Recipe: Mixed Up Deli Bento Box Lunches
Jackie Alpers is a food photographer and the author of the Taste of Tucson cookbook
Tired of the same old desk lunch day-after-day, yet you don’t want to have to buy a ton of expensive ingredients? These bento-style boxed lunches incorporate the flavors of your favorite deli sandwiches re-imagined in their own unique way, yet each recipe incorporates many of the same budget-friendly ingredients, so less goes to waste.
All three of the bento boxes used came from the Japanese household goods store Daiso.
The Silicone Kitchen Tools Used
The Silicone Kitchen Clip-On Strainer
The Silicone Kitchen 3-Piece Silicone Spatula Set (Spoonula)
The Silicone Kitchen Bento Baking Cups
The Silicone Kitchen Mini Baking Cups
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Scallion Ranch Cream Cheese Spread
This flavorful spread which is used in all three of the following bento box recipes, marries scallion cream cheese, ranch seasoning powder and a bit of vinegary brine from a jar of pepperoncini peppers.
Ingredients
½ cup (4 ounces) softened cream cheese
¼ cup (2 ounces) mayonnaise
2 tablespoons Ranch seasoning powder, preferably Burlap & Barrel
2 tablespoons brine from a jar of pickled pepperoncini peppers, preferably Cento
1 scallion, minced, about 1 tablespoon
Instructions
Using a fork, whisk together the softened cream cheese, mayonnaise, ranch seasoning powder and pepperoncini brine until smooth and well combined, then stir in the minced scallion. Refrigerate in a sealed container until ready to use.
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DIY Macaroni Salad
Warm macaroni is tossed in the Scallion Ranch Cream Cheese Spread then packaged alongside chopped turkey, provolone, sweet peppers, olives, and pepperoncini - all in separate silicone banking cups, so the vegetables remain crisp. Kids (and adults) have the freedom to choose what and how much of each of the mix-ins goes into their final creation and parents can gauge what was and wasn’t eaten.
Ingredients
½ cup large elbow macaroni
2 tablespoons Scallion Ranch Cream Cheese Spread
1 ounce thinly sliced provolone, (about 1 slice) diced
1 ounce sliced deli turkey, (about 1 slice) diced
2 sweet mini peppers (about ¼ cup) stems and seeds removed, diced
1 tablespoon sliced black olives
1 tablespoon sliced pickled pepperoncini peppers
Instructions
Fit a 5”x8”x3” bento box with one rectangular baking cup, two square baking cups and two mini round baking cups. Fill one square baking cup with the chopped turkey and provolone and the one with the diced mini peppers. Fill the two mini baking cups with black olives and pepperoncini slices.
In a small saucepan, boil the macaroni according to package directions until al dente, about 8 minutes. Drain using a Silicone Kitchen Clip-On Strainer, transfer to a mixing bowl and using The Silicone Kitchen “Spoonula” toss with 2 tablespoons of Scallion Ranch Cream Cheese Spread to coat. Spoon the mixture into the remaining rectangular baking cup.
Refrigerate until ready to eat. To serve, empty the baking cups into the bottom of the bento box and stir to combine.
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Deli Stuffed Mini Peppers Bento Box
The sweet mini peppers take center stage when stuffed with cold cuts and Scallion Ranch Cream Cheese Spread. The only new ingredient in this recipe is a single slice of salami!
Ingredients
8 to 10 sweet mini peppers
1 slice thinly sliced provolone, (about 1 ounce)
1 slice deli turkey, (about 1 ounce)
1 slice deli hard salami, (about 1 ounce)
2 tablespoons Scallion Ranch Cream Cheese Spread, plus more for dipping
Instructions
Fit a 4”x8”x3” bento box with two large baking cups and one mini baking cup. Tightly stand 8 to 10 mini peppers stem-side up inside the baking cups close together so that they will remain upright once filled. Using a paring knife and the rim of the bento box as a guide cut off the top of the mini peppers so that they are flush with the rim of the box. Save the top of the peppers for another use.
Layer the slices of turkey, provolone and hard salami into a single stack. Using a chef’s knife, slice the stack into ¼-inch strips and then dice the strips into ¼ inch squares. Transfer to a medium mixing bowl and stir in 2 tablespoons of Scallion Ranch Cream Cheese Spread to combine.
Remove the veins and seeds from inside one of the of the peppers and using a small spoon completely fill it with the spread before returning it to its original position inside the bento box. Repeat with each of the remaining peppers. Fill a mini baking cup with another tablespoon of the spread to serve as an additional dip. Cover with the bento box lid and refrigerate until ready to eat.
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Deli Cold Cut Tacos
For bento box lunch #3, slices of deli turkey and provolone are rolled and snuggled into street-taco sized tortillas then topped with the Scallion Ranch Cream Cheese Spread, lettuce, tomato, olives and pepperoncini.
Ingredients
2 4-inch (street taco sized) corn or flour tortillas
2 slices deli turkey
2 slices deli provolone
1 tablespoon sliced pickled pepperoncini peppers
1 tablespoon Scallion Ranch Cream Cheese Spread
1 tablespoon sliced black olives
2 Campari tomatoes, chopped about 1/3 cup
1/3 cup chopped romaine
Instructions
Fit 5”x8”x3”- bento box with one rectangular, three mini round, and two square The Silicone Kitchen baking cups as shown.
Tightly roll-up each slice of provolone inside a slice of turkey then nestle each of the rolls inside a street-taco sized tortilla placed inside the rectangular silicone baking cup. Fill one mini, round silicone baking cup with a tablespoon of pepperoncini, one with a tablespoon of Scallion Ranch Cream Cheese Spread, and one with a tablespoon of sliced olives. Fill one square silicone baking cup with chopped Campari tomatoes and the other with chopped romaine.
To assemble the deli tacos, distribute the Scallion Ranch Cream Cheese spread over the cold cuts by squeezing the baking cup. Then top with lettuce, tomatoes, olives and pepperoncini. Pick it up, make sure the taco remains upright, tilt your head to the side, take a bite and enjoy!