Hot Pockets, Bean Burritos, and Kid's Lunch Ideas

Lunch Box Ideas
Tortilla Roll-up with Cream Cheese, carrot, cucumber, bell pepper, or onion
Pickle
Soups, Stews 
Popcorn
Chips
Pizza Pockets
Ham & Swiss Pockets
Pot Pie Pockets
Meat Pockets
Red Potatoes with salt
Tortillas or Buns
Pepperoni Pasta Salad
Potato salad
Salad with nuts, craisins, chicken
Chicken Strips and Dip
Egg Salad Sandwich
Tuna Sandwich
Quesadilla with refried beans, cheese, and salsa
Pizza quesadilla
Edamame
Southwest wrap with avocado
Snap Peas
Olives
Meat and Cheese Sandwiches
Peanut Butter sandwiches
Big hunk of homemade bread with cheese
Leftovers
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Healthy Cookies
Granola Bar
Chocolate Chip mixture
Trail Mix
York

A tremendous amount of work for this many kids. I'd say two full days of work per month of food, so I don't always keep up. But I like them having homemade lunches better than processed lunchmeat.

Hot Pocket Flavors: Pepperoni Pizza--- Ham & Colby-Jack--- Ham-Chedder-Broccoli--- Chicken Pot Pie--- Mincemeat NZ pies(ground beef). 

How I make hot pockets (basically just calzones but smaller with less ingredients for kids).

I wish I spent a day each month making pockets for my kids lunches. I try! It gives them variety from taking regular lunches. They take them from the freezer where I have them individually wrapped in sandwich bags, and they slowly defrost until lunch time, and then you just microwave them for 20 seconds on one side and 20 seconds on the other. They're much better reheated in an oven or air fryer, but they only have microwaves at school.

For the pockets, I make at least two batches of my easy French bread recipe, but divide the dough into about 20 balls (per recipe). 

Then roll balls flat like a small tortilla, fill, fold shut, and bake at 400 degrees, about 8-12 minutes until lightly browned. (Before going in the oven, you can brush the tops with a egg/cream mixture that has been whisked together- I don't measure, maybe about one partake to one part cream). 

The favorites are the pizza pockets, the ham and cheese pockets. That's really all you have to make. 

You have to be careful to fill it just right so they don’t burst open in the oven, but sometimes they do. We just eat those ones that day, but they're still fine to freeze and use.  Cool them on racks completely, and then put in individual sandwich baggies, and then put those baggies into a large freezer bag that the kids can grab them from.  Pizza pockets are a small spoonful of sauce, 1 slice of mozzarella, 3-4 pieces of pepperoni, then fold the pocket closed.  

The ham and cheese is just a slice of cheese topped with a slice of ham and then folded closed (you can add in a tiny bit of Velveeta if you want it extra creamy cheesy).  

The pot-pie is chopped chicken with diced vegetables and just enough thick gravy to stir and coat is all over.  Then spoon into the pockets and fold closed. The insights can't get into the edges when you seal them or they don't stay closed. 

The kids take a pocket to school in the morning and it’s defrosted by lunch, so they just have to heat it in the microwave for 30 seconds.  Unless you’re Sam.  Sam eats his cold.

If you do the pot pie or mincemeat etc., you have to make it really thick, with no runny sauce so it isn't leaking out.  

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Bean Burritos are another great easy lunch idea that you can make up and freeze ahead of time.  Have a delicious taco meat, beans, cheese, and sour cream ready to assemble. Roll up burritos and freeze on a cookie sheet close together but not touching for an hour or two. Then remove frozen burritos and place into individual baggies, and keep in large 2 gallon freezer bag in freezer. It's hard to not have salsa, but I cook it into the taco meat, so they are very flavorful. See taco seasoning recipe. 

Other than these, the kids make roll-ups with cream cheese and lunch meat, or meat and cheese sandwiches, or peanut butter sandwiches. Occasionally they take a salad with a lot of protein, or a picky plate of just a variety of finger foods to snack on. 

It’s okay if your dream in life is to be a good wife and mother.  One of my favorite quotes from The Secret Garden:

After Mary bends down to kiss the crocuses all purple, orange and gold… “You never kiss a person in that way,” she said when she lifted her head.  “Flowers are so different.”
(Dickon) looked puzzled but smiled.
“Eh!” he said, “I’ve kissed mother many a time that way when I come in from th’ moor after a day’s roamin’ an’ she stood there at th’ door in th’ sun, lookin’ so glad an’ comfortable.”