Maybe you home-school and need lunch ideas or maybe you don't want your kids to eat the school lunches...I am the latter.....Here are some ideas for you and if you have any of your own ideas please leave a comment with your idea.
I also have a list of side serving ideas to go with the lunches but I won't post those today....stay tuned for that blog.
I use a rotation of 24 different lunches so that my kids don't get bored. Darren says, tongue in cheek, that I spoil them....Maybe! But I want them to enjoy what they are eating. I won't post all 24 recipes on here but I will tell you what they all are. Keep in my mind that these are all gluten free and only a couple of them have corn in them.
1. Hot Dog Pasta Salad
1 Package gluten free uncured Hot dogs
6 oz. of uncooked pasta (prepare according to package directions)
1/4 c. mayonaisse
2tsp Italian seasoning
A dash of rice vinegar
1 cup cold or frozen peas
1/2 tsp of salt
Mix all ingredients and refrigerate. Serve cold in a Thermos.
2. Chicken Salad w/ crackers
Use Canned chicken. My kids like celery, mayo and apples cut into their chicken salad. I serve it in little plastic containers and let them dish it out with their crackers.
3. Tuna or Chicken Casserole
I am sure you all have a recipe for this one. Don't cook your pasta all the way as it will continue to cook in their thermos. Add a veggie near end of cook time. Serve with potato chips to crumble on top.
4. Ham Sandwiches with lettuce and tomato
5. Meatloaf Sandwiches
This is a delicacy in my family. My grandmother has passed down her steamed meatloaf recipe. After it has been chilled I slice it thin and separate the slices with wax paper and then freeze it for sandwiches. As for the recipe: basic meatloaf that it is steamed in a pot of water instead of the oven...this way you don't have a the crunchy top which is a bit more conducive to sandwiches.
6. Salmon Pasta Salad
Same as the hot dog pasta salad except that I use a can or two of deboned salmon and an appropriate fish seasoning.
7. BLT Sandwiches on foccacia
It is what it is....and it is good!!
If you are interested in my gluten free foccacia recipe let me know and I will get it to you.
8. Creamy Chicken Rice Soup
Sounds like a lot of work but it really isn't. Buy the skinless de-boned chicken thighs or breast fillets that are flash frozen and put into a bag.
1 cup of brown rice
4 cups water or broth
1-2 stalks celery diced
3-4 of your chicken fillets put whole into soup (you'll fix the size in a bit)
1-2 carrots cut up
Salt to taste
Onion powder to taste
1 cup milk of your choice ( I use rice milk) Add after rice is cooked and heat soup again till hot.
Pull chicken out after they are cooked with a pair of tongs Allow to cool for a couple of minutes...cut up and add back into soup.
9. Pizza Sandwiches
I think everyone has their own version of these....get creative.
10. Tuna Salad with crackers
Very similar to chicken salad except I put green peppers, tomatoes, and hard boiled eggs in with the mayo.
11. Mexican Salad
1 can of black beans drained and rinsed
1 head of Romaine lettuce coarsely cut
1 Tomato
Cheese
Blue Organic Corn Chips
1/2 lb ground beef (not necessary as the corn chips and beans make a complete protein and so does the cheese)
Serve the corn chips in a sandwich baggie and let them add them to the salad so that they don't get soggy.
12. Green Bean Sausage Casserole (so easy it is almost embarrassing)
4 Sausages of your choice ( I like the Chicken Red pepper sausage from Costco) sliced to about 1/2 thick
2 Cans of french cut green beans
2 TBSP Italian Dressing or 1/2 TBSP of vinegar, 1 1/2 TBSP of oil and Italian Seasoning
Place all into a bowl with a lid and heat in microwave until it is hot.
13. Can of Kippers or Sardines served with Crackers
Only one of my kids likes this the other eats the school lunch that day....nuff said.
14. Ground Beef gravy on Mashed Pots.
Brown 1/2 lb of ground beef with 1/2 chopped onion.
Add 2 TBSP flour to beef and mix well.
Add 1/2- 1 cup chicken broth, beef broth or milk and stir till thick
Add a frozen veggie toward end and serve over instant mashed potatoes in thermos.
15. Left over Fried Chicken
This is great with a quick version of potato salad. Cook 2-3 whole potatoes the night before. Place into fridge whole with skin on. Next morning peel potatoes and coarsely chop. Add mayo, a little mustard, salt and pepper....my kids love it.
16. Scalloped Potatoes and Ham
For the sake of time and space I am omitting this recipe...you can buy the box quick mix at the store if you don't want to cook from scratch which is amazingly easy. Dice ham lunch meat into the mix after adding fluid and before cooking.
17. Deviled Left over roast with Crackers
Grind up your left over cold roast in a blender and add mayo....serve with crackers.
18. Canned Chili
Gotta love the really easy ones for those really hectic mornings!
19. Ham and Pineapple Pizza on foccacia.
I bake the foccacia the night before. I use a whole tomato ground up with a little tomato paste, lunch meat ham diced up and canned pineapple.
20. Mediterranean Rice with or with out canned chicken
2 Cups Cooked brown rice
1/2 chopped cashews, peanuts or almonds
1/2 tsp turmeric
Frozen peas that are already warmed.
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 tsp of salt
1/2 chopped cooked chicken or canned chicken (opt)
21. Spit Pea Soup with Ham
Cook half to a whole bag of split peas with appropriate amount of broth or water (follow package instructions) the night before or place into a crock pot that has a timer and have it turn on in the night right before morning.
Add diced lunch meat ham and heat until warm.
Add salt and pepper to taste.
22. Salmon Chowder
Follow any Chowder recipe using canned deboned salmon instead.
23. Clam Chowder
Same as above
24. Sweet and Sour Chicken
This recipe requires a crock pot that has a programmed timer.
1-2 oranges peeled and sliced
1/4 cup soy sauce
3-4 of those bagged flash frozen chicken thighs
Place all in a crock pot right before you go to bed and program to come on when it is able to cook on high for 3-4 hours.
Cut up chicken and oranges and serve over warmed pre-cooked rice in a thermos.
