*Disclaimer: This post is sponsored by BlogHer & Kettle Brand Chips. I was compensated for creating a summer inspired recipe that pairs with the chips. As always, content, photography & opinions are my own.
This cream cheese tomato and basil sandwich is the perfect summertime picnic lunch.
I grew up a deprived child. My mother hated (and still hates) peanut butter. Do you know what that meant for lunch time in elementary school? No PB&J sandwiches. Ever. Instead, I was the weird kid with cream cheese & jelly sandwiches, on wheat bread and usually with a piece of fruit in my lunchbox instead of whatever cool, highly processed snack was in at the moment. Thanks, mom.
Come the summer time though, jelly got replaced with tomatoes and without any lunchtime kids around to judge the weird creation, I openly loved it.
I have memories of bare feet, swimming pools, playing soccer in the yard and these sandwiches all woven together somewhere in the back of my head. So when I got the chance to talk about what I pack in my summer time picnic basket with Kettle Brand Chips, this combination was the first thing to come to mind.
Except this time, it has an edge of maturity with the addition of basil & balsamic vinegar.
In fact, a few weekends ago we decided to take advantage of the state park not even 5 miles from our house that we’ve never been to in the almost 4 years of living here and packed up a quick lunch to eat on the picnic tables there.
In my bag, a cream cheese, tomato & basil sandwich. In Ulysses’, a peanut butter & jelly. What I used to wish for as a kid now has nothing on my cream cheese combination, go figure.
For Ginger, a lot of pathetic whimpering wishing for a bite of either. And for both of us, a big bag of Sea Salt Kettle Brand Chips.
Kettle Brand Chips are one of the few potato chips I’ll actually eat. Why? Simple, they actually taste like potatoes.
The Sea Salt are my favorite because the ingredient list has 3 things.
Potatoes, salt & oil.
Crazy huh?
A chip whose ingredients you can actually understand. What a novel idea. They were the perfect accompaniment to the cream cheese sandwich with their hint of salt and perfect crunch. Too bad mom didn’t know about these back in the day because I’m pretty sure they would’ve met her “whole” foods/all natural standards for lunch box inclusion.
I’m betting the jealousy roles at the lunch table would have been reversed too.
Chips > handi snacks.
Gina Matsoukas is an AP syndicated writer. She is the founder, photographer and recipe developer of Running to the Kitchen — a food website focused on providing healthy, wholesome recipes using fresh and seasonal ingredients. Her work has been featured in numerous media outlets both digital and print, including MSN, Huffington post, Buzzfeed, Women’s Health and Food Network.
Great looking sandwich! In the summer, when tomatoes actually taste like tomatoes and not cardboard, I love tomato and basil sandwiches! Our picnic basket usually has hummus and veggie sandwiches and some fruit.
I include veggie wraps or sandwiches with sprouts, lettuce, tomato, avocado and cucumbers; potato chips or tortilla chips and lemonade
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I include cheese sandwiches, pretzels, fruit salad and juice drinks.
Cheese and Vino! I even have “Picnic sticks” that hold the bottle and glasses. Can you tell I take my picnicking seriously?
There is always wine in my picnic basket. I even have a set of plastic wine glasses (with stems!) to accommodate our obsession ;)
my picnic includes a whole wheat sandwich with ham and turkey and veggies. then, a ton of fresh fruit to go with it!! :)
My picnic basket usually includes different types of cheeses, crackers, and grapes.
Picnics always make me long for hanami (flower viewing) picnics in Japan!
I’d pack onigiri with various fillings (salmon, umeboshi, bonito flakes), croquettes, rolled egg omelet, and seaweed salad!
In my picnic basket is cheese, crackers, red wine, kettle chips (honey Dijon is my fave) and nuts and chocolate
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