School Lunches

My little one and her new "do" for school.

(She had 12 inches cut off her hair!)

 

We have just a few more days before school starts; and, one of my most dreaded tasks is packing the lunches. When I was growing up, a brown bag lunch was always a sandwich, chips, and fruit. But, my kids get so tired of the same old lunches that I try to vary it up a bit for them. So, if you are scratching your head wondering what to pack in a healthy school lunch, check out some of the things below that my kids enjoy.

Sandwich Alternatives
Pizza Rolls
Ham and Cheese Rolls
Corn Muffins
Pigs in a Blanket

Homemade Snacks
Wheat Crackers
Cinnamon Tortilla Chips
Granola Bars
No Bake Cookie Bars
Custom Trail Mixes
Nut Free Trail Mix
Cranberry Almond Delight Trail Mix
Christmas Crunch Trail Mix

Simple Real Food Choices
Fresh Fruit (bananas, apples, grapes, pears)
Baby Carrots
Cheese Sticks
Raisin Boxes
Unsweetened Applesauce Cups
Nuts (peanuts, almonds, cashews)
Dried Fruit (apricots, dates, bananas)
Vanilla Yogurt

I am looking forward to trying several new recipes in the next few weeks: a three ingredient granola bar recipe, homemade soft pretzels, and a healthy crispy treat recipe. I will definitely let you know how we like them. What do you pack in your kids lunches that they love?

Caesar Salad Wraps

It has been a while since I have updated you on my New Year's Frugal Kitchen Goal. I have worked hard to bring down my weekly grocery bill, and I am happy say that I have been able to consistently keep within budget for the last six weeks! Plus, I have been taking advantage of some of the weekly specials and stocking up my pantry at the same time. Although it takes a conscientious effort to eat up produce before it goes bad and careful planning to utilize leftovers, it has been worth it.

So, with my Frugal Kitchen Goal in mind, I noticed a new idea on the lunch menu at a local restaurant last week while eating with friends. It was a Caesar Salad Wrap. Earlier in the week we had eaten Chicken Caesar Salad for dinner and I had some leftover homemade dressing in the fridge. So, for lunch one day I piled some lettuce, chicken, Parmesan cheese, and the leftover dressing onto a flour tortilla. It was delicious, and I'm certain that I will make more Caesar Salad Wraps in the future.

Recipe Link: Chicken Caesar Salad & Dressing

This post has been linked to Mop It Up Mondays.

Muffuletta Sandwiches

Recently I was invited to a Mardi Gras party. So, my neighbors and I dressed according to the theme, shared a baby sitter, and went to the party. Our hostess did a fantastic job with decorations of all kinds, beads, and the food! We had gumbo, piles of shrimp, muffuletta sandwhiches, and hurricanes to drink. So very delicious. 

Since then, I have been craving the muffuletta sandwhiches. I fell in love with this olive salad sandwich while living close to New Orleans years ago. And, I have had fun experimenting with the recipe. Sadly my kids do not care for it. However, that means more for me! I'm certain that this will last several weeks in the refridgerator, so I will happliy keep it all to myself.

Muffuletta Sandwiches

For the salad:
16oz. jar pickled mixed vegetables
¼ cup sliced green olives with pimientos
¼ cup sliced black olives
2 cloves minced garlic
2 Tbsp. olive oil

Drain and chop the pickled vegetables. Combine vegetables, olives, garlic, and olive oil.

For the sandwich:
Italian Bread
Sliced deli ham
Sliced salami
Sliced provolone cheese

Slice open the bread, layer with meat and cheese, and top with the vegetable salad. Replace the bread top and secure with toothpicks.

Burritos

This is a classic make-ahead recipe that is simple to make. It works perfectly with leftover meats, beans, or rice.  And, with all the variations that can be made with the ingredients, it is not so much of a recipe as it is a technique. The Burrito pictured above is made with chicken, pinto beans, rice, and cheese. But, the best part about these Burritos for me is that they are a 5 out of 5 in my family!

Burritos

1 lb. browned ground beef, or 2 cups cooked chicken, or 2 cups cooked rice

2 cups cooked beans (pinto, red, or black)

2 cups salsa (mild, medium, or hot)

4 oz. can green chilies

Taco Seasoning (1 envelope or homemade equivalent)

Cheese, optional

24 flour tortillas

Stir together meat, beans, salsa, chilies, and taco seasoning. Warm the tortillas slightly to make them more pliable for rolling. Fill with meat mixture and add cheese if desired. Roll up burrito style. Wrap individually in aluminum foil. Or, place on a baking sheet with the number of desired burritos, cover with foil. Bake at 350˚ for 30 minutes.  Leftovers can be frozen (prior to baking) for lunches or for additional meals.  Individually wrapped burritos can be heated in the microwave once the foil is removed.

