school lunch

It’s a Wrap

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8

wrap sandwiches

I seem to spend a lot of time posting about school lunch for kids and teachers. It is not because I enjoy packing lunch. In fact, it is the opposite. I dread making school lunches. Currently, I have TheRoomDad on lunch packing duty, and my mornings are much more efficient and stress free.

One favorite lunch staple at TheRoomMom’s house is the classic wrap sandwich. I made them a few times last year for Miss Priss’ kindergarten snack duty. I like them because they can be made the night before, and they do not get soggy in the refrigerator overnight. We stuff with a variety of fillings to satisfy adult and child eaters, and they are not too unhealthy.

turkey wrap ingredients

Ingredients

  • large flour tortillas
  • thinly sliced turkey, ham, salami or whatever deli meat you prefer
  • cream cheese, softened
  • shredded lettuce (optional)
  • grated carrots (optional)
  • red pepper strips (optional)

salami wrap ingredients

Directions

  • Spread a thin layer of cream cheese on one side of a tortilla. Cover the entire surface.
  • Cover the cream cheese with a layer of your deli meat of choice.
  • Near one edge of the tortilla, sprinkle a line of lettuce, carrot, red pepper strips, or whatever veggies you choose to use.
  • From the end with the sliced vegetables, roll the tortilla.
  • Slice into 5 pieces. (I discard the ends– and by discard, I mean TheRoomDad eats them.)

IMG_3836

The Miss Priss Special

  • cream cheese, turkey, sliced red pepper

The Mr. Star Wars Special

  • cream cheese, salami, shredded lettuce

TheRoomMom Special

  • cream cheese, turkey, shredded lettuce, shredded carrot, sliced red pepper

TheRoomDad Special

  • cream cheese, salami, sliced tomato, shredded lettuce, shredded carrot, sliced red pepper, a few shakes of black pepper

Mac and Cheese

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4

macaroni and cheese baked

I eat carbs and lots of them. Some of my favorite carb alternatives are mashed potatoes, french fries, and chocolate chip cookies. The top of my carb list, however, has to be macaroni and cheese.

I have been perfecting my macaroni and cheese dish since 1993. I started out with the basic recipe my mom always used. She cooked the macaroni noodles, drained them, added butter, milk, and chunks of cheddar cheese in with the noodles and heated on the stovetop. Before baking in a casserole dish in the oven, she added some crumbled Saltine crackers and a few pats of butter to the top. I loved her macaroni and cheese. Little did I know how much better it could be.

Here is the recipe that kicked off the macaroni and cheese improvement plan. I am posting the original recipe but am also including some RoomMom modifications at the end. I will eat this dish for dinner, leftover for breakfast, or packed in a school lunch to be eaten at room temperature.

Ingredients

  • 6 T. butter
  • 1 lb. corkscrew pasta (cavatappi)
  • 5 1/2 c. milk
  • 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 t. freshly ground pepper
  • 2 t. salt
  • 3 c. grated white cheddar cheese
  • 3 c. grated orange cheddar cheese

macaroni and cheese cheese

Directions

  • Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Spray a 9 x 13 casserole dish with Pam.
  • Fill a large saucepan with salted water, bring to a boil, then cook pasta according to directions on the box. Follow the time for al dente.
  • Transfer pasta to a colander, drain well, and set aside.

macaroni and cheese noodles

  • In the empty saucepan, melt 6 T. butter over medium heat. When butter bubbles, stir in flour. Cook, whisking, for about one minute.

macaroni and cheese roux

  • Continue to whisk and add milk a little at a time. After adding all of the milk, whisk constantly for about 7 minutes or so until the sauce thickens and bubbles around the edges. Remove from heat.

macaroni and cheese sauce

  • Stir in salt, pepper, 2 1/4 cups of each of the cheeses.
  • Add cooked pasta to the sauce and stir until the sauce covers the pasta.
  • Add the pasta and sauce mixture to the casserole dish, sprinkle with remaining grated cheese, and bake until golden brown on top (about 25 minutes).

macaroni and cheese casserole

Notes

  • I use any non-spaghetti like pasta I have on hand. I make this dish with elbow macaroni, penne, bow tie noodles, shell noodles, or any other smaller sized noodle.
  • I like to mix up the cheese. I use about the amount called for in the recipe, but I usually use a combination of whatever is in my refrigerator. I always have cheddar as the main cheese. I like Cracker Barrel extra sharp orange and Cracker Barrel Vermont white. I usually reduce the cheddar amount a little and supplement with freshly grated Parmesan, some freshly grated Swiss, and I recently started adding several slices of American. Other than the American, I think the cheese needs to be grated at home. The pre-grated cheese does not have as much flavor or melt as well (in my opinion).
  • I eyeball the butter, flour, and milk amounts. If you are following this recipe for the first time, cook as instructed. Adjust to your taste the next time you make it (and I firmly believe you will be making this recipe a second time).

