The signs have been around for several weeks now. There’s more traffic on the roads. Parents are bustling around super stores with their carts full of backpacks and school supplies. There’s even the slight change in parents’ overall demeanor. Back to school has definitely arrived!

I always find this time of year such a mixed bag of emotions for adults and kids alike. The end of summer brings with it some sadness, but there is also the excitement of returning to familiar friends and routines.

On the sad side, those long summer days of not having to plan the next meal as meticulously are noticeably gone too. You have to start wrapping your head around planning your kids’ school lunch every day. But don’t despair! You need not feel doomed to the fate of having to always packing the same ole thing.

Here are a few of my favorite simple sandwich recipes from the past few years that my kids still demand I put in their lunch boxes.

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Egg Pesto Melt
This melt is a simple sandwich that's perfect for breakfast, lunch or dinner!
Banana Dog Bites from weelicious.comPin
Banana Dog Bites
These only require 3 ingredients that you most likely have on hand and make a great addition to school lunch or after school snack.
PBJ Pancakes Sammies from weelicious.comPin
PBJ Pancakes Sandwiches
Make PB&J's more fun by using peanut butter pancakes as the "bread" and your favorite jam in the center!
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Two Tone Sandwich
School lunch should be fun to eat but also easy to make! These Two Tone Sandwiches are super cute and ready in minutes!
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Sushi Sandwiches
When you want the simplicity of making a sandwich but with a more exciting look, Sushi Sandwiches are the ticket.
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Cucumber Cream Cheese Sammies
These little sandwiches are great for a lunch box or as a tasty finger food for a small get together.
Uncrustables from Weelicious.comPin
Uncrustables
Homemade uncrustables come in any shape you can dream up and are way better for you than the store bought version!
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Pizza Pinwheels
These pinwheels are really like a pizza "sandwich" because the filling is savory, kind of like a ham and cheese sandwich, but much cooler looking.
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Turkey Club Lettuce Wraps
Low carb but highly delicious, these Turkey Club Lettuce Wraps are a great option for lunch.
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The World’s Greatest Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich

These are just a few of my favorite sandwiches for school lunch, but there are plenty of school lunch ideas to check out on weelicious!

About the Author

Catherine is a mama of three. A Kentucky girl living in California. Here’s what I know: all kids can be great eaters and mealtime must be easy. I create simple, healthy recipes the whole family will love.

Comments

  1. […] The Ten Best Back To School Sandwiches | Weelicious.com – Get ready for school with these easy, healthy, and tasty recipes for sandwiches that are perfect for school lunch! All Recipes; First Foods; Toddler Recipes; School Lunches; Family Meals; … I need good recipes ,some with chicken and vegetables for my toddler baby. Vania […]

  2. I love your blog but would like some lunch ideas that taste good after being packed for a few hours and also nut free choices as my childrens school is a nut fre zone do to allergies,thank you

  3. my daughter doesn’t like ham and cheese sandwiches or pb&J’s. but she likes cucumbers…I made her the cucumber cream cheese sammie for lunch today…she loved it!

  4. Thats mean to even suggest that a child should be forced to sit alone in the hall because of something beyond their control. We shouldn’t make them feel different, but instead be a little self-sacrificing and go nut free. It’s only for 6 hours. You’ve got nothing to lose and a child’s heart to gain.

  5. We’re in Canada, and neither my daughter’s preschool or daycare is nut free. Thank God! Also, I’m a teacher, and my school isn’t nut free. If a child has a nut allergy and isn’t comfortable in his classroom at lunch time because of possible nuts around, he could eat in another part of the classroom or in the hall. If it’s an extreme allergy, then just that classroom has to be nut free.

  6. […] box” recipe collections appeared in my Reader recently, including 20 recipes from The Kitchn, 10 sandwich recipes from Weelicious and 40 vegetarian lunchbox ideas from Peas and Thank You.  My plans for the next couple days […]

  7. I love these!! I just told the hubster I want to be super mom and make my girl cute little sammiches for school. This is perfect. OMG waffles, brilliant. I’m going to make these for me too 🙂 yum!!!

