School Lunch Recipes That Are Ready in 10 Minutes or Less

Time is of the essence no matter what your busy day brings, and sometimes you have to abandon even the most meticulously planned schedule to handle those unexpected curveballs life throws at you. Preparing your child’s school lunch, however, is one of those scheduling elements that you still have to squeeze in no matter what last-minute sports practice or play rehearsal comes up. Fortunately, there are plenty of easy school lunch recipes that you can whip up in just 10 minutes or less, leaving you plenty of time to chauffeur the soccer team to an away game or make a supply run for science project essentials. Take a look at some of our favorites below.

School Lunch Recipes That Are Ready in 10 Minutes or Less

Sloppy Joes

This dinnertime classic comes together in a jiffy, and you’ll have no problem keeping the filling warm and ready for your child in one of our handy Pottery Barn Kids thermoses.

  • 1 tbs olive oil
  • 1 diced onion
  • 1 diced bell pepper
  • 1 lb ground beef or turkey
  • ¼ cup ketchup
  • 2 cups marinara sauce
  • 3 tbs barbecue sauce

Heat a tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat and saute the diced onion and diced bell pepper. Add the ground beef or turkey, breaking it up as it browns, and spoon off the fat when it’s cooked through. To this mixture, add the ketchup, marinara sauce and barbecue sauce. Once everything is simmering, it’s ready to eat. Pack it up with a whole wheat bun and some broccoli florets for a balanced meal.

Turkey and hummus pita

This one’s a great choice because most of the work involved is simple assembling, so you can even get a helping hand from your child. Plus, it tucks neatly into one of our sturdy bento boxes, and you only need to add a cloth napkin for cleanup with this portable treat.

  • Pita bread
  • 1 tbs hummus
  • Deli turkey
  • Leafy greens
  • Olive oil & lemon juice to taste
  • Pinch of salt

Halve a round pita bread and split the two sections so they open into pockets. Spread hummus inside each pita piece, and tuck two or three rolled slices of deli turkey inside. Toss your child’s favorite leafy greens with some lemon juice, olive oil and salt and layer this salad mixture into the pita. For added color and crunch, slide in a few strips of red bell pepper or some shredded carrots and cheddar cheese.

Tomato soup

Sure, canned tomato soup is easy, but it’s almost just as quick to blend up a bowl without all the preservatives and added sodium. This smooth soup is the ultimate comfort food no matter your child’s age, and the taste is sophisticated enough that you can enjoy a bowl too.

  • 2 tbs olive oil
  • 1 diced yellow onion
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 28-oz can of stewed tomatoes
  • ¼ cup tomato paste
  • 3 cups vegetable broth
  • ½ cup whole milk - optional

In a saucepan over medium heat, heat the oilve oil and add the yellow onion and garlic. Once they’ve softened, bring the stewed tomatoes, tomato paste and vegetable broth to a boil. Pulse it all together with an immersion blender. If you’re after a little more creaminess, stir in a half-cup of whole milk. Add a piece of cornbread or a whole wheat breadstick to your child’s lunch bag to complete the meal.