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School Lunch Box Menu Plan Week 2

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School Lunch Box Menu Plan Week 2 is full of yummy ideas.School is in full swing here. I’m hoping you enjoyed last weeks lunch fare suggestions. This week’s school lunch box menu plan is jam packed with more goodness including sandwiches, salads and a sweet treat that could double as a snack!

Everything Sandwich on the Everything BagelAmy’s Cooking Adventures shows us that bagels are not just for breakfast. The Everything Sandwich on the Everything Bagel is a hearty addition to any lunch box. While you could certainly use your child’s favorite ingredients, this really looks perfect just the way it is. There’s good protein and vegetables paired with a yummy garden cream cheese spread in lieu of mayonnaise. But you can easily mix up the deli meat, add your favorite sliced cheese or make it a theme sandwich like Italian using different ingredients. The possibilities are endless.

Healthy Nacho Cheese Baked Tortilla Chips are a great choice to accompany a sandwich.I don’t know about your kids but mine always love something to go along with their sandwich. They get that from me, I’m sure. Usually it’s chips but sometimes it’s pretzels or Goldfish crackers. Healthy Nacho Cheese Baked Tortilla Chips from Food Done Light would be a great addition with the sandwich above. Certainly a healthier choice than the store bought variety. Made with just a few ingredients they are also much more economical than store bought. They store well for a couple of day so you can have them for more than one lunch.

Healthy oatmeal chocolate chip no-bake bars are a sweet treat in any lunch box.When kids head back to school it’s usually still blazing hot in many places. It’s nice to have a no-bake treat in your repertoire. Healthy Oatmeal Chocolate Chip No-Bake Bars from Must Have Mom may or may not last the week, they look that yummy! There are only six ingredients and won’t keep you in the kitchen long making them. Use them as a treat or a mid-morning or after school snack as well. They are easy to store in the freezer. Pop one in your child’s lunch box in the morning and it’s softened and ready to eat by lunchtime.

Cake Mix Snickerdoodles are a quick treat to make.If you’ve had a crazy week and are feeling the pressure of getting a treat made, try my Cake Mix Snickerdoodles. Yes, they start with a yellow cake mix and are super easy to make. Kids can even help, with some supervision.  This is my oldest son’s favorite cookie whether it’s made from scratch or this cake mix version. It was always a special treat when he found them in his lunch box.

Homemade strawberry applesauce is a delicious addition to any lunch meal.I also live in a family that loves applesauce. It was a frequent staple in my kids lunch and it’s served with just about every meal I make, except pasta. I was so happy to find this homemade Strawberry Applesauce from Tip Garden. I can’t wait to make it for my family but will definitely be making it again when Florida strawberry season rolls around. It’s a great accompaniment to just about any lunch. Be sure to put this on your “to try” list for fall when so many wonderful apple varieties are in season.

Roast Beef, Brie and Caramelized Onion Grilled Cheese #GrilledCheese

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brieIt’s National Grilled Cheese Month! In honor of the occasion I made a roast beef, brie and caramelized onion grilled cheese. My family tells me I’m the grilled cheese queen and master grilled cheese sandwich maker. It’s great that my family feels this way until I’m the one who’s sick and wants a grilled cheese sandwich. No one will make it for me. Well, that’s not entirely true…my wonderful husband will but it’s often on the burnt side.

I really believe there is a trick to making the perfect grilled cheese sandwich. Beside using your favorite ingredients, you need a cheese that melts well and Brie is a good choice. Medium heat is best. Too low and it takes forever. Too high and you burn the sandwich. The latter is what my husband does. Also key, don’t leave the sandwich while its cooking because that’s a sure fire way to over cook it. No phone calls, don’t check your emails, just make the sandwich. Using a great bread is essential too. Sure you can use any old wheat or white bread but switch that up to an artisan bread for a noticeably yummier sandwich.

In honor of National Grilled Cheese Month some of my blogger friends and I put together our favorite grilled cheese sandwiches. Check out the links below.

