The Lunch Lady

Recipes

These are the meals I cook at school, with the amounts and instructions for making them at home.

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19 recipes to make at home

A Wagyu sloppy joe topped with crushed kettle chips on a school lunch tray, with salad, carrots, grapes and pickled vegetables.

Sloppy Joe Thomases

Homemade Wagyu sloppy joes with soft vegetables, a deeply savory tomato sauce and salt-and-vinegar kettle chips on toasted buns.

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Chopped ranch chicken with a creamy sauce and fresh herbs on a school lunch tray.

Ranch chicken with homemade ranch

Roasted chicken tenders, chopped and tossed with ranch seasoning, lemon and finely chopped herbs. Serve with homemade ranch or lava sauce over rice or buttered noodles.

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Shredded chicken tacos with cheese and pickled onion, alongside pinto beans, a marshmallow-topped chocolate cake, chips and watermelon.

Chicken verde tacos

Chicken slowly braised in tomatillo salsa, shredded and tucked into warm tortillas. Start with a jar of salsa, or roast your own tomatillos for the from-scratch version.

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Individual chocolate cakes topped with toasted marshmallow halves, with powdered sugar dusted across several cakes on a baking sheet.

Mexican hot chocolate cakes

Little chocolate cakes with cinnamon, a pinch of ancho chile and toasted marshmallow tops, finished with powdered sugar and cinnamon. Chocolate chips go into the batter and over the top before baking.

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Glazed pork tenderloin with sesame rice, cucumber salad and edamame on a lunch tray.

Teriyaki pork tenderloin with cucumber salad

Grilled or oven-roasted pork tenderloin tossed in a glossy ginger-garlic teriyaki glaze, with sesame rice and a crisp cucumber salad.

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Breakfast burrito halves with egg, sausage and cheese, beside salsa, a granola square, watermelon, blueberries and pickled vegetables.

Egg, sausage and cheese breakfast burritos

Soft scrambled eggs, homemade maple-sage sausage, sautéed shallots and melted cheese in a warm tortilla. Make a batch for breakfast now and the freezer later.

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Chocolate chip granola squares

Oats, honey, olive oil and chocolate chips pressed into a pan, with flaky salt scattered over the top while it's hot.

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Tomato soup topped with herbs, two golden grilled-cheese halves and sliced red apples on a lunch tray.

Tomato soup and grilled cheese

San Marzano tomato soup with whipped ricotta, grilled cheese on Arnie's sourdough cheddar loaf and sliced Pink Lady apples. A warm bowl and a crisp sandwich for dipping.

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A square of pancake bake topped with blueberry compote, whipped yogurt cream, granola and rainbow sprinkles.

Sheet-pan pancake bake with blueberry compote

A pancake bake made with Sunrise Flour Mill pancake mix, topped with blueberry compote, whipped yogurt cream and rainbow sprinkles. Cut it into squares and serve breakfast from one pan.

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Peruvian chicken and green herb sauce over rice, with cucumbers, carrots, broccoli and lime on a lunch tray.

Peruvian chicken with Awesome Sauce

Garlic-and-cumin chicken, chopped and folded with a creamy cilantro sauce. Serve it over bone-broth rice with lime-pickled cucumbers.

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Wagyu beef tacos

Seasoned Wagyu beef in warm corn tortillas with cheddar, lime crema and avocado. Pinto beans make it a full meal. Regular 80/20 ground beef works well here, too.

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Baked ziti

Beef sauce, ricotta folded through the pasta and mozzarella browned on top. This is my baked ziti, with roasted green beans alongside.

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Carnitas tacos

Pork shoulder cooked with orange, lime and warm spices, then crisped in a hot pan. Pile it into warm tortillas with cotija, crema and another squeeze of lime.

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Greek chicken

Chopped chicken with olive oil, lemon, fresh dill and sheep's milk feta. Serve it with lemon rice and cucumber salad. This one gets seconds.

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Fresh-baked flatbread cut into squares, with gloved hands holding a split piece to show the crumb.

Ham, egg and cheese on fresh flatbread

Fresh-baked Greek yogurt flatbread, split and filled with ham, egg and melted American cheese. I start this sandwich with the bread.

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An adult holding a Wagyu smash burger with melted cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion and pickles.

Wagyu smash burgers

Thin Wagyu patties with browned edges, melted American cheese and a quick pickle-and-mustard burger sauce. Stack them on a soft bun and have napkins ready.

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Chicken Rojo tacos

Shredded chicken in a rich red chile and tomato sauce, finished with fresh lime and quick pickled red onions. A little Worcestershire gives the sauce extra savory depth.

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Greek pork souvlaki

Pork tenderloin with fresh lemon, dill and homemade tzatziki. Roast it in the oven or take it outside to the grill, then serve with lemon rice and broccoli.

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Breakfast pizza

Homemade sheet-pan dough made with Sunrise Flour Mill Heritage Pizza Flour, topped with sausage gravy, maple-sage sausage, bacon and mozzarella. A thick, soft crust with a golden bottom.

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