25 easy back to school recipes your whole family will love
- 1/26
1. Chicken Cordon Bleu Sandwich
Meat on meat with savoury cheese to boot. Elevate your lunch game with this delicious and indulgent Chicken Cordon Bleu Sandwich. Ready in 20 minutes from start to finish. [Image: Pickled Plum]
Get the recipe from: Pickled Plum
- 2/26
2. Coconut Waffles
This waffle recipe is luxurious and something you can reserve for those TGIF mornings. Send your kids off with a treat. They’ll thank you for it. [Image credit: Omnivore’s Cookbook]
Get the recipe from: Omnivore’s Cookbook
- 3/26
3. Mongolian Chicken
Forget take-out. This is a healthier alternative to the classic Mongolian beef preparation with ingredients that pack a punch! Not only is this recipe quick and tasty, it makes great leftovers with rice. [Image: Pickled Plum]
Get the recipe from: Pickled Plum
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- 4/26
4. Baked Honey BBQ Chicken Fingers
You won’t need forks and knives to devour these kid-friendly Baked Honey BBQ Chicken Fingers. Just keep the napkins handy. [Image: Sally’s Baking Addiction]
Get the recipe from: Sally’s Baking Addiction
- 5/26
5. Macanese Pork Chop Bun
Who doesn’t enjoy burger night? Fancy up your typical ground beef burger with a pork chop instead! [Image: Omnivore’s Cookbook]
Get the recipe from: Omnivore’s Cookbook
- 6/26
6. Crispy One Pan Potatoes with Eggs
Bring out that cast iron skillet and get ready for some potato love. This hearty dish is a medley of eggs, potato and herbs and spices. Put away the peeler. You won’t be needing it. [Image: Octavia Spiker]
Get the recipe from: The Organic Kitchen
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- 7/26
7. Ramen Noodles To Go
Nothing is faster than instant, and it’s even better when you can take it with you! Take your ramen game past college dorm room level and give this a try. So easy, you can’t even really call this cooking. [Image: Pickled Plum]
Get the recipe from: Pickled Plum
- 8/26
8. Chicken Katsu Onigirazu
Rice balls are an extremely popular school lunch option in Japan. They are easy to make, super filling and kids love them! Onigirazu bridges the divide between rice-ball and sandwich. The crispy chicken katsu in this recipe is baked, no need to deep fry! This is one hand-held treat the whole family will enjoy. [Image: Just One Cookbook]
Get the recipe from: Just One Cookbook
- 9/26
9. One Pot Chicken and Rice Casserole
Who doesn’t love a casserole!? It’s hearty, filling, and the leftovers are good for your kids’ lunch the next day. To top it off, this one pot wonder means less clean up after! [Image: Omnivore’s Cookbook]
Get the recipe from: Omnivore’s Cookbook
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- 10/26
10. Hawaiian Macaroni Salad
I know… I said summer was ending. But this tangy, sweet, and crunchy Hawaiian macaroni salad can’t be put away for the season. On its own, or as a side, your hunger will be satisfied. [Image : Pickled Plum]
Get the recipe from: Pickled Plum
- 11/26
11. Quinoa Sesame Brittle
Try this Quinoa Sesame Brittle as a healthy yet tasty alternative to chips in your lunch, or have them ready for the kids when they are looking for something to munch on when they get home from school. [Image: Omnivore’s Cookbook]
Get the recipe from: Omnivore’s Cookbook
- 12/26
12. Zucchini Tart With Goat Cheese
This recipe had me at the words, “cheese literally oozes happiness when baked and melted.” Zucchini goes well in anything, and it’s perfect for this savoury tart. [Image: Teta Lizza’s Kitchen]
Get the recipe from: Teta Lizza’s Kitchen
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- 13/26
13. Healthy Turkey Chili
When the weather starts to cool, keep this chili recipe on hand to warm you and your family from the inside out. And don’t miss the accompanying recipe recommendation for cornbread! [Image: Ambitious Kitchen]
Get the recipe from: Ambitious Kitchen
- 14/26
14. Japanese Omurice Omelet
Eggs are great! They bring food together. They’re like the delicious glue of the food world. Try this fried rice stuffed omelet recipe. It’s also a sneaky way to get your kids to eat peas. [Image: Pickled Plum]
