Best Lunch Box Ever (13 page)

MAKES 3 OR 4 SERVINGS

2 whole-wheat lavashes (7
¹
/
₂
by 10 inches)

¹
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₃
cup tomato sauce

1 cup coarsely grated sharp Cheddar cheese

2 thin slices prosciutto

2 handfuls baby arugula

Place a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 450°F.

Put the lavashes on a baking sheet and spread the tomato sauce evenly over each lavash with the back of a large spoon. Sprinkle the cheese over the tomato sauce. Tear the prosciutto slices into four or five pieces each and lay on top of the cheese, followed by the arugula.

Put the pizzas in the oven and bake until the edges are crispy and the pizzas are no longer floppy when you lift up a corner with a spatula, 10 to 11 minutes.

Remove the pizzas from the oven and let cool for a few minutes.

Cut each pizza into six rectangular slices. Wrap or pack into storage containers.

MAKE-AHEAD NOTES:
can be made a day ahead and stored in the refrigerator. In the morning before school, pop into the toaster oven to restore crispness, if you like.

I'VE BEEN MAKING CHILI
with black beans and sweet potatoes for years. This takes those two winning flavors and pairs them with melted Monterey Jack cheese for a quesadilla that is far more satisfying than the norm. Cooking the quesadilla over medium instead of high heat allows the sweet potato to get tender by the time the outside is crispy and the cheese is melted. Leftover cooked vegetables such as broccoli, zucchini, or peppers can be chopped up and substituted for the sweet potato.

MAKES 2 SERVINGS

³
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₄
cup coarsely grated Monterey Jack cheese

Two 8-inch whole-wheat flour tortillas

¹
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cup grated peeled raw sweet potato

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cup cooked black beans, drained

2 tablespoons mild green taco sauce

1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil

Sprinkle half of the cheese evenly over one tortilla. Scatter the sweet potato over the cheese, followed by the beans. Spoon the taco sauce over the beans and top with the remaining cheese and the remaining tortilla.

In a medium skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Put the quesadilla in the pan and cook until golden brown and crispy, 2 to 3 minutes. With a spatula, flip the quesadilla and cook until the second side is golden brown and crispy, about 2 minutes.

Transfer the quesadilla to a cutting board and let cool for a few minutes.

Cut into quarters. Wrap or pack into two containers.

MAKE-AHEAD NOTES:
can be made a day ahead and stored in the refrigerator. In the morning before school, reheat in a pan or pop into the toaster oven to restore crispiness, if you like.

THE EASIEST LUNCH-BOX MAIN IS ONE RECYCLED
from the night before. Enjoying dinner a second time around is both a time- and money-saver. Plus, so many leftover ingredients can get a fresh new spin with just a few extra minutes in the kitchen. Reheat cooked spaghetti in a miso broth and you have a nourishing soup, or add black beans to last night's rice for a lunch kids will love. You can even plan for leftovers by making more for a meal than you need. Any extras can go straight into lunch boxes before the dinner dishes are even cleaned up. You'll find loads of ideas to use up leftovers in this chapter, including recipes for pasta, grains, chicken, meat, beans, and lentils.