August is here which means it’s time to send the kids back to school. Through the hustle and bustle of busy mornings and hectic evenings, finding the time to prepare nutritious and delicious meals can be challenging. These 19 back-to-school recipes are an easy way to quickly check something off of your to-do list. Let’s make this school year tasty and stress-free with these family-friendly recipes!
For Lunch
Orzo Chicken Pasta
Cook time: 20 min
Ingredients:
- 1½ cups dry orzo
- 2 Persian cucumbers, sliced ¼-inch thick
- 2 cups halved cherry tomatoes
- 1 ½ cups chopped rotisserie chicken
- 4 oz feta cheese, crumbled into small cubes
- ⅓ cup thinly sliced red onion
- ½ cup pitted and halved Kalamata olives
- 1 cup fresh basil, torn
Dressing ingredients:
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 3 Tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- ½ tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- ¼ tsp salt
Instructions:
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain and toss it with a drizzle of olive oil, then set aside to cool.
- In a small bowl, combine all the dressing ingredients and set aside.
- In a large bowl, add the orzo, cucumbers, tomatoes, chicken, feta, red onion, and olives. Pour the dressing over the salad, add the basil, and stir until well combined. Add two cups of pasta salad to each container.
Kid-Friendly Bean & Cheese Roll Ups
Cook time: 15 min
Ingredients:
- 1 can of refried beans
- 1 Tbsp salsa
- ½ tsp chili powder
- ¼ tsp garlic powder
- ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 6 flour tortillas
- Salsa for serving
Instructions:
- Add the refried beans, salsa, and seasonings to a bowl and mix. Spoon about three tablespoons of the bean mixture onto a tortilla and smooth it into a thin layer.
- Sprinkle the bean mixture with cheddar cheese, then roll up the tortilla.
- Preheat your air fryer to 370º. Spray the burritos with olive oil and add to the air fryer.
- Cook for 6 minutes, then rotate and cook for a few more minutes until they are crispy on all sides.
High Protein Pizza Rolls
Cook time: 15 min
Ingredients:
- 12 wonton wraps
- 6 tsp marinara sauce
- 12 slices turkey pepperoni
- 12 mozzarella pearls
- 2 tbsp butter
- Garlic (minced)
- Salt
- Parsley
Instructions:
- Lay wonton paper on a flat surface. Add ½ tsp of sauce, 1 mozzarella pearl, and 1 pepperoni slice in the middle of the wonton.
- Wet the edges of the wonton paper with water. Starting from one corner of the wonton, roll into the shape of a Cannoli. Then fold the remaining corners into the center forming a square pizza roll.
- Air fry pizza rolls at 400°F for 6 minutes. In a medium bowl, combine light butter, minced garlic, salt, and parsley. Toss cooked pizza rolls in garlic butter mixture.
- Allow to cool. Top with more parsley flakes and enjoy!
Beach Sandwich
Cook time: 5 min
Ingredients:
- 2 slices of bread
- Trader Joe’s caramelized onion dip
- Swiss cheese
- Smoked turkey
- Spinach
- Red onion
- Tomato
- Avocado
Instructions:
- Spread the caramelized onion dip on one slice of bread.
- Stack the remaining ingredients on the sandwich, ending with the final slice of bread.
- Cut in half and enjoy!
Caesaroni
Cook time: 20 min
Ingredients:
- Bun (kaiser rolls are best, but any will do!)
- Marinara sauce
- Shredded mozzarella
- Pepperoni slices
- Romaine lettuce
- Caesar dressing
Instructions:
- Preheat your broiler. Open your bun, and spoon marinara on the top and bottom.
- Sprinkle with mozzarella, put it in the broiler until the cheese gets melty, then remove from the oven and set aside.
- Lay pepperoni in a single layer in a pan over medium heat. Cook until a little crispy. Transfer to a paper towel.
- Chop up your romaine, then toss with caesar dressing.
- To make the sandwich, place the crispy pepperoni on the bottom bun, then top with the caesar salad. Add the top bun, then serve.
One Pot Pasta
Cook time: 25 min
Ingredients:
- 6 oz linguine or spaghetti
- 1 yellow onion
- 1 package grape tomatoes
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- ½ tsp red pepper flakes
- Shredded parmesan
- Parsley
- Pesto
Instructions:
- Prep your ingredients. Cut your onion in half, and thinly slice one of the halves. Store the other half for future use. Mince the garlic cloves. Pick about 3 tablespoons of parsley leaves from the stems and finely chop.