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Roast Beef, Brie and Caramelized Onion Grilled Cheese

Yield: 2 sandwiches

Ingredients

  • 4 slices of artisan bread (I used Pane Tuscan)
  • Butter, softened to room temperature
  • 1 medium onion, sliced
  • 8 slices roast beef
  • 1 (8 ounce) wheel Brie cheese, rind removed

Instructions

  1. In a medium skillet over medium heat cooked the sliced onions in a tablespoon of butter until caramelized. Set aside.
  2. Heat a clean skillet over medium heat.
  3. Butter one side of each piece of bread and set aside. Butter the entire side, edge to edge.
  4. Lay one slice of bread, butter side down, in preheated skillet. Top with cheese, caramelized onions, roast beef and more cheese. Top with bread slice, butter side up. Repeat with remaining ingredients. Turn when buttered side is golden and cheese is melting. Don't fiddle with the heat. Remove when both sides are golden and cheese is melted.
  5. Slice sandwiches in half and serve.

Notes

To remove the rind from the Brie: Cut the rind off with a very sharp knife or peel it with a vegetable peeler around the edge.

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briepin

It’s the start of Grilled Cheese Month, so we thought we’d give you lots of inspiration! Hosted by Caroline of Caroline’s Cooking – see all the delicious grilled cheese ideas being shared today:

Grandma’s Italian Meatball Subs #SundaySupper

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Grandma's Meatball Sub
Grandma’s Italian Meatball Sub

OK, so I have a confession. I never remember my Italian Grandmother making a meatball sub. She did, however, make meatballs. Good meatballs. Lots and lots of meatballs. Pasta too, from scratch, by hand. No pasta machine necessary. Very old world. This meatball sub is a Grandmother/ Granddaughter collaboration, some 35 years after her passing. I took her meatball recipe and made it into a sub with cheeses we love.
My maternal Grandmother immigrated from Italy in 1917 at the age of 16, leaving 9 older brothers and sisters, including a twin, as well as her parents, to live in the United States with a sister. She met and married my Grandfather, also an Italian immigrant, who worked for Potomac Electric. She was widowed by the age of 40 and left with 3 daughters to raise, the youngest being 9 (my Mom). Although she achieved her US Citizenship, she spoke only broken English. She worked as a seamstress at Raleigh Haberdasher in Washington, D.C. to provide for her family. It wasn’t until her daughters were grown that she remarried and moved to Florida. She never lost her sewing talent. She made maternity clothes for my Mom. Then made dresses for my dolls and matching aprons for my Mom and me. I still have a few of the dresses and one of the aprons, a Christmas one. My Grandmother died when I was 12, long before I had ANY desire to learn to cook or sew, for that matter. While she didn’t technically teach me to make her meatballs, I do have her recipe from my Mom, who also made her meatballs.

Now I make them all the time not only for spaghetti and meatballs, but also smaller versions for barbecue meatballs as an appetizer and for these meatball subs that my family loves.

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Grandma’s Italian Meatball Subs

Yield: 4 subs

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 pounds ground beef
  • 1/2 cup finely chopped sweet onion (I like Vidalia onions)
  • 2 teaspoons finely minced garlic
  • 1 tablespoon chopped Italian parsley
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • 4 Hoagie rolls, uncut
  • 1 jar pasta sauce or 18 ounces of your homemade sauce
  • 8 slices Provolone cheese
  • 1/3 cup Mozzarella cheese, shredded
  • Parmesan to grate over tops of sandwiches

Instructions

  1. In a medium bowl combine ground beef, onion, garlic, parsley, salt and pepper. Mix gently to combine without overworking the meat. Make 12 meatballs from the mixture. (3 good size meatballs for each hoagie roll). (Adjust accordingly for more or less sandwiches).
  2. In a medium saucepan heat pasta sauce, covered.
  3. Over medium heat, cook the meatballs in a large skillet, uncovered, adding a small amount of water to the bottom of the skillet. Turn meatballs frequently to avoid burning, adding small amounts of water as necessary. Cook meatballs until no longer pink in center.
  4. Once meatballs are done, transfer to saucepan with sauce. Let simmer while you prepare the hoagie rolls.
  5. To prepare hoagie rolls:
  6. Do not slice completely through the hoagie rolls. Leave a sort of pocket to cradle the ingredients. In each hoagie roll, place 2 slices of Provolone in the crease of the roll. Top with 3 meatballs and a bit of sauce. Sprinkle shredded Mozzarella cheese over top of meatballs. Grate Parmesan cheese over top of subs, if desired.
  7. Serve hot.

