Sandwiches make great dinners especially if you pair them with a salad and coleslaw.  Start off with seven layer bean dip and chips, followed by a hearty sub sandwich accompanied by easy coleslaw, and ice cold lemonade. Children should always be supervised around food and of course knifes. Have them wash their hands thoroughly before beginning. Now get going on the fun.

What makes this seven layer bean dip different is everyone gets their own serving in a plastic cup. Set out an 8 ounce clear plastic cup for each person. Fill the bottom with about an inch of shredded lettuce, it will compress as the other ingredients are added and won’t take up as much space. Add chopped tomatoes and a one inch thick layer of refried beans patted down so it’s evenly covers the tomatoes. Layer on slices of avocado or guacamole, a couple of tablespoons of your favorite prepared salsa, topped with a few tablespoons of sour cream and a covering of shredded cheese. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate. Serve with an individual bag of corn chips for each person and fork to get every morsel. Keep a few extra bags of chips on hand.

Make the sandwich the day before so the flavors have time to blend. Split a loaf of crust bread horizontally. Remove some of the bread from each half by pulling it out with your fingers. This is a good job for the kids. Just keep an eye on them so they don’t remove all the bread down to the crust. You’re aiming for a nice shallow depression in both halves so more filling can fit in.

Sprinkle each half with olive oil and freshly ground black pepper. Dribble fresh lemon juice, no more than 1/2 teaspoon on each side. Layer on sliced tomatoes, cucumbers, green peppers, sliced olives, and red onions. Push them gently down in the depression. Layer on roast beef, and havarti cheese. Or baked ham and cheddar cheese. Try sliced turkey and Swiss cheese. If you’re adventuresome use all the fillings. Put the other half of bread on the top of the fillings and press down. Wrap firmly in plastic wrap, in aluminum foil and then in a zip locked bag. You might have to cut the sandwich in half to fit in the zip locked bag.

Place the securely wrapped sandwiches in a roasting pan. Place a cookie sheet over the sandwiches. Put weights on the cookie sheet to press down the sandwiches. Or place a towel over the sandwich. Place on a hard surface, such as a wooden chair and have a child sit on the towel and smoosh down the sandwich for about 10 minutes. For some reason children find this hysterically funny. Then put the sandwiches in the roasting pan and weigh them down. Don’t unwrap the sandwiches until you’re ready to eat.

Easy coleslaw and it really is easy. 1/2 cup of mayonnaise, 1 teaspoon celery seed, 1/4 cup of cider vinegar, 1/4 cup sugar all whisked together until blended. Open a large zip lock bag. Place 1/2 large package of shredded cabbage in the bag and 1/2 the dressing. Zip the bag and shake. Then add the remaining cabbage and dressing. Zip the bag and give it a few more good shakes.

Use your favorite frozen lemonade mix. Add a festive touch with a few garnishes such as sliced strawberries, mint leaves, sliced cucumbers, or fresh basil leaves. Freeze individual strawberries, mint leaves, or lemon slices in ice cube trays and serve a few special cubes in each glass.