definitely make something much tastier, much healthier, and much more economical at home.

Did you know that on any given day, about one-half (47 percent of Americans, according to a survey conducted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture) report eating at least one sandwich? Perhaps you’ve had your fill of ham and cheese or peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and are feeling in a rut.

It’s not difficult to get creative with sandwich making and take your taste buds to the next level. For example, the Roast Beef and Blue Cheese Sliders simply pair deli roast beef with bold blue cheese for an extraordinary eating experience.

Quesadillas and pizzas are also ideal for a solo diner’s easy-to-make lunch menu. These items can be customized to your preferences and tweaked to incorporate what’s in the fridge at any given moment — melted cheese on a tortilla or pizza crust just seems to pair well with odd bits!

You’ll quickly become a fan of using tortillas or pita bread as the host for favorite fillings and toppings. Forget about pepperoni pizza on a traditional crust; check out the BBQ Chicken and Corn Tortilla Pizza that you can make super-fast in an air fryer.

Don’t assume that if you are on a low-carb diet these sandwich, pizza, and quesadilla options are automatically out of play. The Cucumber “Bun” Club Sandwich is a clever (and crunchy) way to avoid bread and still get that sandwich experience. Also, it’s easy to find low-carb (or gluten-free) options at grocery stores today for recipes that use a tortilla or crust.

Artichoke Tomato Pita Pizza

• Prep time: 2 minutes
• Cook time: 10 minutes
• Yield: 1 serving

Ingredients

2 tablespoons bottled alfredo sauce or tomato pasta sauce

1 pita bread round

1 marinated artichoke heart, drained and chopped

2 tablespoons chopped sun-dried tomatoes

1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1 teaspoon chopped fresh basil, optional

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Spread the sauce on top of the pita bread.
3. Scatter around the chopped artichoke and tomatoes.
4. Sprinkle on the mozzarella cheese to cover the top.
5. Bake on the pizza stone, baking sheet, or directly on the oven rack for 8 to 10 minutes or until the cheese is bubbling.

Vary it!

Red onion slivers, chopped spinach, and marinated red peppers are other good additions to this pizza. Get creative and use your imagination.

Philly Cheesesteak French Bread Pizza

• Prep time: 10 minutes
• Cook time: 20 minutes
• Yield: 1 serving

Ingredients

1 tablespoon salted butter

1/2 teaspoon minced garlic

1 (5-inch long) French bread, sliced in half lengthwise

1⁄3 cup provolone cheese, grated

2 tablespoons American cheese, grated or cut in tiny bits (about 1 wrapped slice)

3 ounces sirloin steak

1 teaspoon olive oil

1/2 teaspoon minced garlic

1⁄8 red bell pepper, sliced into thin strips

1⁄8 green bell pepper, sliced into thin strips

1⁄8 medium white onion, thinly sliced

3 white button mushrooms, thinly sliced

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
2. In a small bowl, soften the butter and stir in the garlic. Spread evenly across both halves of the bread.
3. Toss together the cheeses. Sprinkle the tops of bread with a small portion of the cheese mixture, about 1 to 1 1/2 ounces. Reserve the remainder of the cheese for use later.
4. Toast in the oven for 5 minutes or until lightly browned. When done, remove and set aside, keeping the oven preheated.
5. Meanwhile, slice the steak against the grain into very thin strips, approximately 1⁄8 inch thick. This can be made easier by sticking the steak in the freezer for 15 minutes ahead of time to firm up.
6. Place the oil in a small skillet and cook the steak slices over medium-high until just done, with a little bit of light pink left in the center. This will take only 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the steak from the skillet and set aside.
7. Add the bell peppers, onion, and mushrooms to the same skillet and sauté for about 3 minutes until softened. Remove from the heat and stir the beef back in.
8. Pile up the beef and veggie mixture evenly across the two toasted breads and top with the remaining cheese.
9. Return to the oven for 6 to 8 minutes, until the cheese is bubbling.

Vary it!

Play with the flavors by switching up the Provolone cheese for another option. Try sharp cheddar, Gouda, pepper jack, or Swiss.

