This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Hillshire Farm®, Jimmy Dean®, Ball Park®; Tyson® Foods. All ideas, recipes, and opinions are entirely my own.
I don’t know how it is at your house but once school starts here it’s a whirlwind of activity from Monday through Friday. Once the kids get home from school there’s homework, instrument practice, sports, church activities, and hopefully they can fit in a little play time. I appreciate quick and nutritious snacks and meals. These Back to School Lunch and Dinner Ideas are the answer to busy evenings, plus the kids will love them.
My son’s favorite lunch meat is Hillshire Farm oven roasted turkey. This would make a perfect lunch or after school snack. If they’re extra hungry, you can prepare 2 boats. Since he has swim practice after school, a sandwich and a little fruit is the perfect snack to give him the energy he needs.
The kids can even help make the boats. You will need bread, Hillshire Farm lunch meat, cheese, cucumber, and blueberries. Cut and assemble the boat as shown below.
Don’t forget to add the blueberries for water. It’s a fun after school snack or lunch. Sometimes we like to roll turkey, cheese and cucumber slices in a tortilla for a quick on-the-go snack.
If we have a little more time between school and sports practices or if we are short on time in the evening, pasta and franks is a quick dish. The kids love it and it gives them the protein and energy they need to participate in their activities. We like the bun size Ball Park Angus Beef franks. To make the franks into octopus just cut them as shown below.
Place them in boiling water until they are hot all the way through. The cut ends will curl. Serve on top of your choice of pasta. I added blue food coloring to the noodles to represent water. Of course you can add your favorite sauce and cheese too. My kids prefer just cheese.
Why not make food that’s fun to eat? You can even pretend you’re a shark and bite the heads off the octopus. Totally his idea!
We also like to make mummy dogs around Halloween. Roll a crescent roll into a long piece and wrap around Ball Park franks then bake according to crescent roll instructions. Use mustard or ketchup to make the eyes and mouth.
The first few weeks of school can be extra busy as everyone tries to get into a routine so I like to stock up on easy meals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Guess what? The kids can even make most of them without my help. Bonus! Their favorite breakfasts are the Jimmy Dean Breakfast Bowls. They’re my favorite too!
As you’re out shopping for school clothes and supplies don’t forget to grab some Tyson Foods at WinCo Foods to make back to school easier on the whole family. Shoppers have a chance to win a $50 WinCo gift card to purchase Tyson Foods back to school items by entering the WinCo sweepstakes. The dates for the sweepstakes are August 1, 2016 to August 31, 2016. There will also be gift cards raffled that can be won on a weekly basis. What is your favorite Hillshire Farm, Jimmy Dean, Ball Park, or Tyson Foods back to school item or recipe? Please share so I can get more meal ideas.
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