Does planning, cooking, and packing kids’ lunches feel like your part-time (or full-time) job? We feel you, and we’re here to help. This 15-minute meal is the perfect make-ahead lunch box time-saver: a wholesome, kid-approved marinara-and-cheese pita pizza complete with carrot sticks, apple slices, homemade trail mix, and Belgian waffle sticks for a sweet treat. Serve right away, pack it up for lunch, or save it for another meal or snack this week. That’s right: We’re thinking outside the lunchbox (so you don’t have to!).
This recipe is designed to provide lunch for multiple days. For each lunch and snack meal, 3 servings and 6 servings are provided for a 2 person and 4 person box, respectively.
Produced in a facility that processes eggs, milk, fish, peanuts, sesame, shellfish, soy, tree nuts, and wheat.
2 unit
Pita Bread
(Contains Sesame, Wheat)
2.5 ounce
Marinara Cup
1 cup
Mozzarella Cheese
(Contains Milk)
9 ounce
Carrots
1 unit
Apple
1 ounce
Dried Apricots
1 ounce
Dried Cranberries
3 ounce
Semisweet Chocolate Chips
(Contains Soy)
1 unit
Belgian Waffle
(Contains Eggs, Milk, Wheat)
1 teaspoon
Cooking Oil
• Adjust rack to middle position and preheat oven to low broil. Wash and dry produce. • Place pitas on a lightly oiled baking sheet. Divide marinara between pitas and spread out in an even layer. Top with mozzarella. • Bake pita pizzas on middle rack until pita edges are golden brown and cheese melts, 4-5 minutes.
• Trim, peel, and cut carrots into sticks (like fries; ours were 3 inches long and 1⁄3 inch thick). • Halve, core, and thinly slice or dice apple. • In a small bowl, combine dried apricots, dried cranberries, and chocolate chips. • Cut waffle into 1-inch strips.
• Let pita pizzas cool, 2-3 minutes. • Cut pizzas into six slices each.
• To serve: Divide pita pizzas between plates and serve with carrot sticks, apple slices, trail mix, and waffle strips on the side. • To stash: Let pizzas cool completely before packing for lunch. Refrigerate everything in separate containers until ready to pack. Refrigerate any leftovers in an airtight container.