Kindergarten Snack, Again

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turkey wrap close

Miss Priss is slowly embracing TheRoomMom version of snack after she realized she wasn’t as hungry in the afternoon on our snack days. She requested turkey wraps for her class this rotation. Not only is it easy to make a basic wrap, but it can be a good school lunch option, and you can fill it with all kinds of meat, cheese, or veggies depending on the tastes of your child. I made extras tonight to take with me to school tomorrow to share with my co-teacher.

turkey wrap ingredients

Ingredients

  • large flour tortillas (I needed 2 packs of 10 tortillas)
  • 1 1/2 to 2 lbs. thinly sliced turkey
  • cream cheese, softened
  • shredded lettuce (optional)
  • grated carrots (optional)

assembling turkey wrap

Directions

  • Spread a thin layer of cream cheese on one side of a tortilla. Cover the entire surface.
  • Cover the cream cheese with a layer of turkey. I use 2-3 slices.
  • Near one edge of the tortilla, sprinkle a line of lettuce and grated carrot.
  • From the end with the lettuce and carrot, roll the tortilla.
  • Slice into 5 pieces. (I discard the ends– and by discard, I mean TheRoomDad eats them.)
  • Can be made the night before and refrigerated since they don’t get soggy!

turkey wraps sliced

For Adults

  • I like to spread the tortilla with Boursin or Alouette cheese and add additional thinly sliced veggies like red pepper.
  • Hummus makes a good spread too instead of the cream cheese.

I am also sending in bags of pretzels because I think this snack may be too “weird” for some kindergarteners. We did make half of the wraps with cream cheese and turkey only, so I am hoping all of the kids might give it a try. What are other good wrap combinations for children or adults?

turkey wraps tupperware

Lunch This Week

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4

Not only am I tasked with making a lunch for my two children every morning, I also have to pack my own lunch. If you read about the Teacher Emergency Kit, you know teachers are trapped in the school building all day until after the students are gone. It is a rare day that we can step out and pick up a sandwich at lunchtime, and I want more than the peanut butter and jelly sandwiches my kids are getting in their lunch bags. If I am on my game, I make something for dinner Sunday night that can be re-heated over the next few days for lunch. This week, I was on my game.

I made a double batch of Orzo with Roasted Vegetables, which is delicious at room temperature or slightly heated. I do think it only has a leftover shelf life of 2 to 3 days, so I would not plan to eat it all week. Anybody have any other suggestions for adult school lunches?

Ingredients

  • 1 red bell pepper, 1-inch diced
  • 1 yellow bell pepper, 1-inch diced
  • 1/2 red onion, peeled and 1-inch diced
  • 1 medium yellow squash, 1-inch diced
  • 1 medium zucchini, 1-inch diced
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1/3 c. good olive oil (or a little less)
  • 1 1/2 t. kosher salt
  • 1/2 t. freshly ground pepper
  • 1/2 lb. orzo

Dressing

  • 1/3 c. freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons)
  • 1/3 c. good olive oil
  • 1 t. kosher salt
  • 1/2 t. freshly ground pepper

To Assemble

  • 4 scallions minced, white and green parts
  • 1/4 c. pine nuts, toasted
  • 15 fresh basil leaves, cut into chiffonade

Directions

  • Preheat the oven to 425 degrees
  • Toss the bell peppers, onion, zucchini, squash, and garlic with the olive oil, salt, and pepper on a large baking sheet. Roast for 40 minutes, until browned turning once with a spatula.
  • Meanwhile, cook the orzo in boiling salted water for 7 to 9 minutes, until tender. Drain and transfer to a large serving bowl.
  • Add the roasted vegetables to the pasta, scraping all the liquid and seasonings from the roasting pan into the pasta bowl.
  • For the dressing combine the lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper and pour on the pasta and the vegetables. Let cool to room temperature, then add the scallions, pine nuts, and basil. Check the seasonings, add another splash of fresh lemon juice (if desired), and serve at room temperature.