When my boys were younger, lunch was as hassle-free as breakfast. I always made sure we had a good supply of kid-friendly favourites like macaroni and cheese, soup, sandwich meat and oriental noodles and when lunch arrived, I just asked my boys what they wanted and they chose from the array of products in the cupboard and fridge.
But now Zackary is in Grade One and that means that I need to find ways to keep his lunches interesting and appealing so that he gets the nourishment he needs for a long day. The snacks are easy; I simply choose from a variety of Zackary’s favourites including pudding, applesauce, fruit slices, granola bars, raw veggies and fruit snacks to make sure that he gets different healthy snacks and treats every day. But keeping the sandwich interesting…now that’s a challenge.
I had been experimenting a bit with different shapes of sandwiches and wraps but I was starting to run out of ideas, so I did what I always do when I need a little inspiration for my meals: I visited the Life Made Delicious website and searched for lunch meals. And that’s when I found a recipe that would be a perfect replacement for Zackary’s sandwich…Ham and Cheese Muffins!
Ham and Cheese Muffins
A hearty muffin recipe that's ideal for replacing the traditional lunchbox sandwich.
Ingredients
- 2 eggs
- 3 cups 750 mL Bisquick* mix
- 1 cup 250 mL milk
- 3 tbsp 45 mL vegetable oil
- 1 cup 250 mL shredded Cheddar cheese
- ¾ cup 175 mL chopped fully cooked ham
Instructions
- Heat oven to 400°F. Spray bottoms and sides of 12 regular-size muffin cups with cooking spray. (Spray will work better than greasing or using paper muffin liners.)
- Beat eggs slightly in medium bowl with fork. Stir in Bisquick mix, milk and oil just until moistened. Stir in 3/4 cup (175 mL) of the cheese and the ham. Divide batter evenly among muffin cups. Sprinkle remaining 1/4 cup (50 mL) cheese over tops of muffins.
- Bake 18 to 20 minutes or until light golden brown. Immediately remove from pan. Serve warm. Wrap and refrigerate any remaining muffins.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1 gramsAmount Per Serving: Unsaturated Fat: 0g
The muffins came out of the oven looking absolutely delicious. The cheese on top made it a little hard to take the muffins out of the pan but after carefully loosening the muffins with a knife I was able to pop them out of the tin and set them aside to cool. The boys each tried one right away and both declared them delicious.
The next day I packed Zackary’s sandwich container with a Ham and Cheese Muffin, a handful of carrot sticks and a wheel of cheese. Sure enough, there wasn’t a crumb left when Zackary got home from school!
And the best part is that the Ham and Cheese Muffins gave me all kinds of other great ideas for Zackary’s sandwich at lunch times. I could customize this recipe by using different types of meat and cheese. Or I could make other hand-held sandwich replacements like homemade calzones or mini quiches. The possibilities seemed endless once I started thinking outside the bread box!
If you’re looking for something new and different for your child’s lunch, give these quick and easy muffins a try and see what you think. They’re even great for a quick breakfast! And next time you need a little inspiration for your own child’s lunch, why not stop by Life Made Delicious and find out what types of tasty lunchbox additions the site recommends!
Disclosure: I am part of the Life Made Delicious Blogger program and I receive special perks as part of my affiliation with this group. The opinions on this blog are my own.
Thanks for the ideas you bring lunches can get boring really fast!
I made mini quiches for my little girls lunch and she loves them! But I’ll have to try this for sure!
I LOVE the mini quiche idea; they’re such a good lunch treat! But the muffins are pretty awesome too! :)
Well, my kids made gagging sounds, but this has me thinking of hubby’s lunches and how I could make them for him! Or even to help send him off to work with a good healthy, filling breakfast! Thanks for sharing!
You know, Lisa, my oldest wrinkled up his nose and insisted he wouldn’t like them, but when he saw everyone else enjoying them, he gave them a try. And lo and behold…”I want those for lunch, Mom!” lol! So you never know, your kids might change their minds once they try them! ;)
It’s like you were reading my mind!.. I was making the boys usual cream cheese bagel (cause they won’t eat anything else) and thought “there has GOT to be something else I can make them that they will like”.. I’m probably as tired of making them bagles as they are of eating them lol
lol! That’s exactly how I felt about meat sandwiches! ;)