Get the recipe from: Pickled Plum
- 15/26
15. Teriyaki Chicken Meatballs
Sweet, smoky and surprisingly healthy! The secret to making these chicken meatballs so irresistible is, believe it or not, mashed tofu! The more you add, the fluffier they get! [Image: Just One Cookbook]
Get the recipe from: Just One Cookbook
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- 16/26
16. Tomato Shrimp Stir Fry
This is a classic Chinese stir fry dish that can be on your dinner table in just 15 minutes. Chop it up, fry it up - and watch your kids gobble it up. [Image: Omnivore’s Cookbook]
Get the recipe from: Omnivore’s Cookbook
- 17/26
17. Tuna Sandwich
The Tuna Sandwich will never go out of style. Crunchy, creamy, tangy, and savoury, this recipe is tuna with a personal touch. Try it on whole wheat bread, or pack it into a whole wheat pita pocket. [Image: Pickled Plum]
Get the recipe from: Pickled Plum
- 18/26
18. Easy Maple Sesame Salmon
You don’t have to be a Pacific Northwesterner to love this easy salmon recipe. The sweetness of the maple syrup is a sure way to get your kids to fall in love with seafood dinners that aren’t fish sticks! [Image: Sally’s Baking Addiction]
Get the recipe at: Sally’s Baking Addiction
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- 19/26
19. 20-Minute Ham & Pineapple Rice
This Hawaiian inspired rice isn’t just quick and simple, it’s healthy too! Savoury cubes of ham and sweet chunks of pineapple adds a punch of flavour, and since this dish comes together without frying, it’s a healthy choice too. [Image : The Recipe Rebel]
Get the recipe from: The Recipe Rebel
- 20/26
20. 5-Ingredient Baked Chicken Thigh
Who needs the Colonel when you can bake chicken in 35 minutes? Five ingredients is all you need. Seriously. [Image: Omnivore’s Cookbook]
Get the recipe from: Omnivore’s Cookbook
- 21/26
21. No Bake Chocolate & Peanut Butter Cookies
Make your own chocolate and peanut butter cookies in less than 15 minutes. The best part? This recipe requires zero backing! Chewy and sweet - make extra because your kids will love them! [Image: Sally’s Baking Addiction]
Get the recipe from: Sally’s Baking Addiction
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- 22/26
22. Cheeseburger Grilled Cheese
Who needs tomatoes and lettuce in a cheeseburger? Not this recipe! Your kids will be drooling in a half an hour, tops. [Image: Damn Delicious]
Get the Recipe from: Damn Delicious
- 23/26
23. Steamed Meatballs in Sticky Rice (Pearl Balls)
Forget rice on-the-side when you can roll it onto a meatball. Make double and freeze for future meal nights! [Image: Omnivore’s Cookbook]
Get the recipe from: Omnivore’s Cookbook
- 24/26
24. Japanese Salisbury Steak
This isn’t your typical school cafeteria Salisbury steak! This is an easy Japanese Salisbury steak recipe your kids will love! Enjoy it with a side of corn and mashed potatoes. This recipe takes only 25 minutes from start to finish! [Image: Pickled Plum]
Get the recipe from: Pickled Plum
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- 25/26
25. Whole Wheat Apple Cinnamon Muffins
A healthier snack for your kids to take to school. These muffins are filled with apples and cinnamon and are just sweet enough to keep them coming back for more. [Image: Sally’s Baking Addiction]
Get the recipe from: Sally’s Baking Addiction
- 26/26
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From buying notebooks and sweaters to working on your back-to-school meal plan — this time of year can seem a little crazy. Mid-August brings so much heat and humidity, that it can be difficult to do anything but flop on the couch. But Labor Day will be here before you know it. The sun will start to set earlier, the weather will cool down and it’ll be time to start thinking about which recipes to add to our arsenal of go-tos for busy school nights.
We’ve rounded up 25 easy and delicious recipes to round out your meal plans — some of which may pull double-duty as leftovers for school lunches the next day! Click through the gallery to see more and share with us your go-to lunchbox recipe by tweeting us @YahooStyleCA.