- In a deep skillet or pot, add your pasta noodles, sliced onion, grape tomatoes, garlic, red pepper flakes, olive oil, and 2 ¼ cups water. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, stirring often. Crush the tomatoes as it cooks to help form a sauce.
- Once the water is mostly evaporated and the pasta noodles are al dente, add a handful of parmesan and the parsley to the pan. Toss until incorporated.
- Plate the pasta, then drizzle with pesto to serve.
Salami Sandwich
Cook time: 15 min
Ingredients:
- Hoagie roll
- Pesto
- Salami
- Mozzarella
- Tomato
- Balsamic glaze
- Fresh basil
Instructions:
- Slice your hoagie roll in half, and smear pesto on each slice. Layer salami slices on top, then add a couple slices of fresh mozzarella.
- Top with tomato slices, then put it in the broiler for about 10 minutes or until the cheese has melted.
- Plate the sandwiches, then drizzle with balsamic glaze and sprinkle with fresh basil. Enjoy!
Saucisson Sec Sandwich
Cook time: 5 min
Ingredients:
- Baguette
- Saucisson or salami
- Unsalted butter, room temp
- Cornichons, halved long ways
Instructions:
- This French sandwich is as easy as it gets! Slice your baguette, and smear butter on one side.
- Top with salami and cornichons. If you’d like, you can add dijon mustard and sliced gruyere cheese.
Pasta Salad with Homemade Caesar Dressing
Ingredients
Dressing:
- 2 oz anchovies, crushed with a fork
- 2 to 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 to 2 Tbsp lemon juice
- ¼ to ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed
- 1 egg yolk
Salad:
- 1 ½ cups ditalini pasta
- 16 oz or 450 g canned cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- 4 oz or 120 g castelvetrano olives, pitted and halved
- 8 oz or 240 g cherry tomatoes, halved
- 10 pepperoncini, thinly sliced
- 100 g Parmesan cheese, coarsely shaved
- 1 shallot, finely chopped
- ¼ cup fresh parsley, basil or oregano or 2 teaspoon dried herbs
Instructions:
- Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook it 1 minute less than what the packaging calls for. Drain the pasta.
- For the dressing, combine the mustard, anchovies, garlic, a tablespoon lemon juice, yolk in the serving bowl. Whisk while slowly drizzling the olive oil to emulsify. Once the oil has been incorporated, taste and season as needed. The dressing should have a thicker consistency and have a light yellow color.
- Add the cooked pasta and all remaining ingredients to the bowl. Toss to combine. Taste and add more lemon juice or salt as needed.
Cheddar Apple Grilled Cheese
Ingredients:
- 2 slices of bread
- About ½ cup white cheddar, shredded
- ½ apple, sliced
- 1 Tbsp mayo
- 1 Tbsp dijon mustard
Instructions:
- Divide the white cheddar equally on each slice of bread. Top one half of the bread with apple slices. Sandwich the pieces together, then spread ½ tbsp mayo on the top half of the bread.
- In a pan over medium heat, put the sandwich mayo side down. Spread the other ½ tbsp of mayo on the slice of bread facing up. After a few minutes, flip the sandwich. It should be golden brown.
- Once both sides are golden, remove from the pan. Slice, and serve with dijon mustard for dipping.
TikTok Ramen
Ingredients:
- 1 package instant ramen
- 1 Tbsp butter
- 1 tsp minced garlic
- ¼ tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 tsp brown sugar
- 1 Tbsp soy sauce
- 1 egg lightly beaten
- 1 tsp everything bagel seasoning
Instructions:
- Open the ramen and set the seasoning aside. Cook the ramen according to the instructions on the package, then drain the water and set the noodles aside.
- Add the butter to a pan over medium heat. Stir in the garlic and red pepper flakes. When the garlic has softened, stir in the brown sugar and soy sauce.
- Add the noodles to the sauce, and toss to coat. Push the noodles to one side of the pan, and add the egg. Scramble until set.
- Plate, and top with everything bagel seasoning.
