Non sandwich lunch ideas for kids

If your kids are anything like mine, they're probably sick and tired of having boring sandwiches for their lunches. Here are some low cost, delicious lunch ideas for kids that don't have sandwiches included!!

Homemade Lunchables

Why spend tons of money on store-bought Lunchables when you can make them at home? Make your own that are kid-friendly and put all the things they love inside. You can add crackers, strawberries, grapes, cheese, nuts, meat, blueberries and more. 

Turkey & Cheese Kabob

Use a skewer to layer turkey, cheese and veggies! Everything is more fun to eat on a skewer and kids love bit size pieces. You can add pretzels, berries, grapes, juice, flavoured water. Whatever healthy choices your kids enjoy. 

Chicken Salad with Grapes

The grapes add sweetness to the chicken salad that kids will love. Pack a few crackers for dipping and lunch is served when you make the recipe here.

How to Make Chicken Salad Recipe

Ingredients you’ll need:

Chicken. You’ll need four cups of cooked chicken that you shred or chop, depending on the texture that you prefer. You can easily shred the chicken in your stand mixer or with an electric hand mixer if you want. Shredding with two forks also works great.
For the chicken, you can use baked chicken that you cook ahead or make Instant Pot chicken. You can even use rotisserie chicken if you wish.

Celery. Chopped celery adds the perfect amount of crunch and freshness.

Grapes. Halved seedless grapes add a touch of sweetness. I love to use red seedless grapes as they add another bit of colour to the salad.

Dried Cranberries. Sweet and yet a little tart, the dried cranberries are a delicious addition as well.

Roasted Pecans. Chopped toasted pecans are a great addition. Omit them if allergic to nuts or if you are serving at an event and do not know if there are nut allergies.

Mayonnaise or Greek Yogurt. You can use all mayo or all Greek Yogurt in your salad or even a little bit of each. Greek Yogurt will help to lighten up the recipe, but it is definitely a matter of preference.

Seasonings. Salt and pepper are the perfect seasonings for it.

Celery leaves. Chopped celery leaves add so much flavour, but if you don’t have them just omit.

How Long Does Chicken Salad Last?

In the Refrigerator? This recipe keeps well in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Simply store in an airtight container. Refrigerate right after serving.

Left Out at Room Temperature? For food safety, I like to stick to what the FDA advises… “the two-hour rule”….which applies since this recipe has chicken and mayonnaise, you should not leave this out at room temperature for any longer than two hours.

Left Out at Picnic or Potluck? If you are serving this at a summer event and the temperature is warmer, you should be extra careful to refrigerate as soon as possible. Again, I look to the FDA for its safety rule. If the outside temperature is above 90 degrees, the “two-hour rule” becomes ONE hour.

How to Serve:

• Wrap. Stuff and slice in half for a simple wrap.
• Croissant. Toast a croissant and then fill.
• Bibb Lettuce. Make a lettuce cups by washing and drying leaves of Bibb lettuce and placing onto a plate. Then fill with scoops and serve.

How Much to Serve Per Person:

If you are making for serving a large group, at a party or event, you’ll want to increase the amount that you make. Here is the rule of thumb that I use for how much to prepare per person.

• Sandwiches and wraps = 4 – 6 ounces per person
• Lettuce cups = 4 – 6 ounces per person
• Main dish = 8 ounces per person

Homemade Pizza Bombs

Cheese and pepperoni are packed inside for a delicious lunch that kids will love.  You can easily make these with the pizza toppings kids prefer. Find the easy recipe here.

Ingredients

• 1 can of Pillsbury biscuits 10 biscuits
• 10 cubes mozzarella cheese approx 3/4 oz each
• 5 tablespoons pizza sauce
• 10-15 tablespoons of your favourite pizza toppings see note below
• Shredded cheese & Italian seasoning for topping
• Pizza Sauce for dipping

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Roll each biscuit out very thin. Add 1/2 tablespoon sauce to each biscuit. Place one cube of cheese and 1 to 1-1/2 tablespoons toppings on each.
3. Fold the biscuits is to fold it in half (like a taco), pinch the edges shut and then bring the corners under and roll to make a ball.
4. Top each pizza bomb with a sprinkle of shredded cheese & seasoning.
5. Place biscuits on a parchment-lined pan seam side down.
6. Put them in the oven and lower the heat to 350 degrees. Bake 13-16 minutes or until lightly browned.
7. Serve with warm pizza sauce for dipping.

