Recipes

41 School Lunch Ideas That Deserve an A++

Make-ahead sandwiches, thermos-ready soups, big-batch recipes, and more easy school lunches for busy weekdays.
Griddled kale and cheddar gözleme on a cutting board with lemon wedges and labneh.
Photo by Travis Rainey, Food Styling by Taneka Morris, Prop Styling by Sean Dooley

Packing school lunches five days a week is the ultimate test of emotional resilience. You think you have a great idea; you send the kiddos off to the bus stop…and the sandwich comes back half-eaten—or worse, traded for a Twinkie. Luckily, we have a batch of school lunch ideas that won’t leave you resorting to too many packets of Goldfish crackers and fruit gummies. Think make-ahead quesadillas, cold noodles, freezer-friendly handhelds, and plenty of snacks and treats to round out the lunch box.

Some, like our miso-spiked take on PB&J and canned-tuna onigiri, take familiar lunch staples in a new direction. Others, including Jamaican beef patties and chicken quesadillas, can be prepped ahead so weekday mornings require little more than packing and going. Whether you’re looking for kids’ lunch ideas that can be eaten cold, leftovers that travel well, or something besides another sandwich, you’ve got options below.

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  • Two halves of a diagonally sliced cucumber sandwich stacked on a plate.
    Photograph by Isa Zapata
    1/41

    Cucumber Sandwich With Green Chutney

    Whipped cream cheese and crisp cucumber mellow the punchy cilantro-jalapeño chutney in this five-minute school lunch idea. Make the chutney up to three days ahead for faster morning assembly.

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  • Five quesadillas filled with diced chicken shredded pepper Jack cheese red bell peppers yellow onions and served with...
    Photo by Travis Rainey, Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne, Prop Styling by Alexandra Massillon
    2/41

    Crispy Chicken Quesadillas

    Taco-spiced chicken, peppers, onion, cilantro, and plenty of cheese make these crispy quesadillas an easy crowd-pleaser. Prep the filling up to two days ahead to streamline busy mornings.

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  • Image may contain Food Confectionery Sweets Dessert Cake and Bread
    3/41

    Pecan-Miso Butter and Jelly Sandwiches

    Red or white miso gives homemade pecan butter a salty-savory edge in this not-your-average PB&J. Make the nut butter ahead for faster sandwich assembly on school mornings.

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  • Spicy Tuna Mayo Onigiri next to a bowl of Furikake
    Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Liberty Fennell, Prop Styling by Suzie Myers
    4/41

    Spicy Tuna Mayo Onigiri

    Turn a pot of rice and a can of tuna into savory, handheld rice balls seasoned with furikake. Kids can even help shape the onigiri before they go into the lunch box.

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  • Jamacian beef batties by Shani Jones of Peaches Patties and La Cocina cookbook
    Photo by Laura Murray, Food Styling by Yekaterina Boystova
    5/41

    Jamaican Beef Patties

    These flaky spiced beef patties are freezer-friendly and easy to transport. Make a batch over the weekend, enjoy some immediately, and freeze the rest for future lunches.

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  • Griddled kale and cheddar gözleme on a cutting board with lemon wedges and labneh.
    Photo by Travis Rainey, Food Styling by Taneka Morris, Prop Styling by Sean Dooley
    6/41

    Kale and Cheddar Gözleme

    These cheese-and-kale-stuffed Turkish flatbreads are delicious straight from the skillet, but here’s the lunch box magic: They’re also great eaten cold the next day.

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  • Image may contain Food and Sandwich
    7/41

    Veggie Club Sandwich

    This towering vegetarian club layers thinly sliced crunchy vegetables, sharp cheddar, hummus, and punchy giardiniera mayo between three slices of bread for a seriously substantial sandwich.

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  • A samosadilla cut into three triangles with a fresh tomato cucumber and red onion side salad.
    Photograph by Elizabeth Coetzee, Food Styling by Sean Dooley, Prop Styling by Christina Allen
    8/41

    Samosa-dillas With Cucumber Salad

    Skip the handmade dough and deep-frying: Spiced potatoes and peas are folded into whole wheat tortillas with cheese, then griddled until crisp. Cut into wedges for an easy handheld lunch.

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  • Image may contain Burger Food and Sandwich
    Photo by TED+CHELSEA CAVANAUGH, Food Styling by Susie Theodorou
    9/41

    Greens-and-Beans Sandwiches

    Creamy smashed canned beans, crunchy cucumbers, thick slabs of feta, and hearty rye make this vegetarian sandwich substantial enough for lunch. The sturdy bread helps everything survive the trip.

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  • Photograph by Peden + Munk, Food Styling by Adriana Paschen, Prop Styling by Ceci Garcia
    10/41

    Paneer Kathi Rolls

    Large tortillas stand in for harder-to-find roti in these wraps stuffed with seared paneer, onions, and peppers swathed in spiced yogurt. Wrap them in parchment and then foil to keep all the goodness tucked inside.

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  • Image may contain Food
    Photo by Laura Murray, styling by Rick Martinez
    11/41

    Shingaras With Cauliflower and Potato Filling

    These Bangladeshi samosas tuck a warmly spiced cauliflower-and-potato filling into a crisp pastry shell. Pack a couple with chutney on the side for a substantial handheld lunch.

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  • Fried Bologna Sandwich recipe
    Photo by Alex Lau, Food Styling by Susie Theodorou
    12/41

    Fried Bologna Sandwich

    Crisp-edged bologna, crunchy lettuce, pickles, and tangy mustard-mayo make this old-school sandwich worth revisiting. Cutting slits in the bologna before frying keeps every slice flat and evenly browned.

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  • Green Goddess Crunch sandwich recipe
    Photo by Alex Lau
    13/41

    Green Goddess Crunch Sandwich

    Creamy avocado, crisp cucumber, lettuce, sprouts, and an herby green goddess spread make this vegetarian sandwich recipe substantial and satisfying. Assemble it the morning of and use sturdy bread to help it hold until lunch.

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  • A breakfast burrito with scrambled eggs and avocado wrapped in foil cut in half and stacked revealing the cut edge.
    Photo by Chelsie Craig, Food Styling by Yekaterina Boytsova
    14/41

    Breakfast Burrito to Go

    A uniform layer of fluffy eggs makes this burrito particularly easy to roll and eat. Fill it with melty cheese, avocado, and as much—or as little—hot sauce as your kid likes.

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Anna Hezel is a Buffalo-born, Brooklyn-based food and culture writer. The former senior editor of Epicurious and TASTE. Anna has written about food, drinks, and culture for The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Bon Appétit, Rolling Stone, GQ, Eater, and more. She’s the author of the 2019 cookbook ... Read More
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