Homemade Lunchables
This easy recipe for homemade lunchables covers all the most popular flavors. Perfect for kids, school lunches, and adults too!
Equipment
- Lunch containers 3 or 4 section
- Circular cutter set or parchment paper and kitchen scissors*
Ingredients
Classic Cheese and Cracker Style:
- Cheese slices cheddar, provolone, havarti, etc.
- Deli meat ham, turkey, etc.
- Crackers (we recommend Ritz)
- Sweet treats mini chocolate bars, cookies, etc.
- Sliced fruit or berries (optional)
Homemade Nacho Lunchables:
- Tortilla chips (we recommend rounds, which are smaller and easier to fit into containers)
- Queso
- Salsa
- Sweet treats (optional) mini chocolate bars, cookies, fruit, etc.
Homemade Pizza Lunchables:
- Sturdy crackers like water crackers (or mini pitas)
- Pizza sauce
- Shredded cheese
- Mini pepperoni (optional)
- Sweet treats (optional) mini chocolate bars, cookies, fruit, etc.
"Adult" Lunchables:
- Salami or charcuterie meats of choice
- Sliced cheese provolone, havarti, etc.
- Fruit and nut crackers we recommend Raincoast Crisps (or fancy crackers of choice)
- Deluxe mixed nuts (optional)
- Sliced fruit or berries (optional)
Instructions
Classic Cheese and Crackers:
- Cut the meat and cheese into circles. Using a set of circular cutters (or parchment paper and kitchen scissors*), find which size fits the crackers that you are using. Use this circular cutter to cut both the cheese slices and deli meat into circles. The scraps can be used in a chopped salad (or eaten as a snack!).
- Assemble your container. Place a stack of cheese circles and meat circles in one section, the crackers in another, a little sweet treat (like a mini chocolate bar or cookies) in a third, and fruit (or snack of your choice) in the fourth.
Nachos:
- Add the queso and salsa. In one section of your container, add queso, filling it up about ¾ of the way. To another section, add the salsa about ¾ of the way.
- Add the tortilla chips: Carefully stack some tortilla rounds into 2 of the sections, and wedge a small sweet treat alongside the chips (like a mini chocolate bar or cookie).
Pizza:
- Stack your sturdy crackers in one section of the container (like water crackers; make sure you measure them first to ensure they will fit!)
- Add the pizza sauce to another section of the container, filling it no more than ¾ of the way.
- Add the shredded cheese to a third section of the container.
- Fill the final section with your favorite sweet treats (cookies, mini chocolate bars, fruit, etc.)
Adult:
- Slice the meat and cheese. Use circular cutters (or scissors*) to slice the meat and cheese into small rounds.
- Assemble the container. Stack the meat and cheese together and place it in one section, the fancy crackers in another, mixed nuts in a third section, and fruit (or berries) in a fourth section.
Notes
Storage: Place the assembled boxes in the fridge. They should store for 2-3 days. Crackers and chips become less crisp when refrigerated, so we recommend leaving those out until the day of serving.
Meat and cheese scraps: These can be enjoyed as a snack, or chopped up and used in a chopped salad (like Italian sub salad – yum!) or pasta salad.
*Without circular cutters: Use parchment paper to make a round template from your crackers. Place the template on the meat and cheese slices, and use kitchen scissors to cut into rounds. Be sure to thoroughly wash the scissors afterward.