If you haven’t given Broccoli Cole Slaw a try yet, here’s your chance.  This recipe is also a great excuse to use those dried cranberries you keep hearing your friends crow about, too!  And with the pistachio nuts added, this salad is as well-rounded a lunch as you will ever find.

1 (8 oz) pkg. broccoli coleslaw mix
1 (4 oz) bottle of coleslaw dressing
1 (4 oz) pkg. dried cranberries
1/2 C pistachio nuts
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper

Place the broccoli coleslaw mix into a large mixing bowl.
Add the dressing (more or less depending on how creamy you like your slaw).
Mix together well being sure all the coleslaw mix is well covered.
Add in the cranberries and nuts.
Sprinkle with the salt and pepper.
Stir to incorporate all the flavors together.
Cover and refrigerate until ready to place into a pre chilled thermos.

Serves 4

The cranberries in this recipe really enhance the flavor of the slaw.  If you would prefer, you can leave out the cranberries and the nuts and still have a good lunch-time slaw.

This casserole is reminiscent of school lunches when we had one room schools and the cook was serving classes the size of a large family.  The crushed potato chips on top are certainly a nostalgic touch and add that good ol’ days feeling to this Thermos lunch.

2 chicken breasts, boneless and skinless (cooked according to directions following)
2 hard boiled eggs, sliced
1/2 C celery, diced small
1/2 C mayonnaise
1 (10.75 oz) cream of chicken soup
1 (4 oz) jar diced pimento, drained
1 tbsp orange juice
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp poultry seasoning
3/4 C cheddar cheese, shredded
3/4 C potato chips, finely crushed

Place the chicken breasts in a large saucepan.
Cover with water and add just a pinch of salt.
Place over medium high heat and bring to a boil.
Simmer slowly 30 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and juice runs clear.
Drain the chicken and allow to cool enough to work with.
Cube the chicken and place in a large mixing bowl.
Add the eggs and celery to the chicken.
Mix the mayonnaise into the bowl being sure to fully cover all the ingredients.
Add the soup, pimento and orange juice.
Stir in the salt and poultry seasoning.
Be sure all the ingredients are incorporate together well.
Spray a casserole dish with a non stick cooking spray.
Smooth the chicken mixture evenly into the prepared casserole dish.
Sprinkle the top with the cheese.
Add the crushed potatoes chips over the top.
Place the covered casserole into the refrigerator and cool overnight.
Heat the oven temperature to 350 degrees.
Bake 40 minutes or until nice and brown on top.
Remove with a spatula and place in a warmed thermos.

Serves 4

Eat with crackers for a wonderfully warm and satisfying lunch on a cold, wintery day.

Sweet, creamy, juicy and crunchy!  What’s not to love?  You won’t want to wait for your afternoon break for this treat!  How about mid-morning?  I guarantee, you’ll be doubling up on this recipe the next time you make it. Ah, go ahead and make a double batch now!

1 (4 oz) pkg. cream cheese at room temperature
1 (4 oz) container sour cream
1/4 C white vinegar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 lbs seedless grapes
2 oz pecans, chopped
1 tbsp brown sugar

Place the softened cream cheese in a large mixing bowl.
Add the sour cream and stir to blend.
Pour in the vinegar and the vanilla extract.
Mix well being sure the mixture is smooth and creamy.
Fold in the grapes carefully making sure all the grapes are covered well with the creamy mixture.
Refrigerate until chilled about 30 minutes.
Stir in the pecans and brown sugar.
Place in a pre chilled thermos.

Serves 2

Kids, and grown-ups, too, love this cold, juicy, and crunchy dessert.  You may substitute raisins for the pecans if you or your child do not like nuts or are allergic to them.

Have you ever noticed that if you are in a cafeteria line for lunch, the tuna salad is always the first to go?  Tuna salad is the lunch you can rely on.  This one is especially nutritious because you’ve added a second source of protein… and it’s got your own homemade touch! 

