Back to school is upon us, and it’s always a bittersweet event for me because I love the family time we get over the summer. If you don’t know me well enough yet, then please know this one tidbit about me: I absolutely love time with my family.
From turning ordinary dinners into fine china meals or doing themed educational dinners, mealtime is usually one of my favorite things because you can take events that are already happening and turn them into sweet memories. However, the structure of the school year is also really helpful in keeping us on a semi-consistent schedule.
One thing that ensures we have really seamless mornings (and that we stay on this semi-consistent schedule) is planning out some breakfasts and lunches so we can move on with our day without the added hassle of figuring things out on the spot.
So in this article, I hope to highlight a few of these options to help streamline your back to school schedule. This includes ideas for both adults and children.
Breakfast
I love cooking breakfast foods, but depending on your time constraints, this may be something that causes you a lot of stress. We are a balanced household, and I appreciate that about us. We love Fruity Pebbles, but I also love a good poached egg on a smoked salmon bagel. But who has the time for that on a regular basis, right? Most of us don’t, but I’ll tell you that the latter comes together in 5 minutes if you have prep and ingredients on hand.
Smoked Salmon Bagel with Poached Egg
Ingredients:
- 1 package smoked salmon
- 1 bagel
- Herbed goat cheese or herb cream cheese
Poached or fried egg:
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 tsp. white vinegar
Directions:
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Toast bagel. Top with cream or goat cheese and a slice of the smoked salmon.
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To quickly poach an egg, you can do it in the microwave. This method cooks it in a flash without the hassle.
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Add water and vinegar into a microwave-safe cup or bowl. Add in the egg, cover the cup or bowl with a plate and microwave for 45-50 seconds. If your yolk is cooked through by this time, it may be due to your individual microwave oven temperature setting. In that case, reduce the power setting or reduce the cooking time.
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Strain out the egg and place on top of the bagel and enjoy.
Total time: 5 minutes.
Oatmeal Bar
I love a good instant oatmeal as much as I love homemade oatmeal. If you don’t want to man the stove, then instant is the way to go. You can obviously make short work of it by getting pre-flavored packets, but I like getting something versatile like a plain or brown sugar pack, and then having chopped almonds, chopped dates, cut up berries and fruit and good chocolate chips available to build something healthy that’s personal to everyone.
Ingredients:
- Instant oatmeal packets
Topping options:
- Chopped fruits, dates, nuts, chocolate chips
Directions:
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Make oatmeal according to directions.
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Add in personalized toppings.
Total time: 3-5 minutes.
Banana or Sausage Pancake Minis
I love making these on days where I have a few extra minutes. Protip: Make these in advance, then freeze them and reheat as needed.
Ingredients:
- 1 banana, sliced on an angle to make longer slices
- 6-8 small precooked sausage links
- Ready made pancake batter
Directions:
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Make your pancake batter and set aside.
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Slice your bananas and heat your griddle.
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Dip banana slices in batter, cook on medium heat and flip when golden brown.
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Serve as is or with almond or peanut butter spread on top.
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For the sausage links, follow the same directions by dipping in the batter and cooking until cooked on both sides. Serve warm with maple syrup.
Lunch
Depending on the ages of those in your home, your needs will be different. Although this seems like obvious advice, you’d be surprised to learn how many people forget to apply it to their own lives. Social media has us believing one size fits all, and that’s where many stressors are born. Your needs are different. My needs are different.
With that said, here are a few ideas to copy or use as inspiration for lunch. I like using wraps because they’re so versatile and age appropriate for everyone. There are carb-free wraps, extra protein wraps, paleo friendly wraps and even spinach and red pepper flavored ones.
Wraps and Pinwheels
For kids, I love making pinwheels because they’re easy to grab and they can be filled with anything they like, such as peanut butter and jelly, turkey and cheese or pizza wraps. But older kids can enjoy these too with a few tweaks on the fillings.
Ingredients:
- Wraps or tortillas of your choice
Filling options:
- Peanut butter and jelly
- turkey and cheese
- marinara with mozzarella and pepperoni
- shredded chicken with shredded lettuce Caesar dressing
- tzatziki, sun-dried tomatoes, feta, pickled onions and tapenade
- thinly sliced cucumbers and cream cheese
- shredded roasted chicken and pesto mayo
Directions:
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Add your selected fillings to about a third of your wrap and leave a slight edge to help in rolling since the fillings will shift to the end.
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Roll tightly, wrap and place in the fridge if possible to help slice into pinwheel bites.
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Refrigeration is not necessary if just using as a wrap.
Rice Bowls
Certain stores have made it really easy to put meals together. One of my favorite things to get is the ready made brown rice. You can definitely make a big batch yourself and use that, but I wanted to provide some quicker methods for those who need it.
My kids love rice bowls because they’re really no fuss to eat. There aren’t packages to open or anything to assemble, you just dig in. You can definitely change the ingredients to suit each individual’s needs.
Bowl ideas:
- Teriyaki chicken, brown rice, sliced bell peppers
- Taco meat or fajita chicken, brown rice, fire roasted corn, black beans, cilantro, diced avocado, lime juice, salsa
- Roasted salmon, brown rice, green onions, soy glaze, diced cucumbers, sesame seeds
- Roasted zucchini, roasted squash, roasted onions and peppers, fire roasted tomatoes, feta, brown rice, lemon juice, olives, tzatziki
Broccoli and Cheese Mini Cups
I usually make these and freeze ahead of time because they’re so tasty and a hit with any age. You can make it as is or add in shredded chicken. For little kids, it’s a one stop shop item because it has veggies and proteins, but also it tastes so great. For adults, you can use this as a great side or even as the main lunch.
Ingredients:
- 3 cups cooked and chopped broccoli
- 1 large egg, whisked
- 12-16 Ritz crackers, crushed
- 1 to 1 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 tsp. garlic powder
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Optional: 1 cup shredded cooked chicken, 1/4 cup cream or chicken broth
Directions:
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Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
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In a bowl, mix together all ingredients while reserving some of the cheese as a topping.
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Butter or grease a muffin tin and spoon in the mixture tightly into the cups, filling almost to the top. Sprinkle tops with remaining cheese.
- Bake for 15-18 minutes or until golden brown.
From Z to A with Zara Abbasi
Zara Abbasi is the pastry chef and recipe developer for Zara Made It. Follow her food adventures on Instagram at @zaramadeit.