6 Easy School Lunch Recipes Your Kids Will Love

As the school year approaches, we’ve been thinking about school lunches. While we all love the feeling of getting back into routine, lunches can get difficult. With kids always growing, it is important that they have something healthy and that they are excited to eat. That’s why we’ve put together this blog to simplify your weeknight evenings. Here are 6 kid-approved lunch ideas that they will crave all year long.

Rainbow Pasta Salad

• Ingredients: Tri-color rotini pasta, mild Italian dressing, cubed cheddar cheese, and pepperoni slices.
• Prep: Boil the pasta and let it cool. Toss it with the dressing, cheese cubes, pepperoni, and olives. Pack it in a sealed container with a fork.

Turkey and Cheddar Pinwheels

• Ingredients: Whole wheat tortillas, sliced turkey breast, cheddar cheese, cream cheese, spinach leaves.
• Prep: Spread a thin layer of cream cheese across the tortilla to hold the ingredients in place. Layer the turkey, cheese, and spinach, and roll it up tightly.

Taco Bowls

• Ingredients: White or brown rice, black beans, corn, shredded chicken or beef, shredded cheese, and anything else your kids like.
• Prep: Layer the rice, beans, corn, and meat in a container. Top with cheese and send it with a side of tortilla chips for dipping.

Pizza Muffins

• Ingredients: 2 cups of all-purpose baking mix, 2/3 cup of milk, 1 egg, 1 cup of shredded mozzarella, 1/2 cup of mini pepperoni, 1 teaspoon of Italian seasoning, and marinara sauce for dipping.
• Prep: Preheat your oven to 375°F. Stir the baking mix, milk, egg, and Italian seasoning together until just combined, then fold in the mozzarella and mini pepperoni. Divide the batter into a greased 12 muffin tin and bake for about 15 to 18 minutes until golden brown. Let them cool completely before packing, and send with a small side container of marinara.

Finger Food Platter

• Ingredients: Rolled ham slices, pretzel sticks, carrots, grapes, and a hard-boiled egg.
• Prep: Cut the hard-boiled egg in half and roll the ham slices into tight cylinders. Arrange the ham, egg, pretzels, carrots, and grapes into separate sections of a single container so the dry items stay crisp.

Crispy Quesadillas 

• Ingredients: Flour tortillas, shredded cheese, salsa, and protein of their choosing.
• Prep: Layer the cheese, salsa, and your choice of protein onto the tortilla. Fold it over and place it directly into a preheated waffle iron or sandwich press for two minutes until the cheese is melted and the edges are sealed. Let it cool completely before packing.

We hope your kid enjoys these recipes. If you need anything else for the school year, stop by and see us at Whistle Stop. We wish you and your family a wonderful and smooth start to the new school year!