Summer is time for fun and games and it’s a great season. But, like all good things, summer must come to an end. That’s right, it’s back to school time for everyone. It may be a drag to some, but it truly is the chance to start fresh and begin anew. It’s also a chance to get back into the routine that us adults are more accustomed to. Kids are going to need their brain food during school and we, adults, need the energy to get everything done. Going back to school is a great way to get back into a scheduled routine, but those routines can become dull and boring pretty quickly. Luckily, we have a few fun recipe ideas for back to school to help you out.
These 4 easy and fun recipes for back to school that are sure to keep the troops happy and keep your meals unique.
4 Easy and Fun Recipes for Back To School
Breakfast is, of course, the most essential meal of the day. It sets the physical and mental tone for the rest of the day. We want our kids, and ourselves, to consume something hearty and that will stay with us until lunch. The same boring oatmeal or cold cereal everyday can really put a damper on things. Let’s brighten it up with some sunshine!
Fruity Cream Cheese Spread or Dip
The first recipe we have can be for breakfast or an easy after school snack when the kids get home. It is really easy, super yummy, and really versatile. It’s Fruity Cream Cheese spread or dip. Spread it on your favorite whole grain bagel or use it to dip cut fruit, veggies, or pretzels. A light, but wholesome menu item for any of those picky eaters too. Here’s what you’ll need and what to do:
Ingredients:
- 8oz cream cheese, softened
- ½ cup black cherries, pitted and diced
- 1 tbsp honey (optional)
Steps:
- Allow cream cheese to soften a bit to make it easier to work with. Also, if you would like, turn your oven to broil and toast your bagels for just 2 to 3 minutes, or until toasted light brown and crispy.
- In the meantime, grab some fresh cherries and remove all the pits. Wash cherries and dice to small chunks. Mix into the cream cheese, add your bit of honey. We tossed ours into the blender for a few pulses to make it easier to spread. Lastly, chill in the fridge for about 15 to 30 minutes. (Hint: Make the night before to grab in the morning)
- Take your Fruity Cream Cheese spread on or with whatever food you like.
**Bonus: You can toss any fruits that you like, or even veggies, like cucumber, if you want a different taste. The possibilities are endless.
After my trip to learn the story of honey and making my slow cooker mozzarella stuffed honey BBQ meatball sliders I fell in love using honey when I cook, it’s one of my new favorite ingredients.
Honey Sesame Chicken
Kids heading back to school always want something a bit different for lunch. A brown bag lunch is always a way to go, but it’s nice to mix it up a bit. This easy Asian recipe can be served cold or hot and is healthy and hearty to give them the brain food they need for their school day. Honey Sesame Chicken is super easy and here’s what you’ll need and what to do:
Ingredients:
- 5 Chicken breast, boneless
- ¼ cup chicken broth
- ¼ cup honey
- ¼ cup roasted sesame seeds
- Coconut oil for baking pan
- Salt & Pepper to taste
Steps:
- Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.
- Dice chicken breasts into bite-size pieces. Lightly oil a small baking pan with coconut oil. Arrange chicken pieces in a single layer. Add chicken broth until covered half way.
- Bake in oven, covered for 10-12 minutes, or until chicken is almost done. On the stovetop , on medium heat, add chicken and remaining juices to a non-stick skillet.
- Let stand for 3-5 minutes and then serve.
**This Honey Sesame Chicken pairs great with some steamed white rice and is a great lunch for the next day. It keeps in the fridge and is yummy as a chilled meal for the kiddos at school.
Fun with Mini Pizza’s
Now, we all love pizza and it is no secret that kids absolutely adore it. They especially love mini pizzas that they can build themselves. Well, this recipe is great because it has all the fun of pizza without all the heavy fat and calories. This, like the Honey Sesame Chicken, makes for a great school lunch too! Here is our Mini Pizza Face recipe, what you’ll need and what to do:
Ingredients:
- 1 can tuna, drained completely (this is a light protein choice, it can be substituted with salmon, cooked turkey, or cooked chicken)
- 4-6 sandwich thins (or pita bread cut into circles)
- ½ cup Organic pasta sauce
- ½ cup skim mozzarella cheese
- Sliced black olives, bell peppers, tomatoes, and whichever veggies your kiddos like
Steps:
- Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.
- On a greased baking sheet, spread your pita slices (you can cut out large circles if you like) in a single layer.
- Spread a bit of sauce on each slice, add the tuna and then some cheese. Using all your cut and sliced veggies, decorate each slice however you want.
Bake for 5-8 minutes or until the cheese has melted. Let sit for a couple minutes and then serve up with extra pasta sauce or ranch dressing to dip in.
This recipe isn’t all that healthy, but I believe in letting my kids be kids from time to time with things like these snail cinnamon rolls. It’s a win-win, they are super easy and the kids love them! My kids actually inspried me to get a little creative with cinnamon rolls after they made me heart cinnamon rolls for Mother’s Day.
Fun Snail Cinnamon Rolls
- 1 package of your favorite cinnamon rolls
- Small marshmallows (2 per cinnamon roll)
- Pretzels (2 per roll)
- Black food coloring pen
Directions:
- Preheat oven as required on package directions.
- Place cinnamon rolls on a prepared pan. When you are laying them out pull the ends up and away just a little so they cook away from the rest of the cinnamon roll. This will be the snails head.
- Bake cinnamon rolls as required by directions.
- You’ll need two pretzels per cinnamon roll. Place a small marshmallow on the end of each pretzel, then place them into the snails head. Next color the eyes with a food coloring pen or something similar. Just make sure it’s edible.
Normally I use pretzels to hold up the marshmallow eyes, but I was out so I grabbed a few twisty ties just for this recipe.
Be sure to check out our no bake peanut butter balls recipe with chia seed and these easy no bake oatmeal chocolate peanut butter protein balls recipe.
With school coming back around this year, it is smart to be prepared. We have to get their school clothes, supplies and uniforms ready for the first day. We don’t want to be overwhelmed each day by trying to find out something to eat. So, with these fun and easy recipes in your arsenal, it is one less thing to stress about. The kids will love helping to make them, enjoy eating them, and each one goes great as a lunch box meal or even a small after school snack. So, let’s get prepared, get cooking, and get back to school! What kind of fun recipes do you have in your arsenal for Back to School?
