The start of the school year is invigorating. Motivated by fresh notebooks, new pens, and clean lunch boxes, the first couple of weeks of school are often organized and ambitious. That includes sending the kids to school with creative, nutritious lunches every day.
Inevitably, life’s busy and over-scheduled routine sets in, leaving us without the time or energy to keep up the perfect lunch pace. But hope isn’t lost for the next eight months! We have some tips on how to make school lunches stress-free and delicious for everyone in your family.
Try to take some time on Sunday afternoons or evenings to plan ahead. Package up weekend leftovers into lunch-sized portions that the kids won’t mind eating cold: pasta with pesto, salad with a few extra toppings like cheese and dried cranberries, beef skewers or sausage kebabs, or homemade pizza with veggies.
Hard boil a few extra eggs while making breakfast. It’s a great protein and convenient to grab from the fridge on a busy morning. For snacks, cut up fruit and raw vegetables that can be stored in baggies to throw into lunch boxes. Do your kids like dips? Pack a small container of ranch dressing or hummus to go with the fruits and veggies. Those are delicious with pretzels and crackers, too.
You’ve shopped our specialty meats for grilling and entertaining, but what about our deli? We have a variety of cold cuts, cheeses and breads to choose from so no one will suffer from sandwich boredom. No bread? No problem. Simply roll up slices of roast beef, turkey or ham together with cheese.
We also offer prepared meals, sides, and salads to go. One prep-free option is our precooked, shredded rotisserie chicken that can easily be put into sandwiches and tossed into salads. Put a simple soup into a thermos and add the chicken for extra substance.
Back to school means back to busy routines that might make you wish there were more hours in the day. No more leisurely dinners after work or time to even prepare a good meal without watching the clock. But in between the after-school activities, sports, and homework demands, it is possible to enjoy dinner on the run. We’ve got some ideas for meals you can prep ahead of time to make weeknight dinners simple as your family gets back into the school year routine – even if you have to eat it in the car.
1) Buy rotisserie chickens on Sunday and cut it up for the week. Use the meat for sandwiches, toss it into salads, or make quick quesadillas.
2) Roast and sauté enough vegetables to last a few days. At Butcher Boy, we even have chopped veggies to make it easier on you. Mix them into some of that rotisserie chicken, pasta, or use them as side dishes with different main courses.
3) You can also get in your daily servings of vegetables by prepping and portioning some fixings for salads that you can pull out of the fridge for eating at home or packing it to go. We have your favorite lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, carrots and other produce available.
4) If you have time to fire up the grill over the weekend, cook a lot of chicken and beef at once. You’ll have it ready to make several different meals and you can give each one a new taste by using our various marinades. Or grill a London broil large enough for two dinners. Use any leftovers to make tacos, sandwiches, and wraps.
5) The Crock Pot isn’t just for cold weather comfort food. Slow cooking is a great way to prepare a meal ready to eat any time you walk in the door. Serve it in heat resistant containers the kids can take along to practice or lessons, or eat as a family if it’s not too late when the day is done. Try one of our pork roasts or brisket, which you can shred for easy barbeque sandwiches.
6) When you just need a snack, hard boiled eggs are a great protein on the go, and pre-cut fruit or raw veggies can take the edge off until you get home for dinner.
With a bit of planning, you can survive the transition from summer to fall. For the rare night the game is rained out or you just happen to be unscheduled, be sure to visit our wine aisle and pick out a bottle to enjoy at home. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram & Pinterest for more tips and resources you need.
The weather may be cooling down, but your meal options are just heating up. Shorter days means more time in the home, and the chill in the air puts you in the mood to cook a warm meal.
Celebrate the coming of fall by making one of these delicious chicken dinners.
With crispy golden skin, this heavenly roast from Little Kitchen Big World manages to be both juicy and crunchy at the same time. Rubbed with a generous amount of garlic butter and slowly marinated in its own juices, this roast is taken to the next level when finished in the broiler with a parmesan cheese crust. The two and half hour cooking time will simply fly by as your kitchen fills with the tantalizing aroma of roasting cheese and chicken.
Your dinner table deserves to display something beautiful. Flavored with aromatic spices, Manila Spoon‘s Whole Roast Masala Chicken is tender, moist, and unique. Less adventurous palates will be won over by the combination of mild spices like cinnamon, cloves, coriander, and turmeric, which are rubbed onto the meat. The spice blend then marinates on the chicken for 1-3 hours. The meat is fully cooked once the juices run clear. Enjoy with green veggies and rice.
