In case you didn't know, road trips are sort of my family's thing. So much so in fact, that the 4 of us and our dog have now embarked on TWO epic cross-country road trips together! Whether you are planning a long road trip or a quick day trip, we have lots of knowledge to share with you. We have some tips ranging from apps for your phone that make planning a breeze to road trip-ready meals. My favorite, the Ultimate Vegetarian Club Sandwich Recipe, is made with 2 types of Tillamook cheese. It is all here, just waiting on you to decide to go on an adventure!
{{The recipe and post for this Ultimate Vegetarian Club Sandwich was made in partnership with Tillamook. We received product and compensation in exchange for it. Opinions are always our own. If we don’t love it, you don’t hear about it. Thanks for your continued support!}}
Last June, we left Long Beach, California and embarked on a 2959 mile road trip that would span 2 weeks and inevitably land us here in our new home of Atlanta, Georgia.
Our adventure took us from the beach in Southern California to hiking in Sedona, Arizona, and into Santa Fe, New Mexico. Then we dropped down to the White Sands Desert to sled down the sand dunes before heading into Texas. There we experienced the artsy town of Marfa, Austin, the Space Center in Houston, and the Gulf in Galveston! From there, we trekked to New Orleans for a little Cajun cooking. Then finally on into Birmingham, Alabama for a few weeks to visit my parents. It was the road trip of a lifetime, complete with amazing sight seeing stops and lots of great roadside eats!
We have reminisced about that family road trip a lot with Salome, the lovely German exchange student that has been living with us this year. I honestly believe if she wasn't scheduled to go back home to Germany in a few short weeks, we would probably hit the open road this summer to show her what a true American road trip feels like. Since we don't have that kind of time, we decided to take a local in-town road trip to a roadside destination we have all passed by before but have never actually stopped, Starr's Mill.
For this in-town road trip, I'm serving up my Ultimate Vegetarian Club Sandwich recipe, root vegetable chips, fresh fruit, and the cutest little kid-friendly cheese tray you've ever seen!
Here are my TOP 5 tips for planning, executing, and eating on an epic road trip!!
1. Make a commitment
Forget disposable picnic gear and invest in a few nicer food storage containers that will last you for years to come. My road trip tool kit has reusable silicone sandwich bags, bee's wax wrap, and stainless steel bento boxes. We always stash a few blankets in our car for impromptu roadside picnics, but if we are on a local day trip like this one I always pack our vintage collapsible picnic table! The kids love sitting at it, and I love that it practically folds flat for hauling and keeps our food up off of the ground.
2. There's an app for that!
We have discovered a few apps that we use over and over, from planning our route to selecting interesting attractions along the way (I'm looking at you Banana Museum!). They help plan how many miles you will travel each day. And MOST IMPORTANTLY, they find the next exit with a clean bathroom. These FREE apps keep us sane on the road!
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Road Trippers|| This app was the key to our amazing cross country trek last year! It helps you discover wonderful "off the beaten path" places to visit. It streamlines discovery, planning, booking and navigation into an engaging and intuitive app.
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iExit|| iExit helps you decide where to take pit stops when traveling US interstates. It uses your device's location to determine where you are on the highway. Then it displays all of the gas, lodging, bathroom, and dining options on upcoming exits in real time.
Bring foods like this Vegetarian Club Sandwich Recipe to make it as easy as possible.
3. K.I.S.S.
When it comes to the foods you should pack for your road trip, remember the K.I.S.S. method: keep it simple! Just pack quality foods you all love. Trust me, this is not the time to try out a new curried potato salad recipe you found on Pinterest!
Sandwiches are the go-to for road trips. They are easy to build, totally make aheadable, and perfectly portable. On this trek, my vegetable loving girls and I devoured Ultimate Veggie Club Sandwiches. They were piled high with TWO types of Tillamook Farmstyle Thick Cut Sliced Cheese, medium white cheddar, and sharp cheddar. It's then topped with lightly dressed arugula, eggplant bacon, heirloom tomatoes, citrus pickled onions, and a rosemary white bean hummus that will knock your socks off! The flavor in every single bite of this sandwich is out of this world thanks to superior ingredients like Tillamook cheese.