1 (8 oz) box large spiral pasta
1 (15 oz) can four bean mix, drained (or combine several different cans of beans of your choosing, being sure to end up with 15 oz for salad)
6 cherry tomatoes, quartered
1/4 C sweet pickles, chopped
1 (7.5 oz) can tuna in water, drained and flaked
1/4 C mayonnaise
2 tsp white vinegar
1 tsp parsley, chopped fine

Cook the pasta as directed on the package.
Rinse under cold water and drain well.
Place the pasta in a large mixing bowl.
Add the four bean mix, quartered tomatoes and pickles.
Flake the tuna into the mixture.
In a separate bowl mix together the mayonnaise, vinegar and parsley until smooth.
Pour over the top of the pasta mixture.
Use a rubber spatula to mix the ingredients together being sure everything is completely covered with the mayonnaise mixture.
Place in a pre chilled thermos.

Serves 4

Any type of bean mixture will work with this recipe.  Lima beans, wax beans, green beans, kidney beans, butter beans, black beans, pinto beans… and more will work.  Just be sure to use at least a couple of different kinds for the perfect taste.  Experiment a little!

This kid-friendly salsa is an excellent way to attract your child’s appetite away from the routine lunch-time fare.  Because this salsa has kiwi as an ingredient, it offers a nice sweet flavor that your youngster may just gravitate toward.  Your child might get hooked on eating healthy!

2 kiwi, peeled and diced
1 small tomato, seeded and diced
2 tbsp green onion, diced small (more or less depending on who is eating this salsa, may eliminate if child is skittish about onions)
1 tbsp parsley, chopped
1 tsp lemon juice

Place the prepared kiwi into a mixing bowl.
Add in the tomato and green onion.
Sprinkle with the chopped parsley.
Pour in the lemon juice.
Mix all the ingredients together well being sure everything is coated well with the lemon juice.
Refrigerate until cold.
Place in a pre chilled thermos.

Serves 2

Add some tortilla chips to the lunch box to serve with this salsa.  Kids love it and so do adults, not only as a side dish at lunch but for that afternoon snack as well.

About 3 o’clock every afternoon, I’m looking for something sweet to eat.  If I keep my drawer full of graham crackers and my Thermos close at hand, filled with this scrumptious, creamy yogurt dip, I don’t have to wander off to the snack machine.  Saved again!

3 tbsp vanilla yogurt
2 tsp honey
1/4 tsp cinnamon

Place the yogurt in a small mixing bowl.
Pour in the honey.
Sprinkle the cinnamon in.
Stir until all the ingredients are mixed together well the mixture is a smooth consistency.
Refrigerate over night to ensure the dip is good and cold.
Place in a small pre-chilled thermos.

Serves 1

Place a few graham crackers for dipping in the lunch box.  This makes a great lunch-time dessert or mid-day snack.

A nice ham salad sandwich always reminds me of summer picnics.  So, when I have a yearning for a little summer time bliss, I feed my memories with this lunch break treat. Even in the dark of winter, this little taste of summer transports me to a lazy-day, sharing a picnic basket with friends and family.

1 large slice of baked ham, diced very small
1/4 C celery, diced small
2 tbsp sweet pickle relish
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 C salad dressing (Real Mayonnaise, Ranch Dressing, or choose what you like)
bread slices or crackers for serving

Place the diced ham into a large mixing bowl.
Dump the celery right on top.
Add the pickle relish.
Sprinkle all with the pepper.
Use a rubber spatula to add the salad dressing.
Mix together from the bottom up until all the ingredients are combined and mixture is creamy.
Place in a pre-chilled Thermos.

Serves 1

This is an easy way to make ham salad.  Place it in the refrigerator the night before to ensure it’s good and cold before placing it in the pre-chilled Thermos. This can be spread on bread or crackers for a delicious lunch. You can also adjust the relish and salad dressing to you liking.