This fantastic one-pan dinner is a specialty of the Provence region of France, and is traditionally made with bone-in chicken breast, fresh tomatoes, olives, and anchovies. Mon Petit Four‘s recipe can be made with or without the fish, depending on your preferences. Choose from fresh marjoram, thyme, or basil to flavor the dish. This recipe comes together in about 40 minutes, so it’s perfect for a last-minute meal.
South Your Mouth recommends bone-in chicken legs to make her Sticky Chicken extra juicy. Hot sauce balances the sweetness of the honey, making a killer marinade that’s good for both basting and dipping. Keep your heat on medium so the chicken is seared on the skillet, but not cooked through. Once all sides are browned, move to the oven and bake uncovered for one hour.
Leave it to a Canadian food blog to make a masterful grilled chicken recipe with maple and buttermilk. Canadian Living‘s recipe combines the buttermilk with onions, garlic, pepper, cinnamon, and hot pepper flakes to make a rich coating for the bone-in chicken legs. Refrigerate up to 24 hours, then place the chicken over a medium-high heated grill for about 35 minutes. Add the maple syrup and grill for five more minutes.
Who doesn’t love a flaky, buttery crust? Chicken Pot Pie is the ultimate comfort food. Save time making Spicy Southern Kitchen‘s pot pie turnovers by picking up our pre-cooked rotisserie chicken. Filled with veggies and cream, you’ll savor the taste while enjoying the fact that this meal takes so little effort to make. Sautée the veggies in melted butter, then add in chicken broth, half-and-half, and cream cheese to make the delicious filling. Mix in the chicken and spoon into the dough. The dough is folded over to make mini pies, which you can eat with your hands, if you so choose.
Project Meal Plan‘s veggie-filled casserole reheats beautifully, which makes it an ideal meal for weeknight dinner planning. It also has a surprise ingredient that you will fall in love with! Greek yogurt is used as a healthier alternative to heavy cream, cutting the fat content nearly in half. The yogurt is combined with shredded pre-cooked rotisserie chicken, steamed broccoli and cauliflower, and cheese. The dish then bakes to a delicious golden brown.
We also have prepared breasts available from the kitchen for easy, throw together meals.
Happy Cooking!
Want more dinner ideas?
Stop by our store in North Andover. We’re always here to answer your questions.
The school season is soon to begin. While pencils, notebooks, and other supplies are crucial purchases, the most important tool they’ll need for learning is nutrition.
A well-rounded lunch provides students the energy they need to get through a full-day of classes and activities. We carry fresh bread for sandwiches and cold cuts from Applegate, Boar’s Head, as well as Italian cold cuts at our deli department.
Pick up fruit and veggies, treats, and other ingredients from our store to pack this perfect lunch.
Create lunchbox envy with this nutritious turkey wrap recipe from Boar’s Head. Sweetness is found in the maple honey glaze on the turkey, and honey mustard spread on the whole wheat wrap. Toasted walnuts, apples, and Swiss cheese are layered with turkey in the center of the wrap. Fold the flaps of the wrap, roll up, and cut in half to serve.
An oven can make a delicious meal, but did you know it could also be used as a dehydrator? This simple recipe from Live Eat Learn for homemade fruit roll-ups is both delicious and fun. A combination of fruit, lemon juice, and sweetener are blended together, then spread out thin on a pan with plastic wrap. Dry for 4-6 hours on the lowest temperature that your oven allows. Slice into strips, and use a piece of colorful ribbon to hold the individual strips together.
A good lunch has a little crunch. A Spicy Perspective‘s healthy recipe for baked sweet potato chips takes a half hour to make, and will fill a week’s worth of lunch boxes. Slice the sweet potatoes into paper-thin rounds, coat with oil and salt. Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes until crisp. Let the chips cool for 5 minutes before serving or storing.
These bites from Hip 2 Save are the perfect afternoon snack. Packed full of energy, the bites are a quick to make, convenient to store, and great to eat. Combine almond butter, rolled oats, chocolate chips, honey, and flaxseed in a large bowl. Roll out teaspoon sized balls and set in the freezer for one hour.
East Coast Mommy has figured out the ultimate drink hack with this recipe for Lunchbox Smoothies. Frozen strawberries and bananas are blended together with orange juice, vanilla yogurt, and honey to create vitamin-filled treat. Start each week by making a large batch to store and pack for lunch throughout the week.
Happy start of school from Butcher Boy!
Want more back-to-school ideas?
Stop by our store in North Andover. We’re always here to answer your questions.