Tillamook cheese is made with only the highest quality ingredients which ensures a richer, more complex flavor in the final product. It truly shines through in this sandwich! While the girls and I piled our sandwiches high, the fruit bandit enjoyed a classic Waffled Grilled Cheese sandwich made with Tillamook Farmstyle Thick Cut Sliced Cheese. (FYI: That's a grilled cheese made in the waffle iron!) To share, I packed a mix of fruit and a snack box cheese plate complete with olives, candied pecans, rice crackers, dried fruit, and Tillamook Cheddar Snack Portions. There is something for everyone, while being SUPER easy.
4. Save the screen for the car!
Pack entertainment that doesn't require a screen! There is nothing worse than spending hours planning a fun road trip only to see your family staring at their screens when you get there! I keep a deck of playing cards and a bag of Bananagrams in my glove box, as well as a few baseballs and mitts in the trunk to always have at the ready for road side stops.
5. Leave it better than you found it!
Look, we are all here on this beautiful planet trying to explore and experience all that we can. It's heartbreaking to see trash and litter strewn about beautiful locations like Starr's Mill. Everywhere we visit we make a point to pick up the litter around the area. Just be sure to have antibacterial wipes or lotion at the ready to clean up your hands. Also, keep a close eye on what small kiddos are picking up. You don't want them touching anything hazardous.
Want to recreate this vegetarian sandwich recipe for your next road trip or for tonight's dinner? Click here to see where you can find Tillamook products near you!
If you’ve tried this Ultimate Vegetarian Club Sandwich Recipe, I would be so grateful if you would rate it. Let me know what you think in the comments below. I just love hearing from you, and your reviews and comments really help others that visit This Mess is Ours!
PrintUltimate Vegetarian Club Sandwich
Don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know what you think about this Ultimate Vegetarian Club Sandwich Recipe in the comments below. I just love hearing from you and your reviews/comments really help other people that visit This Mess is Ours!
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
- Category: Lunch
- Method: Assembled
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
For the citrus pickled onions
½ cup very thinly sliced red onion
juice of 1 large Naval orange
juice of 2 limes
For the rosemary white bean hummus
1 (15-ounce) can Cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1 tablespoon rosemary needles
1 clove garlic, minced
juice of half of a large lemon
salt and pepper to taste
¼ cup olive oil
To assemble
12 slices of toasted gluten free bread
2 cups arugula dressed with 2 tablespoons Caesar dressing
4 slices Tillamook Farmstyle Thick Cut Medium White Cheddar Sliced Cheese
8 slices heirloom tomato
8 slices crispy eggplant bacon
4 slices Tillamook Farmstyle Thick Cut Sharp Cheddar Sliced Cheese
Instructions
Make the citrus pickled onions
Combine the onions and citrus juices in a bowl and allow to marinate for at least 20 minutes.
Make the rosemary white bean hummus
Combine the first 5 ingredients in the bowl of a food processor then process while drizzling in the olive oil slowly. Process until smooth, season taste.
Build the Vegetarian Club Sandwich
Place a slice of toasted bread on a work surface. Spread with a layer of rosemary white bean hummus then top with a ¼ of the dressed arugula. Top it with a slice of Tillamook Medium White Cheddar Cheese and another slice of toasted bread. Slather that bread with hummus then layer on tomato slices, citrus pickled onions, eggplant bacon and a slice of Tillamook Sharp Cheddar Cheese. Serve immediately or pack for traveling.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 sandwich
- Calories: 760
- Sugar: 13 g
- Sodium: 1586 mg
- Fat: 43.6 g
- Carbohydrates: 72.3 g
- Protein: 22.8 g
- Cholesterol: 58.3 mg
Keywords: vegetarian club sandwich, club sandwich
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What are the health benefits of eggplant?
Eggplant is full of nutrients, especially fiber, which help promote gut health and manage blood sugar levels. The high level of antioxidants in eggplant help to fight against cancer, prevent heart disease, and lower cholesterol levels.
Click here for more information about the health benefits.
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