Butterfly Sandwiches

Send the parts of this sandwich to school with your child so he or she can assemble the butterfly to the amazement of the other kids at the lunch table.

Recipe Ingredients:

1/2 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 green onion, chopped
2 tablespoons shredded carrot
2 tablespoons shredded cheddar cheese
4 1/2 teaspoons ranch salad dressing mix
1/3 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise
8 slices white bread
8 fresh baby carrots
16 fresh chives (about 2 to 4-inches long)
16 carrot strips (about 1 1/2-inches long)

Cooking Directions:

1. Place chicken in a large skillet; add enough water to cover. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 12 to 14 minutes or until chicken is tender and juices run clear. Drain and cool.
2. Shred chicken; place in a bowl. Add onions, carrot and cheese. Combine the salad dressing mix and mayonnaise; add to the chicken mixture.
3. Spread over half of the bread slices; top with remaining bread. Diagonally cut each sandwich in quarters, creating four triangles. To form wings, arrange two triangles with points toward each other and crust facing out. For each butterfly body, place one baby carrot between triangles; insert two chives into filling for antennae. Place one carrot strip in the center of each triangle. Place olive slices on wings.

Makes 4 servings.

Tip: If you prefer, these sandwiches could be assembled using your favorite tuna salad instead of the chicken salad in this recipe.

Nutritional Information Per Serving (1 sandwich): 303 calories, 11 g fat (2 g saturated fat), 42 mg cholesterol, 1,276 mg sodium, 35 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 16 g protein.

Recipe and photograph provided courtesy of Taste of Home through ECES, Inc., Electronic Color Editorial Services.