If your kids are like mine, they probably lived on Macaroni and Cheese in some form or other for most of their young years. I must admit, I’m a bit of a fanatic as well.  This is a very good, homemade version of the prepackaged stuff, eliminating all those unpronounceable additives we don’t really care to ingest! 

1 C uncooked macaroni
1/2 stick butter
3 tbsp flour
2 C hot milk
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp dry mustard
1 (8 oz) pkg. sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (try a mixed variety package of cheese, including Monterey Jack for a change)
1 tsp paprika (optional)

Cook the macaroni according to the directions on the package.
Be sure to rinse in cold water and drain well.
In a sauce pan over low heat melt the butter.
Add the flour once the butter has melted and stir until completely moistened.
Pour in the milk.
Sprinkle in the salt, pepper and dry mustard.
Stir continuously until the mixture begins to thicken.
When thick remove from the heat.
Add 3/4 of the pkg. of cheese and stir until melted.
Butter (or use non-stick spray) a small casserole dish.
Place the macaroni into the prepared casserole.
Pour the sauce over the top and fold into the macaroni.
Sprinkle the top with the remaining cheese.
Heat the oven temperature to 350 degrees.
Bake the macaroni 45 minutes or until the cheese has melted and the casserole is slightly brown and bubbly.
Remove from the oven.
Place in a warmed thermos.
Optional: Sprinkle with paprika before closing.

Serves 4

Macaroni and cheese is a classic meal.  It is a cozy and filling meal and what better time to relax and enjoy some “comfort food” than during a busy work or school day.

Homemade Beef Stroganoff is a favorite in my house.  This oven-baked version is a lot of fun to make, it’s inexpensive, and my family get’s a real kick out of the fact I’m using dried beef.

1 C uncooked pasta (your choice, but try wide egg noodles)
1 (10.5 oz) can cream of mushroom soup
1 c milk
1 (2.5 oz) jar dried beef, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1 small green pepper, diced fine
1 (4 oz) pkg. cream cheese, cubed and at room temperature
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp hot sauce (or to taste)

Butter the bottom and sides of a 2 qt casserole dish.
Place the uncooked pasta in a large mixing bowl.
Add the mushroom soup.
Pour in the milk and stir to combine all.
Place the dried beef, onion and green pepper into the mixture and stir to combine.
Add the cream cheese and mix until the cream cheese is smooth.
Dump in the pepper, garlic powder and salt.
Add the hot sauce and stir to incorporate all the ingredients together.
Place in the prepared casserole dish, cover and refrigerate overnight.
Heat the oven temperature to 350 degrees.
Bake the casserole the next morning for 1 hour.
When baked, remove sections with a spatula and place in a warmed wide mouth thermos. 

Serves 4

If you would like your lunch to have a little crunch add a few Gold Fish crackers to the top and dab with butter just before baking.  Delicious.

When I find a really good eggplant casserole, I’m  hooked for life.  Eggplant is such a beautiful vegetable, and so nutritious, that you’ll want to find as many ways possible to serve it to your family.  This Thermos lunch will be a great addition to your eggplant recipe collection.
 
3 tbsp canola oil
1 small eggplant, sliced
2 potatoes, skin left on and sliced
1 onion, sliced
1 green bell pepper, cut into strips
1 large tomato, sliced
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 tsp parsley
1/2 tsp basil
Parmesan Cheese to serve sprinkled on top

Place the oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
Heat the oil to hot but not smoking.
Add the eggplant and potatoes.
Layer on the onions.
Layer in the pepper strips.
Last lay the tomatoes on the top.
Sprinkle with the garlic, parsley and basil.
Allow the layers to simmer in the hot oil for 20 minutes.
If the mixture seems to be cooking too quickly lower the heat to medium low.
Mixture may seem slightly dry but do not add water.
Continue cooking 15 minutes or until vegetables are fork tender.
Use a spatula to remove in sections and layer into a wide mouth thermos.

Serves 4

This dish is great out of a thermos.  Sprinkle a little parmesan cheese over the top before eating