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At the end of the day, lots of us are just too tired to be anything other than a couch potato. Especially if you’re going to school and working a part-time job or two, or some other combination of grueling schedules.

So we asked ourselves whether we could come up with satisfying, nutritious and speedy recipes in 30 minutes or less that don’t require a chef’s culinary army and use foods available in the grocery store. Our test kitchen came up with some sensational sandwiches just for the veteran couch potato. But don’t squirm away at the word “sandwiches”-these aren’t your regular bag lunch-processed meat varieties!

Havarti-mustard sandwiches

Handful nuts of your choice
Quarter cup Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons marmalade OR
1 tablespoon frozen orange concentrate
4 slices dark pumpernickel rye bread
6 slices smoked ham
4 thin slices Havarti cheese

Stir nuts together with mustard and marmalade. Spread each bread slice with some orange pecan mustard. Add ham and cheese and pack up for lunch! (makes 2 sandwiches)

Mushroom-cabbage sandwiches

Green or red cabbage, thinly sliced/shredded, enough to fit onto bread slices
Handful of watercress, rinsed and dried (optional)
half tablespoon plain yogurt and olive oil each
5 canned white mushrooms, dried and sliced
two thick slices whole wheat bread
cayenne pepper or chili flakes to taste

In a bowl whisk yogurt into olive oil while bread toasts in oven at 400F or in toaster. Spread each toast with yogurt mix. Sprinkle liberally with chili or cayenne and add mushroom slices, watercress and cabbage before closing sandwich. (makes one sandwich)

Seafood sandwiches

3 plum tomatoes
half teaspoon salt
half teaspoon chopped garlic
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 slices thin bacon, ham or luncheon meat
3 tablespoons canned crabmeat, rinsed and left to drip dry
quarter cup plain yogurt
a pinch of cayenne
two inch-thick slices focaccia or whole wheat bread
quarter cup packed watercress, arugula, or beet leaves

Preheat oven to 450F. Halve tomatoes lengthwise and in a bowl toss with salt, garlic and 1 tablespoon oil. In a shallow baking pan, arrange tomatoes, cut sides up, and roast about 15 minutes until golden and bubbling. (Or, place in microwave on High for 4 minutes or until golden and bubbling.) In a bowl, stir together crab, yogurt, lemon juice, cayenne and olive oil, with salt and pepper to taste. Spread mixture on both slices of bread, layer with tomatoes, bacon and watercress, then close sandwich.

Cobb sandwiches
(Chicken, avocado and cheese sandwiches)

6 bacon slices
leftover chicken OR skinless, boneless chicken breast
4 slices firm sandwich bread, preferably whole grain
quarter cup blue cheese, softened
2 tablespoons plain yogurt
1 firm-ripe Haas avocado
4 small crisp lettuce leaves like Romaine

For 15 minutes at 400F in the oven, cook bacon until crisp. Transfer to paper towels to drain. If using uncooked chicken, pat chicken dry and season with salt and pepper. Roast in oven for 15 minutes, at the same time as bacon. Meanwhile, pit and peel avocado and thinly slice. Transfer chicken to cutting board and let stand 5 minutes before cutting into chunky slices.

Toast bread in the cooling oven and spread 2 slices with blue cheese, the remaining two with plain yogurt. Divide chicken, bacon, avocado and lettuce between blue-cheese bread slices and top with remaining two slices. (Makes 2 sandwiches)

Leftover quesadillas

Leftover beef, chicken, turkey or other meat-like dish, including tofu curry or thick, non-watery stew
1 chipotle chili
grated Parmesan, Monterey Jack or white Cheddar cheese
two 6- to 8-inch flour tortillas
1 tablespoon olive oil

Finely chop chili and toss well with cheese. Put one tortilla in a hot skillet with the olive oil and sprinkle evenly half of the cheese. Cook until cheese just begins to melt. Arrange meat or meat substitute evenly over cheese mixture and use a spatula to fold tortilla into half. Cook tortilla until golden brown on both sides, about 2 minutes. Make another quesadilla in the same manner. Makes 2 quesadillas.