Back to School food ideas

Today is the day! My kids are going back to school which is mind boggling to me. I have no idea where the summer went and I have mixed emotions about watching them go back to school. I have one leaving the house at 6:00 am, one at 7:00 am, and two at 8:00 am which means it is a non-stop busy morning.I am one of those Moms. I organize up a storm leading up to the first day of school and have a goal of packing healthy lunches all year long. By the time May comes around, their lunches barely resemble lunch. But I start off real strong! Haha! I do have a theory though in our home and it works for us. My kids pack their own lunches. Here’s the thing — kids are fickle. One day, they love a certain granola bar and the next day they despise it, for some odd reason. They tire of certain foods and so I switch up their choices often. I give them a lot of different options to keep lunch interesting. So I am sharing a list of some healthy school lunch ideas for kids PIZZA Ingredients Makes one 12" pizza 6 oz. mixed mushrooms, cut or torn into large pieces (about 3½ cups) 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling 1 lb. store-bought pizza dough, room temperature ⅓ cup (or more) barbecue sauce 6 oz. fresh mozzarella, torn (about 1 cup) 2 oz. smoked Gouda, coarsely grated (about ½ cup) ½ small red onion, thinly sliced Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper Crushed red pepper flakes and cilantro leaves (for serving) Preparation Step 1 Place a rack in upper third of oven and preheat to 475°. Drizzle 6 oz. mixed mushrooms, cut or torn into large pieces (about 3½ cups), with extra-virgin olive oil in a large bowl; toss to coat. Set aside. Step 2 Swirl 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil in a 12" cast-iron skillet to coat bottom and ½" up sides. Place 1 lb. store-bought pizza dough, room temperature, in pan; lift, stretch, and press dough so it fills pan. If dough shrinks from edges, cover with a kitchen towel and let rest 10 minutes before stretching again. Step 3 Bake just until crust is starting to set but hasn’t taken on any color, about 5 minutes. Carefully remove skillet from oven and spread ⅓ cup barbecue sauce over entire surface of crust. Top with 6 oz. fresh mozzarella, torn (about 1 cup), and 2 oz. smoked Gouda, coarsely grated (about ½ cup), followed by ½ small red onion, thinly sliced, and reserved mushrooms. Season with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper. Step 4 Return skillet to oven and continue to bake until crust is golden brown underneath, cheese is melted, and mushrooms are golden, 16–20 minutes longer. Step 5 Heat broiler. Broil pizza until mushrooms are browned and crispy and cheese is browned in spots and bubbling, about 2 minutes. (Begin checking after 1 minute.) Step 6 Drizzle more barbecue sauce over pizza if desired. Top with crushed red pepper flakes and cilantro leaves 5-Ingredient Instant Pot Mac and Cheese rated 4.5 of 5 stars 277 Reviews Level: Easy Total: 30 min Active: 25 min Yield: 6 servings We love multi-purpose kitchen gadgets that make life easier, so that's why the Instant Pot (a slow cooker, pressure cooker and stove-top stand-in, all in one) is a go-to for quick meals. Especially this creamy kid-friendly mac and cheese, which cooks up in no time. And after it's been gobbled up, you'll only have one pot to clean! Ingredients Deselect All 1 pound elbow macaroni Kosher salt One 12-ounce can evaporated milk 3 tablespoons unsalted butter 3 cups shredded mild or medium Cheddar View Shopping List Ingredient Substitutions Directions 5-Ingredient Instant Pot Mac and Cheese Try this cooking class now Watch Class Special equipment: a 6- or 8-quart Instant Pot® multi-cooker Combine the macaroni, 4 cups water and 1 tablespoon salt in a 6- or 8-quart Instant Pot® multi-cooker (see Cook's Note). Follow the manufacturer's guide for locking the lid and preparing to cook. Set to pressure cook on high for 4 minutes. After the pressure cook cycle is complete follow the manufacturer's guide for quick release and wait until the cycle is complete. Being careful of any remaining steam, unlock and remove the lid and switch to the low saute setting. Stir in the evaporated milk, butter and 1/4 cup water. Then add the Cheddar, a little at time, while constantly stirring, until the cheese is completely melted. Serve hot. Cook’s Note Settings may vary on your Instant Pot® depending on the model. Please refer to the manufacturer's guide.

Smoked Gouda and Roasted Red Pepper Grilled Cheese rated 5.0 of 5 stars 4 Reviews Level: Easy Total: 20 min Prep: 10 min Cook: 10 min Yield: 4 servings Smoked gouda, while having a wonderful and inimitable flavor, has trouble achieving that gooey, iconic cheesy stretch that makes grilled cheese sandwiches so pleasing. By adding a partner cheese with a less assertive flavor and higher melting property, like deli muenster, you can achieve both melting and flavor perfection. Ingredients Deselect All Eight 1/3- to 1/2-inch-thick slices Pullman bread 4 ounces smoked gouda, very thinly sliced with a cheese slicer 4 slices muenster cheese (about 4 ounces) 1 medium jarred roasted red pepper, drained, dried and thinly sliced 2 cups baby arugula 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened View Shopping List Ingredient Substitutions Directions Lay out 4 slices of the bread on a work surface. Layer each with some of the smoked gouda, 1 slice of the muenster, a thin layer of sliced red pepper (about 2 tablespoons), 1/2 cup of the baby arugula and another layer of smoked gouda. Close the sandwiches with the remaining bread. Thinly and evenly spread the butter on both sides of the bread using about 1 1/2 tablespoons of the butter for each sandwich. Place 2 sandwiches into a medium nonstick skillet over medium heat. Cover the skillet with a lid and cook until the bread is evenly golden brown, about 2 minutes. Flip, cover again and cook until the bread is golden brown and the cheese is visibly melted, about 2 minutes more. Repeat with the remaining sandwiches.