Chef Salad on a Stick

Make salads fun by putting them on a stick! Layer chef salad items such as eggs, cucumbers, cheese and more for tasty lunch kids will actually eat! Make the recipe here.

Ingredients

• Lettuce, cut into small squares
• Tomatoes, cherry are best
• Cucumber, cleaned and sliced
• Ham, cubed
• Cheese, cut into chunks
• Eggs, hard-boiled and sliced in half
• Croutons
• Wooden Skewers

Instructions

1. Cut bread into chunks for croutons {we used Italian bread}
2. Spritz with Olive Oil and sprinkle with Garlic Salt
3. Toast in the oven at 450 degrees for about 5 minutes
4. Cook eggs, cool, peel and slice
5. Cut the rest of the veggies
6. Thread ingredients onto skewers
7. Serve with Ranch Dressing or your favourite dressing

Hard-Boiled Eggs with Cinnamon Sticks

Hard-boiled eggs are quick, easy and full of protein. Add yummy cinnamon sticks and yogurt for lunch kids will ask for over and over! See the recipe.

What is in this lunchbox:

• 2 hardboiled eggs – cut in half
• 1/4 cup of strawberry yogurt with a spoon
• 1 Cinnamon Toast cut into 3 sticks
• fresh fruit – we did watermelon and grapes but any will do

How to Hard boil eggs?

1. Place the eggs in a single layer at the bottom of a saucepan. Cover completely with water.
2. Heat the pot on high heat and bring the water to a full boil.
3. Cover the pan with a lid. Turn off the heat but leave the pot on the hot stove. Let it sit for 10 – 12 minutes.
4. Strain and run cold water over the eggs to help them cool and prevent them from cooking longer.
5. Peel and enjoy it!

For my cinnamon toast:

For my cinnamon toast, I take a slice of wheat bread and butter it. Then I sprinkle it with my cinnamon and sugar recipe. I place it in my oven in the broiler for about 1 – 2 minutes until it starts to get brown. Allow it to cool and then slice it into 3 or 4 pieces.

Easy Pasta Salad

This pasta salad is full of veggies and colourful pasta. Kids will enjoy eating this “rainbow” pasta recipe 

Ingredients

For the zesty Italian dressing:

• 1/3 cup white wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil, or canola oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
• 1 teaspoon fresh basil leaves, chopped
• 1 teaspoon fresh oregano leaves, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

For the pasta salad:

• 12-ounce package of Tri-Color Rotini Pasta

• 1-pint cherry or grape tomatoes halved
• 1/2 a large onion, diced (red or sweet onion are best)
• 1 cup assorted olives, pitted and sliced
• 2 cups broccoli florets
• 1 teaspoon seasoned salt, (like Lawry's brand)
• 8-12 ounces cheddar or Colby cheese, sliced in match stick pieces

Instructions

1. Place all the ingredients for the dressing in a glass jar or container with a tight-fitting lid. Shake vigorously until well blended. Set aside.
2. Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain and place the pasta in a large mixing bowl. Drizzle a few tablespoons of the dressing on the warm noodles and toss to prevent them from sticking together.
3. Place the broccoli florets in a large colander. Pour hot water (almost boiling) over the florets then rinse with cold water. Drain. The hot water will give the broccoli a lovely bright green colour and take the raw edge off the vegetable. Add the broccoli to the bowl with the pasta.
4. Add the tomatoes, onion, olives and seasoned salt. Pour the prepared dressing over the top of the pasta salad and toss gently to combine. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
5. Add the cheese just before serving.
6. Refrigerate leftovers.

Recipe Notes

In a pinch use your favourite bottled Zesty Italian Dressing.

Make it your own with these optional add-ins:  pepperoni, bacon, diced grilled chicken, artichoke hearts, pepperoncini peppers, lettuce or spinach 

Tortilla Hot Dog Wraps

Tortilla’s turn an old classic into a new twist! These are easy for kids to pick up and eat and pretty yummy too. 

Baked Spaghetti

Make this dish ahead and put it in the freezer for busy mornings! Serve it for the kid's lunches and adults as well! Find the recipe.