Recipe Note: We have found that if we make these Burritos vegetarian style with rice, we prefer to use a spicier salsa. This boosts the flavor to compensate for the lack of meat.

This post has been linked to The Thrifty Home: Penny Pinching Party.

Ham and Cheese Rolls

It is the end of the school year and my kids are getting tired of our typical lunchbox routine.  I have been trying to mix it up by sending crumpets or pizza rolls instead of sandwiches. However, I am still hearing complaints. So, I tried something different with my artisan bread dough: Ham and Cheese Rolls. I made them just like the pizza rolls, only I used ham and cheddar cheese instead of pepperoni and mozzarella cheese. The kids liked them and were happy about their new lunchbox treat. Another crisis averted!

Recipe Note: I make my dough using half white whole wheat flour and half all purpose flour. You can find the Master Recipe for artisan bread dough, along with an instructional video, here.

Ham and Cheese Rolls

2 lbs. artisan bread dough

4 slices deli ham, cut into 24 pieces

24 nickel sized pieces of cheddar cheese

3 Tbsp. melted butter

Divide dough into 24 pieces. Using your hands, flatten each piece of dough into a circle that is the size of your palm. Place cheese in the center of the dough and top with ham. Fold the dough up over the cheese and ham, pinching the seams to form a seal. Place, seam side down, in a greased 9X13 pan. Repeat with remaining dough. Let rest 30 minutes. Bake at 400˚ for 20 minutes or until golden. Remove from oven and brush with melted butter. Serve immediately.

This post has been linked to Try New Adventures Thursday.

Gravy

There is something about gravy that makes me sigh with content every time I eat it. In my mind, it is comfort food at its best. And, it is a frugal way to liven up inexpensive cuts of meat. It can be made with the leftover cooking fat from pork chops, chicken, steak or ground sausage. It works well with butter, olive oil, or leftover bacon grease too. The liquid can be water, broth, or even milk. Sautéed onions or mushrooms are also great additions. The technique is simple, and it is an easy way to add variety without going over budget.

Pictured above are simple pork chops with brown gravy. I used some leftover bacon grease to pan fry my pork chops. Then, I used homemade chicken broth for the liquid. Finally, I served it all over rice.

Gravy

3 Tbsp. fat (butter, olive oil, bacon grease, or meat fat)

3 Tbsp. flour

2 cups liquid (chicken broth, beef broth, milk, etc.)

½ tsp. ground black pepper

Salt to taste

Heat the fat in a skillet over medium heat. If you are using the fat from meat you have just cooked, push the meat to the side of the pan or if you prefer, remove it from the pan. Turn the heat down to low. Add the flour. Stir and cook the flour until browned and bubbly, being careful not to burn it, about 2-3 minutes. Whisk in liquid. Continue to whisk until thickened and smooth. Return the meat to the center of the pan and heat thoroughly. Add pepper and salt to taste. 

Frugal Tip: Gravy adds variety to your dinner without going over budget.

This post has been linked to Frugal Tuesday Tip.

Pizza Rolls

On Sunday, we attended a Super Bowl party and I brought these Pizza Rolls. They were gone before I ever made it through the food line.  They make a great snack and are perfect for a party because they do not require a fork or a sauce for dipping, hand food at its best.  Sometimes I make a big batch and freeze them for later or for school lunches. They reheat nicely and are still tasty at room temperature.

Pizza Rolls

2 lbs. artisan bread dough 

48 slices pepperoni

24 nickel sized pieces of mozzarella cheese

3 Tbsp. melted butter

Divide dough into 24 pieces. Using your hands, flatten each piece of dough into a circle that is the size of your palm. Place cheese in the center of the dough and top with two pieces of pepperoni. Fold the dough up over the cheese and pepperoni, pinching the seams to form a seal. Place, seam side down, in a greased 9X13 pan. Repeat with remaining dough. Let rest 30 minutes. Bake at 400˚ for 20 minutes or until golden. Remove from oven and brush with melted butter. Serve immediately.

You can find the Master Recipe for Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day, along with an instructional video, here.