I was always a fan of easy homeschool lunches – leftovers or something simple. One of our favorite lunches was baked potatoes with toppings, especially broccoli and cheese.
What’s nice about baked potatoes with toppings is they’re simple enough that even preschoolers can do much of the work. Preschoolers can scrub and dry potatoes, rub them with vegetable oil before baking, wash and chop broccoli or other vegetables, and grate cheddar cheese.
Baked potatoes aren’t the fastest lunch, as you’ll need to bake them for an hour at 350˚F. But other lessons or projects can be completed while the potatoes are baking, and the broccoli and cheese don’t need to be added until the end.
Note: Broccoli can be cooked in the microwave by adding a tablespoon of water to ½ pound of chopped broccoli in a microwave-safe dish. After covering with plastic wrap except for a steam vent in the corner, microwave for 3-4 minutes.
Of course, there are times when it’s great to have an elaborate lunch as a special practical life activity or home economics lesson. And those lunches are even more fun than the easy ones.
What types of easy lunches do you like?
Photo Credit: Photo by WhitneyInChicago.
With two picky eaters lunch has gotten harder and harder. One likes this the other that. I’m always looking for new lunch ideas. Thanks!
Thanks for your comment, Michelle! I had one picky eater and one who was happy with about anything. It would definitely be challenging with two picky eaters!
Sounds yummy! Perfect for fall to warm our tummys! 🙂
Thanks, Kelly! Hot food is always better in the fall and winter, isn’t it?!
on hot days we like sandwiches and a pickle!
on cold days grilled cheese is a favorite around our house!
Simple I know – and probably even boring… but I like the simple of it!
Thanks for your comment, Penny! Simple is good! My husband and 25-year-old son still never get tired of grilled cheese!
Baked potatoes are wonderful, and we also like baked sweet potatoes. Either one plus some fresh fruit make a quick lunch – as long as we remember to turn on the oven and put them in ahead of time.
-Mary
Thanks for your comment, Mary! Yes, baked sweet potatoes are wonderful, aren’t they?! I also discovered they can be cooked in the crock pot. Somehow, I always find crock-pot cooking comforting – maybe it’s the smell of food cooking while I’m going about my work!
That sounds good!! Sweet potatoes….and I can cook them in the crockpot? Nice!
Thanks, Jessica! Yes, I think sweet potato is the easiest food I ever made in a crock pot – just washed the sweet potatoes and put them in the crock pot to cook!
We just had loaded baked potatoes for dinner last night, one of my favorites!!
Thanks for visiting and commenting, Cheryl! I think baked potatoes with toppings are just a great, simple comfort food!
We are REALLY into cheeses, apples, pears, breads, and grapes served on one platter. They love this simple lunch, family style. It’s a huge hit, and they help prepare. Sometimes we make it a picnic, too!
Thanks, Jessie! That’s a wonderful idea for young children – of course, that’s a meal I love at any age! Cheeses, fruits, and breads for a meal is something I really fell in love with from traveling internationally.
I do baked potatoes for dinner, but I didn’t think about what an easy lunch that would make! Thanks for the tip for microwaving broccoli too!
I love this week’s topic! We may get to eat something different next week!
~Jennifer
Thanks, Jennifer! I really discovered microwaving vegetables by visiting my daughter and son-in-law in England. There they sell packets of raw vegetables meant to be microwaved.
This was a fun topic, wasn’t it?! Too easy to get into a lunch rut otherwise!
I love baked potatoes and always forget that they would make an easy lunch! Thanks for the reminder!
Thanks for visiting and commenting, Melanie! Have a great weekend!
Yummy! I just bought a bag of potatoes this week! Potato Bar Dinner tonight!! Thank you for sharing. 🙂
Thanks for your comments, Jessica! Potato Bar Dinner sounds good to me, too!
Love doing baked potato bar! 🙂
Thanks for visiting and commenting, Sherry! Every time I respond to a comment, I feel an urge to make baked potatoes – LOL!