BBQ Chicken and Corn Tortilla Pizza

• Prep time: 3 minutes
• Cook time: 12 minutes
• Yield: 1 serving

Ingredients

1 (6 to 8-inch) flour tortilla, preferably whole wheat (see Tip)

1/2 to 2 tablespoons store-bought barbeque sauce

1/4 cup cooked chopped chicken breast

2 tablespoons frozen corn, thawed and patted dry

1 tablespoon chopped red onion

1 tablespoon pickled jalapeño slices

1/4 cup mozzarella cheese

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place the tortilla on a baking sheet and bake for about 6 minutes, flipping halfway through, until becoming lightly golden brown and crisping. Or preheat an air fryer to 350 degrees and cook the tortilla for 2 to 3 minutes, until starting to become crunchy.
2. Spread the barbeque sauce on the tortilla and scatter about the toppings; sprinkle with the cheese.
3. Return the pizza to the 400-degree oven and cook for an additional 6 to 7 minutes or return it to the 350-degree air fryer and cook for an additional 5 to 6 minutes or until the cheese is bubbling.
4. Slice into wedges and enjoy.

If using an air fryer for this recipe, make sure you know what size tortilla will fit inside your air-fryer basket before starting.

NOTE:

You can also prepare this in the microwave by placing the tortilla on a plate and cooking on high for about 1 1/2 to 2 minutes (flipping every 30 seconds). Then add the sauce and toppings and bake at 400 degrees in a traditional or toaster oven for 6 to 8 minutes.

Zesty Tuna Melt Quesadilla

• Prep time: 5 minutes
• Cook time: 6 minutes
• Yield: 1 serving

Ingredients

1 pouch tuna fish, about 2 1/2 ounces (liquid drained, if any)

1/4 cup diced celery

1 tablespoon sweet pickle relish

2 tablespoons mayonnaise

1/2 teaspoon lemon juice

1⁄8 teaspoon Creole seasoning

2 (6-inch) flour tortillas, preferably whole wheat

1/4 cup sharp white cheddar cheese

Directions

1. To a medium bowl, add the tuna, celery, relish, mayonnaise, lemon juice, and Creole seasoning; stir until combined.
2. Spray a 8-inch skillet with nonstick cooking spray and bring to medium heat. Place one tortilla in the skillet and spread with the tuna mixture to almost the outer edges. Top the tuna with the cheese and the second tortilla.
3. Brown in the skillet for approximately 2 minutes; then flip to cook on the opposite side for approximately 4 minutes until browned and the cheese is melting.
4. Cut into wedges and serve.

Vary it!

Try adding blotted tomato slices between the tuna and cheese layers as a delicious addition.

My Big Fat Greek Hummus Quesadilla

Prep time: 2 minutes

Cook time: 10 minutes

Yield: 1 serving

Ingredients

1/2 teaspoon olive oil

1/2 teaspoon minced garlic

1/4 cup roasted red peppers from jar, diced

1 pepperoncini pepper from jar, diced

1⁄8 teaspoon Greek seasoning

1 cup baby spinach

1/4 cup hummus

1 (10-inch) whole-wheat flour tortilla, or 2 (6-inch) whole wheat flour tortillas

Directions

1. Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic, red peppers, and pepperoncini and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes. Sprinkle with the Greek seasoning.
2. Add the spinach to the pan and sauté for an additional 1 minute. Remove from the heat.
3. Heat another skillet (sized to fit your tortilla) over medium-high heat and spray with nonstick spray.
4. Spread the hummus on one half of the tortilla and top with the spinach mixture. Fold in half and set in the skillet.
5. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes on one side until browned. Flip and cook another 2 to 3 minutes on the opposite side.
6. Transfer to a plate and cut into wedges.

Vary it!

Add 2 ounces of leftover chopped chicken.

Using a purchased Greek seasoning is convenient, cost-effective, and space-saving. Although you only need 1⁄8 teaspoon total seasoning for this recipe, you can make your own blend (and save the remainder for other uses) by mixing together 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano, 1 teaspoon dried thyme, 1/2 teaspoon dried basil, 1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram, 1/2 teaspoon dried minced onion, and 1/4 teaspoon dried minced garlic. Store the seasoning mix in a small, airtight jar.

