Quick Bite: Lunch Lessons

You’ve freshened up the kids’ wardrobes and shopped for new notebooks, but have you thought about what to pack in their lunch boxes once the school bell rings?

If not, you’re hardly the only one—it’s a job that perplexes even the experts. “Children are exposed to so much marketing from fast-food companies, especially in private schools that don’t have cafeterias,” says Taylor Clare, owner of local catering company Taylor Made Gourmet. “They see all the fun, colorful packaging that comes with these meals, and they lose interest in homemade options.”

While involved in a parent committee working to create a healthier meal program at her children’s school, Charleston Day, Clare decided to put to new use her Johnson & Wales education and stints in the kitchens of Charleston Place and Robert’s of Charleston. “In 2007, I started catering Charleston Day’s lunches from a mobile food cart,” she explains.

This lunch lady, who’s hard at work on a cookbook geared around family-meal planning, says that creative preparation is key to getting students interested in healthier fare. “Have the kids help you use cookie cutters to cut out a fruit salad, or chop up raw vegetables and let them divvy out their own mix,” she advises.  

Her solution for the same-old sandwich? Stuff anything from deli meats and cheeses to last night’s barbecue inside pockets baked from frozen bread dough (available in grocery stores). “The sandwich’s shape appeals to kids and is a good way to introduce different vegetables and sauces,” says Clare. For extra flavor—plus dietary fiber, calcium, protein, and omega-3s—she often sprinkles nuts or seeds on the pockets before baking.

“You can thaw enough dough for the whole week and then each night make as many as you need for the following day. The scent of the sandwiches baking will get the kids excited for lunchtime.” For bonus points, employ their help in the kitchen—they’ll gain a sense of pride in their creation that’s sure to be fulfilling.

—Brian Sewell

Sandwich Pockets

Serves

6

Ingredients 

• 1 loaf frozen bread dough
• 1 ½ cups favorite sandwich ingredients
• 1 egg
• 1 Tbs. milk or water  
• 1 ½ cups nuts or seeds (optional)
   

Directions 

Wrap dough in plastic wrap and place in refrigerator overnight to soften.
Preheat oven to 350°F.  Unwrap dough, and on a lightly floured surface, roll out to 1/4-inch thickness. Cut into six portions and stretch each by hand into a rectangle approximately five by seven inches.

Place 1/4 cup sandwich ingredients in the bottom center of each dough rectangle. Fold top half over bottom half and use a fork to crimp edges together, sealing pockets shut.

Create an egg wash by whisking egg with milk or water. Brush mixture over pockets. If desired, sprinkle nuts or seeds on top.
Place pockets on a parchment-lined cookie sheet and bake for approximately 25 minutes, or until golden brown.

Raspberry Turkey with Bacon

(Makes 1 sandwich)

Ingredients 

• 1 Tbs. raspberry spread, or to taste
• 2 oz. sliced turkey
• 2-3 strips crisp bacon
• 1 slice Gouda cheese

For raspberry spread:
(Yields 6 Tbs.)

• 4 oz. cream cheese
• 2-3 Tbs. seedless raspberry jam

Directions 

Smooth raspberry spread onto sliced turkey and top with bacon and cheese. Bake inside dough pocket.

For raspberry spread:
Use a mixer with a paddle attachment to combine cream cheese and jam until smooth and a spreadable consistency.

Cranberry & Honey Chicken Salad

(Makes 6 sandwiches)
 

Ingredients 

• 2 Tbs. honey
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 2 cups cooked diced chicken
• 1/4 cup dried cranberries
• 1/4 cup toasted walnut pieces

Directions 

Combine honey and mayonnaise and pour over diced chicken. Add cranberries and stir to incorporate. Place 1/4 cup of the mixture in the bottom center of the bottom half of each dough rectangle. After creating the dough pocket, sprinkle or roll in the toasted walnut pieces. Bake inside the pocket.
 

BBQ Ranch Ham & Cheese

(Makes 1 sandwich)
 

Ingredients 

• 1 Tbs. Ranch sauce
• 2 oz. sliced ham
• 2 thin tomato slices
• 1/8 cup shredded cheddar cheese

For the Ranch sauce:
(Yields ¼ cup)

• 1/4 cup Ranch dressing
• 1 Tbs. barbecue sauce
• 1 tsp. sugar

Directions 

Spread Ranch sauce on sliced ham. Top with tomato slices and shredded cheese. Bake inside dough pocket.

For the Ranch sauce:
Combine all ingredients.

3 Meat Tuscan

(Makes 1 sandwich)
 

Ingredients 

• 2 slices each salami, pepperoni, and ham
• 2 slices mozzarella cheese
• 1 Tbs. sliced black olives or banana peppers (optional)
• 1/4 sesame seeds (optional)

Directions 

Layer and place in the center of the bottom half of the dough rectangle. After creating the dough pocket, brush with egg wash and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake inside pocket.