36 School Lunch Ideas to Try When You’re Tired of PB&J

By Kaitlyn Yarborough
Greg Dupree

We’d be lying if we said that school lunch was super high on the meal prep priority list every week. In fact, sometimes a haphazardly slathered PB&J sandwich—or PB&B, or PB&M (if you know, you know)—is all that’s getting done before running out the door. In an ideal world, we plan a school (or work) lunch menu, prep it on Sunday night, and make life just a tad easier and breezier. These lunch ideas do just that.


From fun snacks to next-level sandwiches to big-batch casseroles, these 36 school lunch recipes will keep your brown bags full of delicious and healthy meals. Sweet treats included! Make every Monday, Wednesday, or Friday feel special with one of these easy make-ahead lunch recipes that even the picky eaters will love.

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Take Your Child's School Lunch to the Next Level

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Smoky Snack Mix

Photo: Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Mindi Shapiro Levine; Food Styling: Torie Cox

Recipe: Smoky Snack Mix

Go ahead and double this tasty recipe—you're going to want it to last all week.

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No-Bake Granola Bars

Photo: Linda Pugliese; Prop Styling: Claire Spollen; Food Styling: Torie Cox

Recipe: No-Bake Granola Bars

When you're in a pinch, these no-bake bars will fill up a lunch box or save snack time. 

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Gourmet Grilled Cheese with Bacon

Callie Nash

Recipe: Gourmet Grilled Cheese with Bacon

Don't let the name fool you—this grilled cheese is as kid-friendly as it gets. 

 

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Roasted Tomato Soup with Cheddar Cheese

Victor Protasio

Recipe: Roasted Tomato Soup with Cheddar Cheese

Send this perfect tomato soup in an insulated container with aforementioned grilled cheese recipe!

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Oven-Fried Zucchini Sticks

Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

Recipe: Oven-Fried Zucchini Sticks

Forget greasy French fries. Serve these crispy zucchini sticks as a healthy school-day alternative. 

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Sheet Pan Pizza with Corn, Tomatoes, and Sausage

Photo: Caitlin Bensel; Prop Styling: Claire Spollen; Food Styling: Anna Hampton

Recipe: Sheet Pan Pizza with Corn, Tomatoes, and Sausage

Meal prepping at its finest—make a sheet pan of this pizza, and you have more than one lunch ready to go.

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Chocolate Peanut Butter-Fudge Bars

Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Christine Keely; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer

Recipe: Chocolate Peanut Butter-Fudge Bars

Got a peanut butter-cup lover on your hands? Send the lunch box stocked with one of these decadent treats.
 

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Almond-Chicken Wrap

Photo: Alison Miksch; Prop Styling: Mary Clayton Carl; Food Styling: Mary-Claire Britton;

Recipe: Almond-Chicken Wrap 

Instead of the usual mayonnaise-based dressing, we made a simple homemade honey mustard, which kids will love. 

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Chicken Biscuit Sandwiches

Photo: Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Torie Cox; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke

Recipe: Chicken Biscuit Sandwiches

Buttery biscuits, creamy white barbecue sauce, and slow-cooked chicken make this recipe a weekday warrior for kids and adults alike. 

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Oatmeal-Caramel Cream Pies

Photo: Jennifer Causey; Prop Styling: Ginny Branch Stelling; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

Recipe: Oatmeal-Caramel Cream Pies

Bring a touch of nostalgia to lunchtime. 

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Buttermilk Chicken Tenders with Roasted Potatoes and Green Beans

Greg DuPree

Recipe: Buttermilk Chicken Tenders with Roasted Potatoes and Green Beans

Leave those fast-food chicken tenders in the dust. Homemade is so much better. For school lunch, you can pack more portable sides. 

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Meatball Sliders with Tomato Sauce

Photo: Hector Sanchez

Recipe: Meatball Sliders with Tomato Sauce

These mini sliders make a fun alternative to a basic ham sandwich, don't you think? 

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Turkey, Apple, and Brie Sandwich

Photo: Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Lindsey Lower; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer

Recipe: Turkey, Apple, and Brie Sandwich

Sneak in healthy apples and protein-packed cheese for a turkey sandwich that's anything but boring. 

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Classic Pimiento Cheese

Photo: Jennifer Causey; Prop Styling: Christine Keely; Food Styling: Torie Cox

Recipe: Basic Pimiento Cheese

Fix up two pieces of bread with this classic Southern spread, and that's about as deliciously simple as it gets. 

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Raspberry-Almond Crumble Bars

Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Christine Keely; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer

Recipe: Raspberry-Almond Crumble Bars

These gooey, crumbly bars top off a lunch spread in the best way. 