Roast Beef and Blue Cheese Sliders

Prep time: 5 minutes

Yield: 1 serving

Ingredients

3 Hawaiian-style pull-apart rolls

2 ounces crumbled blue cheese

1 tablespoon mayonnaise

1 tablespoon plain Greek yogurt or sour cream

Pinch of ground black pepper

3 ounces deli roast beef, sliced thinly

1/2 cup arugula

Directions

1. Slice the rolls into top and bottom halves.
2. In a small bowl, smash together the blue cheese, mayonnaise, Greek yogurt, and black pepper with a fork.
3. To assemble each slider, spread one-third of the cheese mixture on the bottom half of one roll. Next, pile on one-third of the roast beast and one-third of the arugula, then top with the other half of the roll. Repeat for the remaining ingredients.
4. Secure with toothpicks, if needed.

Grilled Cubano

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 12 minutes

Yield: 1 serving

Ingredients

1 Cuban bread or Italian, 6 to 8 inch, sliced lengthwise

1–2 teaspoons yellow mustard

2 teaspoons salted butter, softened

1⁄8 teaspoon garlic powder

3 ounces Swiss cheese, divided

2 slices Black Forest or honey ham

3 ounces precooked pulled pork roast

6 to 8 thin dill pickle slices

Directions

1. In a skillet, over medium heat, place both halves of bread cut side down and toast until lightly golden brown, about 3 to 4 minutes.
2. Remove the bread from pan and spread one side with butter and sprinkle with the garlic powder. Spread the mustard, in the amount to your preference, on the other side.
3. Add half of the cheese to the buttered bread and then layer with the ham, pulled pork, pickles, and the remainder of the cheese and top with the mustard-spread bread slice.
4. Return the sandwich to the skillet at medium heat. Press down on the sandwich with a spatula while toasting in the pan for about 4 minutes or until golden brown on bottom. Alternatively, set a heavy cast-iron skillet on top that will serve the same “smashing” purpose.
5. Flip the sandwich and cook for approximately 4 more minutes in the same manner or until toasted and the cheese is bubbling.

NOTE:

If you don’t have cooked pulled pork on hand, double up on the deli ham.

Cucumber 'Bun' Club Sandwich

Prep time: 10 minutes

Yield: 1 serving

Ingredients

1 cucumber, approximately 8- to 10-inches long

2 teaspoons mayonnaise

2 slices deli turkey breast

2 slices deli honey ham

2 slices precooked bacon

1/4 cup grated cheddar cheese

1 small Roma tomato, quartered and de-seeded

Directions

1. Slice the ends off the cucumber and cut in half lengthwise. Use a spoon to scoop out the seeds and some of the flesh to make room for the fillings.
2. Use a spoon or small spatula to spread the mayonnaise inside the hollowed cucumbers.
3. Make a “roll up” by layering 1 slice ham, 1 slice turkey, 1 slice bacon, and half of the cheese, and then rolling tightly. Repeat with the remaining ingredients to make a second roll up.
4. Push one roll up into the hollow of each cucumber. Add the tomato wedges over one side and top with the other.
5. Slice in half crosswise like a traditional sub, if desired.

NOTE:

If deli meats are too long to fit in the cucumber “bread,” then try rolling up on the short side or cutting to fit, as needed.

Caramelized Onion and Fig Grilled Cheese

• Prep time: 5 minutes
• Cook time: 33 minutes
• Yield: 1 serving

Ingredients

2 tablespoons salted butter, divided

1/2 white or sweet yellow onion, thinly sliced

3/4 teaspoon brown sugar

1⁄8 teaspoon salt

Pinch of ground black pepper

3 dried figs, diced

2 slices Gruyere or Havarti cheese

2 slices sourdough bread

Directions

1. Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and sauté for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently, until the onions soften and begin to brown.
2. Lower the heat and continue to cook the onions for about 15 to 20 more minutes until they have caramelized and turned a richer shade of golden brown. Watch and stir frequently to ensure that the onions do not burn. In the last 3 minutes of cooking, stir in the sugar, salt, pepper, and figs.
3. Spread the remaining 1 tablespoon butter over one side of the two slices of bread.
4. Heat another skillet or grill pan to medium and add the first slice of bread, buttered side down, and the first slice of cheese. Top with the onion-fig mixture, second slice of cheese, and second slice of bread (buttered side up).
5. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes on each side until the bread is lightly golden brown and the cheese is bubbling.

Vary it!

Pitted and chopped dates make a good substitution for the dried figs.