  8. These are GREAT ideas!! Definitely taking note of these for future sandwich eating 🙂

  9. I love the idea of the banana tortilla with peanut butter. I think it would hold up great. You can even leave out the banana and just have a peanut butter tortilla wrap. I would eat these all the time when I had the metabolism of a 20 year old. They are especially yummy if you warm them in the microwave.! Maybe raisins instead of bananas.

  10. It is time for me to try some of these sandwiches again now that my toddler is more adventurous. I certainly want to try them! There’s no lunch at his nursery school (mornings for just 2 hrs), but we love to pack a lunch & picnic at the park or zoo about once a week. Your site continues to be our favorite go-to recipe finder for the whole family. I’m so grateful for it (& the pre-ordered book!) Many thanks Catherine!

  11. […] back to school: click here Pick: Truly different ideas for the dreaded packed school lunch: click here Pick: An institutional yet thorough look at homework help: click here Pick: Nerdy medical journal […]

  12. I love these ideas but my kids won’t eat any of this. I agree they would think the bread is soggy and bananas have to be just right. I don’t blame them i am kind of the same way. Maybe it is my fault. My 9 year old just started eating bread otherwise everything has always be deconstructed. It is hard when a kid won’t eat a sandwich ever! I love your ideas but it would be great maybe for some more basic type of things. Maybe i could deconstruct the sandwhiches. Hmmmm. It is hard my kids eat a lot of great food but plain plain plain. They like no sauces or flavors and lots of protein. I love your blog just wish my kids we less picky about consistency and how food looks.

  13. […] Family Fresh Cooking.  Useful info for those of us with kiddos who are off to school again. *10 Best Back to School Sandwich Recipes by Weelicious.  I don’t know about you, but my kiddo gets tired of the same ‘ol same […]

  14. You are very lucky!! Everything is nut free in Canada now – playgroups, schools, camps, everything. It can be annoying but I get it.

    How do your schools, etc handle nut allergies?

  15. We use sunflower seed butter as an alternative to peanut butter. It’s allowed at schools and tastes delicious!

  16. Love some of these ideas and if I could put one of my own in….finely chop some cooked chicken breast mix with sweetcorn and mayo and crispy bacon bits if liked then spread over either bread or cold pancake, cut up how they like it…add a few little cherry tomatoes and seedless grapes to eat with it.
    At home I add lettuce leaves before rolling pancake/crepe but this tends to go soggy so not ideal for p/lunch.

  17. yep – wondering if you serve those cold as well. how well do they do in a lunch box after a few hours ? also wondering how well that banana dog would hold up or if it would get brown and mushed up in a lunch box. Love the ideas though. Worth trying to see.

  18. It is true that paninis will be different in school lunch than right after they’ve been cooked. I let it cool completely before packing and don’t have a problem with it getting soggy! You could try wrapping it in foil to keep it warm, although that might make it more soggy.

  19. I should clarify the ‘soggy’ … not super wet, but just ‘humid’ and not crisp, if that makes any sense????

  20. Love the idea of a panini, but according to my daughter, anything toasted/grilled ends up soggy. I usually let it cool off before I put it in her sandwich container, but even still, it is never as good as ‘hot off the press’. Anyone have any suggestions, or feedback on this?

  21. We used to substitute soy butter for peanut butter and it worked well… until the school banned the substitutes too… apparently allergic kids saw the butter and freaked out and it caused “panic”. Sigh. It was good while it lasted.

    Would like to hear more about the hot sandwiches too!

  22. I let them cool completely before packing in the lunch box, pack an ice pack in lunch, and everything is eaten at room temperature!

  23. Hey, I love the ideas but I was curious, do you serve the hot sandwiches cold or do you pack them in a thermos or other container to keep them warm? I have a hard time believing those sandwiches are good cold.

  24. Great ideas but just wanted to point out that most schools are nut free. Would love to see some more PB alternatives!

  25. Today was BBQ pork on a Hawaiian roll. Tomorrow, the always popular pb&j pancake Sammie! Maybe pizza rolls or turkey tacos this week too. School lunch definitely doesn’t have to be boring! Thanks for the great ideas Weelicious!

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