Some of us aren’t morning people, and who are we kidding, even those of us who are find it challenging to make school lunch in real time all…year…long. So we’ve rounded up five fantastic make-ahead school lunch recipes that you can whip up on a weekend, store in the freezer, and pop into your kid’s lunchbox on those extra hectic mornings.
Because we’re fans of any easy, homemade dish that lets us hit the snooze button one more time. And by one I mean three.
Top: Taco Pop Tarts | I Heart Naptime
Related: 5 kid-friendly dinners you can make straight from the freezer.
What’s a compact, no-mess way to pack tacos? Jamielyn at I Heart Naptime has it all figured out with these clever and seriously yummy looking Taco Pop Tarts. If you thought that your kids couldn’t love tacos any more, try wrapping them in a hand-held savory pastry. Just don’t be surprised when they ask for tacos this way every time.
Our editor Stacie offers a slue of must-have school lunch ideas at her own site, One Hungry Mama, and these Ham and Cheese Muffins are one of her faves. Especially since it’s basically a kid-favorite sandwich made in an easy-to-freeze, make-ahead muffin form.
The recipe for these Easy Homemade Pizza Pockets at Laura Fuentes calls for a store-bought shortcut to get them made and into the freezer in record time. Plus, I love how she gives you the option for a classic pizza pocket or a broccoli and cheese variation. Because yay for more veggies in school lunch.
Related: The essential school lunch shopping list: Everything you need to make packing lunch easy.
They may look like bites of straight-up cheesy goodness, but these Cheesy Turkey Meatloaf Bites at Weelicious are full of vegetables too. So, basically, they’re a well-balanced lunchbox meal in one handy package. These require a quick spin in the food processor — and the cleaning that comes after — so I recommend making a big batch on the weekend for the week ahead. You’ll be glad you did.
Our friends at the Kitchn recommend freezing pasta salad with a bit of extra dressing so that it thaws nice and moist — the tip is a serious game changer! If you’re as excited about this revelation as I am, they’ve got 11 pasta salad recipes with only 3 ingredients each. They’re all worth a look, but I think kids will especially love this mild, but flavorful Orzo with Preserved Lemon, Dill and Peas. Yum.