Notes

This recipe is designed for 3 meatballs per hoagie roll. Adjust to the rolls you choose to use. If you make smaller meatballs, use more in each sub.

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Meatball Appetizers:

Meatball Soups:

Main Dish Meatballs:

Meatball Desserts:

Plus Buffalo Chicken Meatballs and More Amazing Meatball Recipes  from Sunday Supper Movement

Sunday Supper MovementJoin the #SundaySupper conversation on twitter on Sunday! We tweet throughout the day and share recipes from all over the world. Our weekly chat starts at 7:00 pm ET. Follow the #SundaySupper hashtag and remember to include it in your tweets to join in the chat. To get more great Sunday Supper Recipes, visit our website or check out our Pinterest board.Would you like to join the Sunday Supper Movement? It’s easy. You can sign up by clicking here: Sunday Supper Movement

Cheesy Cheesesteaks

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Cheesy Cheesesteak

My husband is a Philadelphia native. I knew when I developed this recipe that it would never compare to the cheesesteaks from his hometown. I actually wasn’t trying to compete. How could I, since I’ve never had a Philly cheesesteak? Authentic Philly cheesesteaks use thinly sliced ribeye beef that has been sautéed combined with melted cheese. Depending on who you talk to that cheese can be Cheese Whiz, American or Provolone. Other toppings can include sautéed green bell peppers, onions, mushrooms, and hot or sweet peppers. We like pretty basic cheesesteaks so I made ours with just beef, onions and Provolone. Lots of Provolone. We like cheese.

I start by sautéing the onions in a small amount of butter. You could just sweat them in a pan to save calories but the butter adds flavor. For the beef I use thinly sliced eye of the round that I season and roast and then pan sauté to keep it hot. I will often roast the eye of the round on the weekend then reheat it for a quick weeknight meal. I like the onions thickly sliced but they take a little longer to cook that way. My favorite hoagie rolls come from the bakery in my supermarket, Publix. When making the sandwich don’t slice the rolls all the way through. You want the roll to hold the filling. It’s best to buy them from your grocery store bakery. Many of the hoagie rolls you find in the bread section are pre-sliced. These cheesy cheesesteaks are perfect for a weekend lunch, quick weeknight dinner or game day party food. You could prepare the individual ingredients ahead and saute to reheat. Assemble the sandwiches and serve with chips or fries, slaw and beans to complete the meal.

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Cheesy Cheesesteaks

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 (2.5 - 3 pound) eye of the round roast, seasoned with salt and pepper
  • 2 medium sweet onions, sliced
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 12 slices provolone cheese
  • 6 bakery hoagie rolls, not sliced through

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Roast eye of the round to a little less than desired doneness if cooking roast in advance of making sandwiches. If making sandwiches right away, cook to desired doneness. Thinly slice beef.
  2. In a large skillet saute onions in butter until translucent over medium heat. Add meat and heat through. In skillet, separate meat and onions into portions for sandwiches. Lower heat and place 2 slices of provolone on sandwiches portions and heat until cheese begins to melt. Using a spatula remove sandwich portions to split hoagie rolls. Repeat with other portions and serve sandwiches immediately.
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Add ins: If you fancy, slice 1 green bell pepper and 1 red bell pepper, saute with onions. If you like mushrooms, when onions and peppers are soft, add 1 cup sliced mushrooms and saute until soft.

Appetizers and Sides

Main Dishes

Desserts and Drinks

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