HOW TO MAKE BAKED SPAGHETTI:

• Cook spaghetti according to package directions. 
• 
  
• Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook beef, onion, and garlic over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in spaghetti sauce, seasoned salt, and Italian seasonings.
• 
  
• In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, Parmesan cheese and butter. Drain spaghetti; add spaghetti to the egg mixture and toss to coat.
• 
  
• Place half of the spaghetti mixture in a greased 9×13 baking dish. Top with half of the ricotta cheese, meat sauce and mozzarella cheese. Repeat layers.
• 
  
• Cover and bake at 350° for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake for 10 minutes longer or until cheese is melted.

Lunchbox Taco Bar

Taco bars are perfect for lunchboxes. Use little containers for the toppings and a thermos keeps the taco meat warm. You can find the recipe here.

What is included in this lunchbox

• about 1/4 cup of taco meat
• Taco shells (or tortillas)
• Lettuce, tomatoes, and cheese (or any additional toppings)
• chips – we did hot fries because my kids like to add those to their tacos
• fresh fruit – we did grapes

How to pack Tacos in a Lunch Box:

You will want a kid thermos to keep your taco meat warm. I love this thermos for kids. I bought mine on Amazon and there are several on sale right now.  You will want to pour boiling water in your thermos first. That will heat up the thermos. Let the boiling water sit for a bit.

To make this easier, I use our teapot to boil the water quickly and to make it easy to pour the water in the thermos. I let the boiling water sit in the thermo (with the lid off) for just a few minutes (maybe 3). Then pour the water out. Now your thermos is HOT and ready to keep your hot taco meat warm. It works great every time.

A few more tips:

Use lunchbox containers (like the Rubbermaid ones I used) to store your taco shells, chips and fruit to keep them separate. It also keeps your taco shells from crushing in the lunchbox.

I used snack size baggies for my cheese and lettuce.

Mini Deep Dish Pizzas

Miniature pizzas are a hit in kid’s lunchboxes! Kids love having their own personalized pizzas with the recipe here.

INGREDIENTS:

• 4 Old El Paso™ flour tortillas for burritos (8 inches)
• 1 cup pizza sauce
• 3/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan
• 36 mini pepperonis

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Lightly oils a 12-cup muffin tin or coat with nonstick spray.
2. Working one at a time, lay tortilla on a flat surface. Using an empty can, cut 3-4 medium circles, pressing firmly enough in a rocking motion to cut through the tortilla.
3. Fit a tortilla circle into each of 12 muffin tins, pressing carefully to make sure there is an opening in the center. Scoop 1 tablespoon pizza sauce into each muffin tin. Sprinkle with mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses, topped with 3 mini pepperonis each.
4. Place into oven and bake for 10-12 minutes, or until cheese has melted.
5. Serve immediately.

Copycat Panera Mac and Cheese

Yum! Creamy mac and cheese is always a good idea! We use a thermos to keep the recipe here warm for lunch.

How to make Copycat Panera Mac and Cheese:

STEP 1: Cook pasta according to package directions while making the sauce. Drain and set aside until ready to use.

PRO TIP: Use your favorite noodle. Cavatappi is a great choice, or shells or elbows work great too!

STEP 2: In a large saucepan on medium-high heat, add butter until melted. Whisk in the flour and cook for about one minute. Reduce heat to medium and add milk, heavy cream, salt, dry mustard and pepper. Continue whisking until it begins to bubble. Reduce to low and add white cheddar. Stir until melted.

STEP 3: Add cooked pasta, stirring until combined. Remove from heat and allow to sit about 5 minutes to thicken. Season with additional salt and pepper if desired. ENJOY.

TIPS for Panera Mac and Cheese:

• Use a good white cheddar. Don’t use the packaged shredded cheese, as it usually has cornstarch or some other thickeners already on it. Buy a block of cheddar and shred it yourself. Trust me, it’s going to melt so much creamier!
• While your noodles are cooking, you can whip up the roux (flour and butter mixture). Then add remaining ingredients. By the time your noodles are done, your sauce should be ready. Easy!
• When ready to reheat your leftovers, you may need to add about 1/2 cup milk. Warm it up on low on the stovetop. This recipe is about two meals for us as a side dish, for our family of 4.