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Creamy Cheddar-Potato Soup with Bacon

Photo: Greg DuPree; Prop Styling: Christina Lane; Food Styling: Torie Cox

Recipe: Creamy Cheddar-Potato Soup with Bacon

Like a loaded baked potato, but in soup form—pour it in an insulated container, and it's good to go. 

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Breakfast Biscuit Sandwich with Sausage, Egg, and Cheese

Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Torie Cox

Recipe: Breakfast Biscuit Sandwich with Sausage, Egg, and Cheese

If breakfast is your kiddo's favorite meal, serve it up at lunch for a fun treat.

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Fresh Fruit Salad

Jen Causey

Recipe: Fresh Fruit Salad

This fruit salad lightly marinates in a honey-orange mixture—which means even the most fruit-adverse will be convinced to get their fruit in. 

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Crock-Pot Salsa Chicken

Caitlin Bensel

Recipe: Crock-Pot Salsa Chicken 

Use this easiest-ever Tex Mex chicken in whatever your student prefers: tacos, burrito bowl, quesadilla, or even nachos. 

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Egg Salad Sandwiches

Jen Causey

Recipe: Egg Salad Sandwiches

This classic spread will never go out of style. Make a batch, and send it to the cafeteria. 

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Turkey Quesadillas

Greg Dupree

Recipe: Turkey Quesadillas

Tex-Mex...but make it school lunch-ready! Roast turkey is the ultimate loophole. 

 

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Blackberry-Oat Crumble Bars

Photo: Helen Norman; Prop Styling: Buffy Hargett Miller; Food Styling: Marian Cooper Cairns

Recipe: Blackberry-Oat Crumble Bars

These ooey-gooey treats taste like a twist between blackberry cobbler and a bar cookie—which means...heaven? 

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White Cheese Calzones with Marinara Sauce

Photo: Linda Pugliese; Prop Styling: Claire Spollen; Food Styling: Torie Cox

Recipe: White Calzones with Marinara Sauce

Calzones feel oh-so special when the kids can fill and fold their own.

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Skirt Steak Sandwiches

Hector Manuel Sanchez

Recipe: Skirt Steak Sandwiches

Make lunch feel a little fancy with these mini steak sandwiches.

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Turkey and Spinach Meatball Sandwiches

Hector Manuel Sanchez

Recipe: Turkey and Spinach Meatball Sandwiches

Sneak some spinach into everyone’s lunch boxes with tender turkey and spinach meatballs.

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Turkey, Pesto, and Fresh Mozzarella Sandwich

Photo: Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Lindsey Lower; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer

Recipe: Turkey, Pesto, and Fresh Mozzarella Sandwich

Say hello to your new favorite way to use leftover turkey. 

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Soulful Chicken Soup

Iain Bagwell

Recipe: Soulful Chicken Soup

Send a bowlful of comfort to school with this old-fashioned chicken noodle soup. 

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Ham and Dijon Grilled Cheese

Photo: Stephen DeVries, Prop Styling: Missie Neville Crawford; Food Styling: Torie Cox

Recipe: Ham and Dijon Grilled Cheese

A classic grilled cheese but even more dynamic. Ham and Dijon mustard make a tasty duo. 

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Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Jennifer Causey

Recipe: Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

These cookies taste just like Grandma's—which is just the comforting touch needed to end a school lunch. 

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Easy Creamy Chicken Spaghetti

Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Lydia Pursell; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer

Recipe: Lightened-Up Creamy Chicken Spaghetti

This is the ultimate weeknight warrior, and it makes the best leftover lunch the next day. 

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Ham Biscuits

Photo: Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Torie Cox; Prop Styling: Heather Chadduck Hillegas

Recipe: Ham Biscuits

Southerners have been eating ham biscuits for lunch for generations. Why stop now? 

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Crack Crackers

Photo: Alison Miksch; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Anna Hampton

Recipe: Crack Crackers

Elevate cheese crackers with ranch dressing mix for an easy kid-pleasing snack. 

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Ham-Stuffed Biscuits With Mustard Butter

Photo: Tina Cornett

Recipe: Ham-Stuffed Biscuits With Mustard Butter

A few simple ingredients—a Hawaiian roll, deli-style ham, mustard, and cheese—combine to create a ham sandwich that is so much greater than the sum of its parts. 

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Chicken Salad in Lettuce Cups

Cooking Light

Recipes: Chicken Salad in Lettuce Cups

We like to switch up a classic chicken salad sandwich by using lettuce cups. 

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Burrito Bowls

Photo: Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Mary Clayton Carl; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

Recipe: Burrito Bowls

This recipe is full of customizable ingredients, so every child gets exactly what he or she likes. 

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Chicken and Fontina Panini

Greg Dupree

Recipe: Chicken and Fontina Panini

You wouldn't guess this fancy-feeling lunch panini only calls for five ingredients.

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