Complement your cooking with deli food, make great meals in minutes

Are you hungry for home-made meals but find cooking a hassle? A simple stop at the deli of your local supermarket or delicatessen can help you turn out great-tasting meals in minutes. There you’ll find a range of foods to make quick and easy home-cooked meals that will fit into even the most hectic lifestyles.

Instead of spending hours tending roasts, you can order turkey, chicken, ham or roast beef, then use your kitchen time to create tasty gravies and sauces. Or order deli meat sliced thick, then cube it at home and stir it into noodles or layer it in lasagna.

Chicken Tetrazzini

3 tablespoons butter or margarine, divided

1 shallot, minced

2 tablespoons flour

1 cup chicken stock

1/2 cup dry white wine orwhite vermouth

1/2 cup half-and-half

1/2 cup sliced mushrooms(optional)

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

Salt and pepper to taste

1/2 pound chicken, sliced 1/2 inch thick, cut into 1-inch pieces

1/2 pound egg noodles, cooked al dente

2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

2 tablespoons bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 350°F.

In 2 tablespoons melted butter, sauté shallots 1 minute. Add flour, whisk over medium heat 2 minutes. Add stock, wine and half-and-half; then whisk until slightly thickened. Add mushrooms and remove from heat. Stir in seasonings and chicken. Pour mixture into bowl of cooked egg noodles, making sure to coat noodles thoroughly. Move noodle and chicken mixture into 2-quart casserole, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and bread crumbs and dot with remaining tablespoon of butter. Bake until brown and bubbly, about 25 minutes.

Serves 4

Open-Faced Turkey Sandwich

4 slices crusty white bread

4 tablespoons butter, melted

1 to 1 1/2 pounds sliced roast breast of turkey

Brush bread with butter, then toast under broiler. Layer turkey on toasted bread.

Serve with gravy, simple mashed potatoes, steamed vegetables and cranberry relish.

Serves 4

Easy Gravy

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon flour

1 minced shallot or 3 tablespoons minced shallot

1 (14 1/2 -ounce) can chicken broth

1 tablespoon dry white wine or white vermouth (optional)

1/2 teaspoon pepper

Melt butter, add flour and whisk 1 minute over medium heat. Add shallots and continue to whisk 1 minute longer. Whisk in broth until smooth, then wine and pepper. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until gravy coats back of a spoon, about 5 minutes.

Serves 4

Simple Mashed Potatoes

8 small round white potatoes

1/2 cup butter

2 tablespoons low-fat sour cream

Salt and pepper to taste

Quarter and simmer potatoes until tender, about 10 minutes. Drain and return to cooking pot. Mash with large fork or masher. Add butter and sour cream a bit at a time, and continue to mash until reaching desired consistency. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Serves 4

Spicy Mexican Lasagna

1 green pepper, washed

2 teaspoons olive oil

2 cups prepared salsa

1/2 pound thick-sliced roasted turkey breast, diced in 3/4-inch pieces

4 ounces large, restaurant-style tortilla chips

1/2 cup sour cream

1/4 pound Monterey Jack cheese with jalapeño, grated on large holes of box grater

Heat broiler or grill. Cut green pepper in half through stem and set aside half for another use. Stem and seed. Cook green pepper with flesh facing flame until skin blisters, about 3 minutes. Remove to paper bag or wrap in paper towel. When cool enough to handle, rub off charred skin and dice pepper 1/4 inch thick.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Use olive oil to grease bottom and sides of 8 x 8-inch glass baking dish. In bowl, mix salsa, diced pepper and turkey pieces.

Place layer of chips in baking dish. Top with 1/3 of salsa mixture. Make 2 more layers, ending with chips. Use spatula to spread sour cream across top.

Sprinkle shredded cheese over all. Bake until top is browned and bubbly, about 20 minutes.

Serves 6

Croque Monsieur

3/4 cup finely grated Gruyère cheese

1 1/2 tablespoons sour cream

1/2 teaspoon Dijon-style mustard

4 slices white bread

4 thin slices cooked smoked Virginia ham

1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened

In bowl, stir together Gruyère, sour cream and mustard, and spread mixture evenly over 2 bread slices. Top with ham and cover each with remaining bread. Spread tops of sandwiches lightly with 2 tablespoons butter. Invert sandwiches into large skillet; spread remaining 2 tablespoons butter on remaining 2 bread slices. Grill sandwiches over moderate to high heat, turning them once, 6 to 8 minutes, or until they are golden brown on both sides and cheese has melted.

Serves 2.