Conquer The Lunchbox Blues With These 5 Fun Lunches That Are A Breeze To Pack

It happens every year: One day you’re at the pool, lazily scrolling photos of perfectly-curated school lunches, deciding this is the year your kid is getting fancy bento boxes and origami-folded notes. Next thing you know, it’s August and you’re standing at the counter, scrambling to shove last night’s leftovers into a container you can toss to your kid before the bus leaves.

But this really can be your year. These 5 lunch ideas are delicious, fast, and so easy to pack that your kids might even want to help!

Zesty Southwestern Ham Wrap

If you’re looking at this list of ingredients and thinking “No way my kid is eating cilantro,” just cross off the cilantro. Or the peppers, onions, corn, and beans, too. The great thing about this recipe is that it’s totally customizable to your kid’s taste — even if that taste includes only tortillas, cheese, and ham. Recipe serves four.

INGREDIENTS:

• ½ pound Hillshire Farm Ultra Thin Sliced Honey Ham
• ½ cup mayonnaise
• ½ of an 8 ounce package of cream cheese, softened
• ½ of a 1.25 ounce taco seasoning pack
• ½ of a 15 ounce can of black beans, rinsed, drained
• ½ can of whole kernel corn, drained
• ¼ cup chopped red bell pepper
• ¼ cup chopped red onion
• ⅛ cup chopped cilantro
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 4 large (9”-10”) flour tortillas

DIRECTIONS:

1. Combine mayonnaise, cream cheese and taco seasoning in a large bowl, stirring until well blended. Stir in black beans, corn, red pepper, onion and cilantro — or whatever combo your kid likes!
2. Spread ½ cup of cream cheese mixture on tortilla to within ½ inch of edge. Sprinkle with ¼ cup cheese; lay slices of ham over cheese.
3. Tightly roll up tortilla; repeat with remaining ingredients. Slice off ends of rolled tortillas and discard. Cut remaining roll into 1½ inch slices. If desired, uncut rolled tortillas can be wrapped in plastic wrap and refrigerated for up to 24 hours before slicing and tossing in the lunch box.

Turkey Pinwheels

You may not have time to cut their sandwiches into cute shapes, but these turkey pinwheels are just as cute. Like the ham wraps, you can mix, match, or eliminate ingredients based on your family’s preferences.

INGREDIENTS:

• 2-3 slices Hillshire Farm Ultra Thin Sliced Oven Roasted Turkey Breast
• 1 7-8 inch flour tortilla
• 1 teaspoon brown mustard
• 1/4 cup shredded lettuce
• 2 slices cheddar cheese

DIRECTIONS:

1. Spread tortilla with mustard.
2. Layer remaining ingredients; roll up tightly, and slice into one-inch pinwheels. Wrap tightly in plastic ‘til lunchtime.

Lunchbox-Friendly Italian Grinder

Whether you call them hoagies, heroes, subs, or — yep — grinders, who doesn’t love a sandwich on a cylindrical loaf filled with meats, cheeses, and whatever else? These grinders are delicious and make a perfectly packable lunch. This recipe serves four.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 package (9 oz., evenly divided) Hillshire Farm Ultra Thin Sliced Honey Ham Lunch Meat
• 4 hoagie rolls
• 8 slices of American white cheese or Swiss
• 1 whole onion, sliced
• 2 vine ripe tomatoes, sliced
• 8 dill pickle slices
• 1 cup black olives, chopped or sliced
• 3 tablespoons yellow mustard
• 3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 2 green bell pepper or jalapeños, sliced
• 1/4 cup red or white wine vinegar

DIRECTIONS:

1. Make a seam down the side of each hoagie roll making sure not to split them all the way through, then spread yellow and Dijon mustard in the seam.
2. Place a slice or two of white American cheese or Swiss cheese into the seam. Divide Hillshire Farm Ultra Thin Sliced Honey Ham evenly across the four sandwiches and place on top of the cheese.
3. Layer sliced onions, pickles, and tomatoes on top of ham. Then top with sliced jalapeños or bell peppers, and olives.
4. Add a drizzle of olive oil and white or red wine vinegar. Salt and pepper to finish.

Quickest Turkey Wrap

Sometimes simple is best — and this still beats the heck out of a drab turkey sandwich.

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 ounces Hillshire Farm Ultra Thin Sliced Oven Roasted Turkey Breast
• 1 7-8" flour tortilla
• 1 teaspoon brown mustard
• 1/4 cup shredded lettuce
• 2 tablespoons chopped tomato

DIRECTIONS:

1. Spread tortilla with mustard.
2. Fill with remaining ingredients; roll up and serve immediately.

DIY Lunch Kits

This isn’t really a recipe per se. But it couldn’t be easier and kids seem to love the novelty of assembling their own lunches.

Just cut a few slices of Hillshire Farm Ultra Thin Sliced Honey Ham Lunch Meat and/or Ultra Thin Sliced Oven Roasted Turkey Breast into squares and put it in a container. (FYI, the resealable containers are perfect for this!) Cut your kid’s favorite cheese into squares and pack them in another container. Add a container of crackers, and maybe some fruit or a dessert and BAM! Lunch is ready.

This year, start off strong with quick and easy lunches they’ll love – no photo filters required. Make sure to keep plenty of delicious Hillshire Farm lunch meats on hand. With no artificial preservatives, no added nitrates or nitrites*, and no artificial flavors, lunch is always ready in a snap!

*Except for those naturally occurring in celery juice powder and sea salt