Iron Chef Bobby Flay Turkey Reuben Sandwich recipe

The other day my son politely announced his school lunches sucked.

Was it the baby carrots? I rely heavily on baby carrots. They're so cute and so good for you!

Although he could do with fewer baby carrots, thank you, it was the same old, same old that was bringing him down.

My son, who has a pretty wide palate, was bored. Boring lunches are easy, but

brown bag lunches don't have to be boring.

With some help from chef restaurateur Bobby Flay, you can pack a lunch that your kid's friends will fight over.

Chef Flay, who's been associated with Hellmann's for three years, uses the mayonnaise to create flavor and interest in his signature sandwiches.

“I use Hellman’s to build layers of flavor. I love Hellman’s because it’s real simple food made from three ingredients – eggs, oil and vinegar.  I use it as a building block to create lots of flavor,” said Flay.

Flay spoke with me recently to mark the relaunch of Hellmann’s virtual Sandwich Swap ‘n’ Share on  Facebook.  Through its Facebook game, Hellmann’s is donating  $75,000 to Share Our Strength to stop childhood hunger. 

If you visit the site, you’ll see all kinds of ingredient choices, fillings and spreads to help you think about creating a sandwich and you'll get to support a great cause.

Flay's favorite sandwich is turkey and daughter, Sophie, loves his Turkey Reuben recipe.

"I love leftover turkey. For the holidays I’ll make a turkey for Thanksgiving and one for  the leftovers," Flay said.  "I take room temperature  turkey leftovers, make a cranberry mayonnaise.  It makes a fantastic next day sandwich."

Bobby Flay's Turkey Reuben

Prep Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 10 minutes

1/2 cup Hellmann's® or Best Foods® Real Mayonnaise, divided

1/4 cup finely chopped dill pickle

2 Tbsp. ketchup

1 Tbsp. red wine vinegar

2 tsp. Dijon mustard

2 cups coleslaw mix

8 slices rye bread

8 slices Swiss cheese

1 lb. sliced cooked turkey

Combine 1/4 cup Hellmann's® or Best Foods® Real Mayonnaise, pickle, ketchup, vinegar and mustard with wire whisk in medium bowl. Season, if desired, with salt and pepper. Stir in coleslaw mix; set aside.

Top 4 bread slices with cheese, turkey, coleslaw mixture, then remaining bread slice.

Evenly spread outside of sandwiches with remaining 1/4 cup Mayonnaise.

Cook sandwiches, in batches, in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat, turning once, 8 minutes or until golden brown.

Old school cheddar gets 'crunky' with curry pickle

Today's flavor is old school cheddar with a little curry flavored bread & butter pickle crunks tossed in to get things going.

We like a little sharp & salty to go with our big, spicy & sweet!

Old School Cheddar with Curry Pickle

Start with a nice chunk of rosemary foccacia, split.  Slather dijon mustard on one side; squirt a little Kewpie Japanese mayo on the other.

Add nice chunks of cheddar (at least 2 ounces, for you portion control freaks) on the left, and a pile of bread & butter pickles on the right. I use  homemade, but you can use your favorite store-bought.

Slap the two sides together and place on your grill pan -  at the ready with a tablespoon of olive oil heated to medium.  

You'll need to weight this bad boy.  I use the top of my Tuscan mattone, but you can use a cast-iron skillet or a bacon press, really anything heavy enough to hold your sandwich down.  Of course, if you have a panini maker with inserts, you're set.

Grill until cheese is melted & gooey, about 6-8 minutes.

All that and a bag o' chips makes lunch.