Carne Asada Sandwiches: The 15 Minute Dinner

The other day I went to the market and if you know me, I’m a meal prepper, which means – I plan for meals for the next 4 or so days so I won’t have to tow along my 8 month old to the market on a too regular of a basis. I was proud, got a lot of shopping in and was inspired by some of the fresh meat for dinners ahead and even stayed on budget.  When I got home I realized I forgot tortillas for the delicious pre-marinated carne asada I bought. I also forgot tortilla chips so taco salads as a last minute thought weren’t going to work either… What do I do?

After a long day – I checked around my kitchen for ingredients and I had a fresh demi baguette, so I thought.. Carne Asada Sandwiches? Sure, why not! These ended up being incredibly easy and delicious so it may have to become a quick dinner for us in the future. It took me less than 15 minutes to put together… Dinner? Less that 15 minutes? Heck yes!

Carne Asada Sandwiches
Total Time: 15 mins Serves: 4 people

• 1lb pre-marinated carne asada
• 2 demi baguettes
• shredded cheese (optional – my husband is lactose intolerant so we use Cabot cheddar)
• green onion, chopped
• romaine lettuce
• avocado
• sour cream

Start by heating a large skillet over medium heat and add a small amount of olive oil to coat pan.

While heating up, slice baguettes in half and slice open. Toast baguettes in toaster oven to warm through and slightly toast the edges. (Don’t over toast the bread or it will be hard to bite through.)

Add in carne adsada in a single layer (if doing a larger batch, cook carne asada in more than one batch to ensure even cooking) and cook for 3-4 minutes on each side or cooked through. Turn the heat off and set aside.

Make avocado creme by mashing 1 avocado and adding 2 tablespoons sour cream together.

Build your sandwiches! Here’s how I built mine and the possibilities are truly endless, you can add tomatoes, peppers, cilantro, tomatoes, hot sauce etc in order to satisfy your flavor profile… I just used what I had on hand.

Hopefully the next time you need to prepare dinner quickly or before jetting out of the house for an evening event, this 15 minute stunner will do the trick.

-Essentially a Mom