Back to School Sandwiches You Can Make Ahead

It’s that time of year again! Parents, rejoice! Or cry. To be honest, I did a little bit of both. I’m talking about Back to School time! I feel like it really snuck up on us this year, but we’re rolling with it. One of the dreaded tasks for most moms, along with getting up SUPER early, is figuring out what to feed your kids for lunch! You always want to send a lunchbox packed with goodies that are A) actually good for them and B) something they’ll actually eat. My boys are pretty great about eating sandwiches, but they can get boring after awhile! I’m here to show you the different ways I pack sandwiches into my kids lunch boxes so they end up in their bellies and not the school garbage! All it takes is a one stop at your local commissary! Also, it’s National Sandwich Month! Coincidence? I think not. 😉

Who says a sandwich has to be on two slices of bread? We like to mix it up in this house and I’ll show you how!

First, my kids have whined in the middle of the commissary for that glorious box of frozen PB & Js with no crust. You know what I’m talking about! Did you know you can make them at home?! SO EASY! Simply spread your favorite nut butter and jelly onto the bread, leaving a space around the edges for sealing. Cut the crusts off and using a fork, press down along the entire outside of the sandwich until you have your own sealed delight! Wrap them individually with wax paper or aluminum foil and pop them in the freezer. They’ll be thawed in time for lunch! You can make a whole BIG batch at one time and have an easy lunch box meal ready to go.

Sometimes, all it takes to beat the boredom blues is a little shake up! Cube your favorite cheese (Confession: My boys HATE cheese. How weird is that?) fold over your favorite Oscar Mayer lunch meat (I LOVE the selection of Natural lunch meat. So yummy!)  and stick them on a toothpick with bread squares on each end. You would think I wouldn’t have to tell my kids not to try and eat the toothpick kabob, but you’d be wrong. This might be easier for the bigger kids to handle!

How cute are these little kabobs? I just love miniature foods!

Next up, tortillas! Tortillas are inexpensive, come in a variety of grains and flavors, and also come in a variety of sizes! I use the small fajita size for my kids, but it all depends on how hungry yours get! Top with your favorite lunch meat and toppings and roll them up! Easy peasy. You see there’s no cheese on these, right? They’re also against condiments! I know, crazy.

Cut the roll-up in half of even quarters for little pinwheels. Perfect for little kinder hands!

Pita bread might be my boys’ favorite lunch! It’s SO easy! You can cut the pitas in half and make a nice stuffed sandwich, or just slice them into triangles like I do and serve them with ham and cheese. Still pushing the cheese. These kids don’t know what they’re missing! 😉

Sometimes, your children will need a complete change of pace from the lunch meat and cheese. Time to throw in a PB & J roll up! I like to add peanut butter to the tortilla, top with ANOTHER tortilla and then add jelly to that. Bulks up the roll-up a bit!

Lastly, we have the family favorite. The mini dinner roll, often of the sweet Hawaiian variety. These come in packs of 12 and this is something you can make ahead of time as well! Just like my BLT sliders, fill with your favorite meats and cheeses, wrap individually and freeze. These little sammys have been the perfect size for our lunch boxes lately. Toss in some sliced fruit, baby carrot sticks, a fun bag of chips, and a Capri-sun and you have my kids’ FAVORITE lunch!

And for those mornings when everyone is running late and I don’t have time to pack the lunch box, I throw in an awesome Lunchables, complete with drink, side, and dessert! I save time and the kids still think I’m a rockstar!

I hope these give you some ideas for Back to School lunches and that they make your mornings run just a little bit smoother! Happy Back to School season!