Interesting School Lunch ideas (that also freezes well!)

Tries2BGoodMom

Tue, Jan 12 2010, 12:51 pm

Hello, my DD is so tired of sandwiches. Since I'm SO busy (since I work full-time) during the week, what I normally do is make ALL sandwiches for everyone in the family on Sunday and then freeze all the sandwiches. Now my 4 year old DD refuses to eat her sandwiches (I usually make her cream cheese or jelly sandwiches). Any ideas of good sandwiches that freeze well? Maybe there's some kind of kugel or pasta dish that I can make for her? Thanks!

Chocoholic

Tue, Jan 12 2010, 12:58 pm

You can make cheese lasagna in those small tins and freeze them, I do that sometimes for DH, I even once sent him with onion noodle kugel (albeit not that nutritious), he loved it.

Tries2BGoodMom

Tue, Jan 12 2010, 1:00 pm

Chocoholic wrote:

You can make cheese lasagna in those small tins and freeze them, I do that sometimes for DH, I even once sent him with onion noodle kugel (albeit not that nutritious), he loved it.

That sounds interesting. What size tin do you use? Do you break the long lasagna noodles into half when you bake them? Thanks!

Mimisinger

Tue, Jan 12 2010, 1:05 pm

If you're going with pasta - I would think that baked ziti/mac and cheese would be easier for a 4 yo to eat than lasagna which I think you nee a knife for. I also mix frozen spinach right into the sauce for baked ziti, so you're still getting the veggies in.

Chocoholic

Tue, Jan 12 2010, 1:05 pm

I use the small ones they sell here (don't live in the us) and break the noodles in order to make them fit. The good thing is you can make lots of them at once and then freeze or in te fridge. I realize I haven't done this in a long time, should do it again b"n.

Tries2BGoodMom

Tue, Jan 12 2010, 1:07 pm

Mimisinger wrote:

Yes I think my DD would like baked ziti better. Can you tell me how you make baked ziti? Mine never comes out good!

Mimisinger

Tue, Jan 12 2010, 1:13 pm

1. Boil pasta (which ever you choose)
2. Drain
3. Put back into pot
4. Add sauce, cheese, ricotta (or some do cottage cheese) frozen spinach, shredded cheese, mix.
5. spoon into tiny tins (or one big one)
6. top with sauce and cheese, but would omit the cheese in your case because you're going to cover them and the cheese will stick to the top.

Tries2BGoodMom

Tue, Jan 12 2010, 1:15 pm

ra_mom wrote:

tuna with mayo sandwich
deli sandwich with ketchup

Deli is a good idea of something that freezes well. Can I freeze a tuna sandwich?

Tries2BGoodMom

Tue, Jan 12 2010, 1:15 pm

Mimisinger wrote:

I'll try this. Thanks so much for your help!

ra_mom

Tue, Jan 12 2010, 1:23 pm

TriesToBePerfectMom wrote:

ra_mom wrote:

tuna with mayo sandwich
deli sandwich with ketchup

Deli is a good idea of something that freezes well. Can I freeze a tuna sandwich?

Yes. I freeze them for 2-3 weeks.

You can also send yogurt with a granola bar.
A cup of cottage cheese with bread.
String cheese with a roll.
You can keep shelled eggs in the fridge.
(basically refrigerated items that you can just grab and run, along with a plain frozen roll or something.)

nicole81

Tue, Jan 12 2010, 1:25 pm

some things I make for dd:

-egg sandwiches
-pasta and cheese with veggies
-chummus sandwiches
- acorn squash, sometimes with walnuts and brown sugar
- pancakes
- french toast
- blintzes
- salad with tuna (this won't freeze well...)
- tuna/veggie burgers
- bean burgers

ra_mom

Tue, Jan 12 2010, 1:31 pm

nicole81, do the egg sandwiches freeze well?
do the eggs have to be mashed with the mayo, or can the roll be spread with mayo and lined with egg slices?
TIA!

nicole81

Tue, Jan 12 2010, 1:41 pm

ra_mom wrote:

nicole81, do the egg sandwiches freeze well?
do the eggs have to be mashed with the mayo, or can the roll be spread with mayo and lined with egg slices?
TIA!

I make scrambled eggs; I've only frozen them a couple of times and dd doesn't complaing (I don't eat them though!)

e1234

Tue, Jan 12 2010, 1:49 pm

I have this issue with ds - and he wants his food only hot - so he wants me to bring it to him everyday which I cannot do.
Maybe I should try panckaes - they freeze well? how do you freeze them and when do you defrost them to send with them in the morning.
I sometimes do french toast if I have time in the morning - I wonder if that would freeze as well - has anyone tried it?

ra_mom

Tue, Jan 12 2010, 1:49 pm

when you make pasta and cheese, pancakes, french toast, blintzes, burgers, etc., do you kids eat them cold?

nicole81

Tue, Jan 12 2010, 2:21 pm

my kids eat them cold, but I don't think they're that picky. the only thing I would personally eat cold from that list is blinztes.

for pancakes, don't stack them when you make them because then they all stick together. when you freeze them, separate them with wax paper.

I guess it depends on the commute and how the school deals with the lunches, but I pack the lunch and put it in the fridge the night before. then between getting ready, dd's long bus ride and getting to school, her lunch sits out for 2 hours. then it goes into the fridge at school. she has never complained so I'm assuming it's defrosted by then.

mosma

Tue, Jan 12 2010, 3:37 pm

for DH sometimes I make a steak or grill any piece of meat the night before and put together a steak sandwich on a nice loaf of bread for him for lunch. he LOVES it.

ra_mom

Tue, Jan 12 2010, 3:40 pm

mosma wrote:

for DH sometimes I make a steak or grill any piece of meat the night before and put together a steak sandwich on a nice loaf of bread for him for lunch. he LOVES it.

He eats steak cold?

Rodent

Tue, Jan 12 2010, 3:52 pm

My kids love zucchini slice (I grate other vegies in too, carrot, broccoli etc). Healthy, can be eaten hot or cold, and freezes fine. Can be made meaty or stam (or probably dairy but I never have!).
But our day care is egg free and I can't send it anymore Sad

I have to send versions of the menu, #1 started trying to break into the kitchen to get some of the treif food when he had different. But I won't send meat (and #2 is dairy free) and have to wrap it so many times to enable them to warm it slightly (about 12 times, I'm careful!) It's not easy making a stam alternative to butter chicken!