Cream Cheese Croissants

Turn a classic tomato sandwich into something even better with cream cheese and a croissant. Yum! This is perfect for a change. Get the tasty recipe here.

Ingredients

• 6-8 Croissants
• Cream Cheese any flavour
• 4-6 slices tomatoes
• sliced ham optional

Instructions

1. Slice you croissants. Slice your tomatoes.
2. Add cream cheese to your croissant. Layer on tomatoes and ham (if you want).
3. Serve fresh and ENJOY!

Easy Deviled Eggs

Deviled eggs are full of protein and kids love these bite-size lunch foods! Tasty and delicious for sure. Find the recipe here.

WHAT DO YOU NEED TO MAKE THESE DELICIOUS DEVILED EGGS?

CLASSIC DEVILED EGGS INGREDIENTS:

1. Hard-boiled eggs
2. Salt and peppers
3. Mayonnaise
4. Yellow mustard
5. Dill pickle relish
6. Paprika

CAN YOU MAKE BASIC DEVILED EGGS AHEAD OF TIME?

You can! Here’s how. 

You can boil the eggs in advance and prepare them by cutting the eggs in half and separating the yolk. Prepare them according to the recipe.

For best results, do not put the yolk mixture into the egg white until the day you will need the deviled eggs. You can make the filling up to two days in advance.

HOW TO PERFECTLY BOIL AN EGG:

Have you ever wanted to know how to perfectly boil an egg? This is how I do it:

1. Place your eggs in a large pot (the bigger the better so that they aren’t bumping into each other and cracking). Fill the pot with enough water that the eggs are at least 1 inch below the surface of the water.
2. Add 1 teaspoon of baking soda to the water (the sodium bicarbonate will help the eggs separate from their shells, which makes them so easy to peel) and place the pot (uncovered) on the stove.
3. Turn the heat to high and let the water come to a full rolling boil. Once there, let the eggs boil for one minute (I usually set a timer).
4. After the 1 minute is up, remove the pot from the heat, place a lid on top, and let the eggs sit in the hot water for 10 minutes (you will want to set a timer for this one too).
5. Once the time is up, remove the eggs from the pot and place in a bowl. Fill the bowl with ice and cold water.
6. Let the eggs sit in the ice water (fully submerged) for 5 minutes. At this time, you can either remove the shells immediately or but the eggs in the fridge and peel them as you need them.
7. The shells should come off very easily and your yolk will be beautiful (with no green/grey hue around the edges).

BASIC DEVILED EGGS – THE KEY TO EASY PEELING

There are a few keys to having hard-boiled eggs that peel easily. There are a few essentials to having wonderfully peeled eggs with no divets in them:

1. Don’t use fresh eggs
2. Don’t put the eggs in from the beginning
3. Ice water bath afterward

You can find more details on how to hard-boil eggs for easy peeling from tips this article on How to peel hard-boiled eggs.

TIPS AND TRICKS

If you are bringing these wonderful deviled eggs with pickles to a family function or a work event, check out this cute tray that is perfect for serving deviled eggs.

A trick for filling the deviled eggs is using either a ziplock bag, frosting bag, or a decorating tool. After the deviled egg mixture is all mixed up you can put the creamy egg mixture into either the ziplock bag, the frosting bag, or the decorating tool and then carefully pipe the deviled egg mixture into the individual egg white halves.

HOW TO MAKE THE BEST DEVILED EGGS

With these few easy steps, you will be able to make the best-deviled eggs you have ever tasted!

Start by peeling off the hard-boiled eggs. Use the methods mentioned above when boiling your eggs for the best and easiest results.

Then, slice the eggs in half lengthwise. Using a spoon gently take the egg yolk out of the egg whites. Put the egg white halves off to the side until later.

Put the egg yolks into a small bowl. Use a fork to mash up the yolks until they are in small pieces.

Next, add in the mayonnaise, mustard, and relish to the mashed egg yolks. Mix all of the ingredients together and combined them completely and have created a creamy mixture.

Then, using a spoon, carefully scoop 1-2 tablespoons of the yolk mixture into the egg white half.

Continue to do this until you fill all of the egg white halves. Then, lightly sprinkle on a little paprika and put the finished deviled eggs into the fridge until you are ready to serve them.