» 6 Of Our Favorite Lunchbox Recipes from Weelicious

Mini and Me

6 Of Our Favorite Lunchbox Recipes from Weelicious

End The Mealtime Madness With Our Weelicous Winners

ELAINE SAYS: Catherine McCord is a great lunchbox mentor to me and when I'm in need of new ideas, WEELICOUS is where I go. Her new, Weelicious Cook Book [In stores 9.18 but avail for pre-order now] inspired an amazing, LUNCHBOX ESSENTIALS LIST, that's frankly, just as helpful for grown-ups as for kids! So we decided to complete the job by picking some of our favorite, simple ideas for filling all your fun, new containers. Enjoy your transition into fall with this Well Collected Recipe Box of some of our Weelicious faves. PS: Want More? Peak into Catherine's personal black book with this A-LIST OF LIFESTYLE FAVORITES.

Posted on August 20th, 2012

Kids

Banana Dog Bites We agree with Catherine that Peanut Butter always needs to be reinvented and this idea is fun. For those kids with peanut allergies, try them with cream cheese! RECIPE CLIFFS NOTES: Spread 2T peanut butter [or cream cheese] on a tortilla, place one banana near the edge of the tortilla and roll it up, Slice and Serve!
Avocados...Period. When we saw Catherine's idea to include an avocado in our lunches, we were hooked. This superfood as simple & fresh as it gets...and delicious too! RECIPE CLIFF'S NOTES: Use a sharp knife to cute the avocado lengthwise around the seed, Hold the knife in one hand and the avocado half in the other and gently tap the knife into the pit with just enough force that the glad of the knife goes into the avocado pit. Gently twist the knife until the pit comes out. Catherine suggests cutting through the avocado in a checkerboard pattern or leaving it uncut and serving with a spoon. Squeeze a bit of lemon over it and sprinkle a bit of salt!
Fig & Goat Cheese Sammies As your child gets older you want to encourage more sophisticated flavors and this yummy combo is a great place to start. Sweet Figs and Savory Goat Cheese. RECIPE CLIFFS NOTES: Spread one slice of whole wheat bread with Catherine's delish Fig Puree [or substitute with fig jam] and spread the other slice with Goat Cheese. Heat a panini press or sauté pan to medium heat and cook for 3-5 minutes, flipping mid-way through or until the cheese melts. *Use butter if desired. Cool and Serve!
Cream Cheese and Cucumber Sammies This is a go-to quick recipe for Catherine and we like it as well. Customizing with avocado, turkey, tuna or chicken is simple and we love the afternoon tea vibe, which will likely get lost on your littles. That said, why not have a tea party some time too! RECIPE CLIFFS NOTES: Spread 1T cream cheese on each of the two slices of bread and top with a layer of thinly slices, persian cucumbers [or whatever you prefer]. Cut in quarters. [shown here sans crust!]
Hummus & .... Hummus is an much beloved but under-utilized ingredient in our lunch boxes but not for long! We love it with Veggies, Crackers, Chicken Breast Strips or as a spread on a sandwich like the one above...and the Edamame Variety shown here, is even a great idea for entertaining. Good one, Catherine...thanks for the reminder and for the simple recipe! RECIPE CLIFFS NOTES: In a food processor, combine and puree 2 cups hulled edamame [fresh or defrosted frozen], 2 t tahini, juice of 1 small lemon, 1/2 C water, 1 small clove garlic, 3 t olive oil, 1/2 t salt, 1/2 t cumin. Tadah!
Pancake Sausage Muffins....On A Stick! Pancakes + Sausage + Sticks = The Best Backward Lunch Day Ever! Whether you prefer it at home on the weekends or as a fun and silly lunch alternative, this is a geniusly kid-friendly idea. RECIPE CLIFFS NOTES: Mix about 2 C of your favorite pancake batter and cook/slice about 6 sausage links. Pour about 1t batter into greased, mini muffin tins. Lay a sausage slice in the center of the batter filled tin and top sausage with another teaspoon of batter. Bake about 14 minutes, insert popsicle sticks and serve!