Lunch Bunch 3: Peanut Butter Quesadillas & Pasta Primavera
by Aug 24th, 2010 // Kid-tastic, Lunch, School Lunch, Veggie Friendly
Lunch Bunch 3: Peanut Butter Quesadillas & Pasta Primavera
My husband and my dog can both sniff out peanut butter from a mile away. When we start cooking with it, they arrive as if someone has sent out a smoke signal demanding their presence. This lunch recipe was no exception. My husband (the vegetarian) ate one of these in the morning and then asked for a quesadilla for dinner. I’m so glad this fun little lunch was a hit, but I’m not going to start packing his lunch – he can fend for himself! (Love you, hunny!) Here’s what you need…
Peanut Butter Quesadilla Lunch
1 to 2 tablespoons peanut butter
whole wheat tortilla
1 small apple (peeled + sliced thin)
honey
Spread peanut butter over one side of the tortilla. Get it all the way to the edges. Lay apple slices on one half of the tortilla.
Drizzle honey on top of the apple slices.
Fold the tortilla in half and cut into three triangles. We served this with celery sticks, dried cranberries and Whole Foods brand Oreos. Now check out our Build Your Own Pasta Primavera recipe…
Before I had kids I always wondered why Lunchables were so popular – they are full of processed foods and have more sodium than a salt lick. Now I get it. The make-your-own component is genius. Genius and easy. So easy you can do it yourself a million different ways. Here’s what you need…
Build Your Own Pasta Primavera Lunch
1 1/2 cups cooked whole wheat pasta
drizzle of olive oil
chopped veggies (your choice)
diced cheese (your choice)
Whenever I make pasta for dinner I always throw some extra in the pot. After it is drained, I drizzle a little bit of olive oil on it and put it in the fridge. The next day I add chopped veggies and cheese to the container and tell my kid he can make his own pasta at school. My kid, the little chef, really digs it!
For those of you who asked, here’s where you can get these cool lunch containers: Easy Lunchboxes.
We do a pasta lunch like this one regularly. We change things up sometimes by tossing in some small pieces of turkey or pepperoni, different cheeses, tiny tomatoes or bell pepper, once we even used pickle chunks.
my kid would really like the pickle idea!
I love the peanut butter sandwich idea. Too bad our schools are all completely peanut free. Sunflower butter does NOT work the same as peanut butter and gets runny and gross. My first grader would love these.
You might sub almond butter, if the school allows that.
Loving all these yummy ideas = )
That pasta idea is great. My daughter would love that! Thanks!
Do the apples turn brown? My dd has one of the last lunch times of the day and she is picky about brownish apples.
There's a great solution to this! Buy a ceramic knife and cut your apples with it. Apples cut with ceramic do not brown like ones cut with metal. Also, you can tell your kid that the peanut butter makes them brown!
a ceramic knife? i learn something new everyday……that. is awesome!
Love the lunchbox ideas. Are those containers really easy for small children to open? We had an issue with a similar type of container that fell on the floor as my kid was opening it. Most of the contents fell out and she was very upset about it. The search for a secure but easy open food container is tougher than I thought.
mee – they are very easy to open. my kid opens them effortlessly. no spillage!
i want that for MY lunch!
A spin on the peanut butter quesadilla (we do this as a "special treat") instead of apple slices we do bananas and instead of the honey I sprinkle a tiny bit of mini chocolate chips. Again…this is a special lunch from time to time, but my daugher LOVES peanut butter quesadillas…now we have a new version to try.
Love all your lunch ideas! I've always been inspired by bento box lunch ideas, but think this is a great alternative. Love your blog
What wonderful lunch ideas! I love the sushi lunch! i love cooking with our two itty bitty foodie boys as well. it's very encouraging to see so many mummies out there trying to expand their children's palates and getting them to try new things. I love that you involve your children. Kudos!
Cheryl Collett
Yay! Thanks for the reco.
My daughter (6 1/2) made the peanut butter quesadillas for herself and her brother (3 1/2) for dinner this evening. She loved making it, and they both liked eating it too. I bought the containers & lunchboxes from Kelly today and the kids LOVE them! They seem to be really great quality and are a very good size.
[…] Build Your Own Pasta Primavara […]
Janis – You could give Soy Nut Butter a try. IM Healthy makes a version that is so similar in texture to peanut butter that I have used it successfully in baking as well as for the goto peanut free PB&J. I can find it at my Kroger, WalMart and Whole Foods. I just tape a note in my kiddos lunch bag in case someone sees it and is concerned about the peanut factor.
[…] Build Your Own Pasta Primavara […]