Pigs in a Blanket
Ingredients:
- 1 pack of lil smokies
- 1 can of crescent rolls
- 1 egg
- Everything but the bagel seasoning
- ¾ cup dijon
- ¼ cup maple syrup
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 375º and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Unroll the crescent rolls, and cut each triangle into 3 smaller triangles. Put one lil smokie on the wide end of the crescent roll triangle, and roll the dough all the way around.
- Once all of the lil smokies are wrapped, brush the tops with a beaten egg. Sprinkle with everything but the bagel seasoning.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden.
- While the pigs in a blanket are baking, mix the maple syrup and dijon mustard together.
- Serve the pigs in a blanket with the maple-dijon dipping sauce on the side.
For Snack Time
Banana Sushi
Cook time: 5 min
Ingredients:
- 1 whole wheat wrap
- 1 banana
- Peanut butter
- Honey
Instructions:
- Smear the peanut butter all over the whole wheat wrap.
- Drizzle with honey, then place the banana on the edge.
- Roll the banana up in the wrap, then slice into ½ inch pieces.
Homemade Chex Mix
Cook time: 1 hour 15 min
Ingredients:
- 3 cups Corn Chex™ cereal
- 3 cups Rice Chex™ cereal
- 3 cups Wheat Chex™ cereal
- 1 ½ cup bite-size pretzels
- 1 ½ cup bagel chips
- 6 Tbsp butter
- 2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 ½ tsp salt
- ¾ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp onion powder
Ingredients:
- In a large bowl, combine the cereal, pretzels, and bagel chips.
- Melt the butter, then add the Worcestershire and seasonings. Whisk to combine.
- Pour the butter mixture over the cereal mixture slowly, stirring to make sure all pieces are coated. Pour onto a large baking sheet and bake at 350º for one hour, stirring every 15 minutes.
Healthy Peanut Butter Fluff
Cook time: 2 min
Ingredients:
- ⅓ cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1 Tbsp peanut butter
- 1 tsp maple syrup
Instructions:
- Mix all ingredients together in a small bowl until well combined.
- Serve with fruit.
This dip has 11g protein!
Banana Chips
Cook time: 15 min
Ingredients:
- 2 just ripe bananas
- 2 tsp avocado or olive oil
- ¼ tsp salt
Instructions:
- Preheat your air fryer to 350º. Peel and slice your bananas to ¼ in thick.
- Put your banana slices in a small bowl, and add the oil and salt. Toss until the slices are coated.
- Place them in a single layer in the air fryer, and cook for 8-10 minutes, flipping halfway through cooking. Let cool.
- Eat them alone, or serve with peanut butter.
No-Bake Granola Bars
Cook time: 1 hour 15 min
Ingredients:
- ½ cup creamy natural peanut butter
- ⅓ cup honey
- ½ tsp vanilla
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 ¼ cups whole rolled oats
- 2 Tbsp mini chocolate chips
- 2 Tbsp sunflower seeds (or any chopped nut)
Instructions:
- Line a baking pan with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, stir together the peanut butter, honey, vanilla, and salt until smooth. Add the oats, chocolate chips and sunflower seeds. Stir until well combined.
- Pour the mixture into the baking pan, and press to spread using the back of a spoon. Add a second piece of parchment paper on top, and use the back of a glass to press down and flatten the bars.
- Chill for at least 1 hour, then slice. Store cut bars in the fridge.
Apple Chips
Cook Time: 12 minutes (prep + cooking)
Ingredients:
- Apples (any variety will work!)
- Cinnamon
Instructions:
- Thinly slice your apples across the core to about ¼ inches. Lay the slices in a single layer in your air fryer. It’s ok if they’re touching—the apples will shrink!
- Sprinkle some cinnamon across the top. Air fry at 350º for 8-10 minutes, flipping halfway.
- Let the chips cool in the air fryer for about 5 minutes after cooking to help them crisp up.
Peanut Butter Energy Bites
Ingredients:
- ⅔ cup creamy nut butter
- ½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1 cup old fashioned oats
- ½ cup ground flax seeds
- 2 tbsp liquid sweetener like honey or maple syrup
Instructions:
- Put all ingredients in a bowl and mix until well combined.
- Refrigerate for 15-20 min, then scoop about two tablespoons and roll into a ball.
- Store for up to one week.
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