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I was that kid. You know, the one with the tuna fish or egg salad sandwiches. As many times as my friends held their noses and turned away from me, I adored those brown bag lunches. In those days, cafeteria lunches were not available at my elementary school, except for the highly anticipated bi-weekly “hot dog days”, which were always accompanied by a big cup of orange drink from McDonald’s. Now, my children are provided with a rotating choice of meals in their school cafeteria. Unfortunately, these lunches leave a lot to be desired, nutritionally speaking. Hamburgers, pizza, corn dogs, waffles on a stick – seriously.
Each morning, I pack lunches for my kids in their lunch boxes, trying to provide them with something nutritious enough to fuel the recess soccer game. However, there are only so many peanut butter sandwiches or turkey wraps one kid can take. When Rachael of La Fuji Mama emailed me with a challenge to come up with a lunchbox meal using Lindsay Olives black olives, I jumped at the chance. Rachael’s blog is full of innovative ideas, not to mention photos of her adorable girls enjoying the food she makes. A few days later, a box containing Lindsay Olive’s new resealable containers of black olives, plus several more of their high-quality products arrived at my doorstep and I set to work. These are products that I regularly buy for my family, so I recommend them without hesitation.
Be sure to go to Rachael’s blog to check out the round-up of lunchbox ideas from other bloggers.
Using regular whole-wheat sandwich bread, I made toasted sandwich cups. With my boys’ help, I filled the cups with an herbed cream cheese, chopped rotisserie chicken, grated carrots, and black olives. It was a challenge to make them as quickly as the boys gobbled them up.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Cut the crusts from 3 pieces of whole-wheat sandwich bread, and cut each piece of bread in quarters.
Brush both sides of each bread piece lightly with olive oil. Firmly press the pieces into a mini-muffin tin.
Bake until the edges of the bread are golden brown. Let the bread cups cool in the pan for about 10 minutes, remove from the pan, and allow to fully cool on a wire rack. The bread cups can be made a couple of days in advance and kept fresh in an airtight container.
In a medium bowl, whip 4 oz. light cream cheese until fluffy, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add 1 teaspoon dried oregano and a pinch of salt. Whip to combine.
Fill each sandwich cup with 1 teaspoon herbed cream cheese, 1 teaspoon grated carrot, 1 teaspoon chopped chicken (I used rotisserie chicken), and 1 teaspoon sliced black olives (such as Lindsay large pitted black ripe olives).
Pack 6 sandwich cups in each of two reusable sandwich containers and put into your childrens’ lunch boxes, with a freezer pack.
Other sandwich ideas with olives:
The Kitchn’s Comte, Olive & Arugula Grilled Cheese
Sarah’s Cucina Bella’s Greek Chicken Salad Sandwiches
Chili Cheese Fries’ Muffuletta Sandwich
Healthy Happy Life’s Black & White Panini
Back to School Chicken, Olive & Herbed Cream Cheese Sandwich Cups
3 slices whole-wheat bread
1/4 cup olive oil
4 oz. light cream cheese
1 tsp dried oregano
Pinch of salt
1/4 cup grated carrot
1/4 cup cooked chicken (rotisserie chicken is quick and convenient)
1/4 cup sliced black olives (such as Lindsay large pitted black ripe olives)
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Cut the crusts from bread, and cut each piece of bread in quarters. Brush both sides of each bread piece lightly with olive oil. Firmly press the pieces into a mini-muffin tin. Bake until the edges of the bread are golden brown. Let the bread cups cool in the pan for about 10 minutes, remove from the pan, and allow to fully cool on a wire rack. The bread cups can be made a couple of days in advance and kept fresh in an airtight container.
In a medium bowl, whip cream cheese until fluffy, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add oregano and a pinch of salt. Whip to combine.
Fill each sandwich cup with 1 teaspoon herbed cream cheese, 1 teaspoon grated carrot, 1 teaspoon chopped chicken (I used rotisserie chicken), and 1 teaspoon sliced black olives.
Pack 6 sandwich cups in each of two reusable sandwich containers and put into your childrens’ lunch boxes, with a freezer pack.
Makes 12 sandwich cups (enough for 2 lunches).
(Disclosure: Lindsay Olive sent their product to me, free of charge, plus I am receiving a small monetary compensation.)
Jenny says
Adorable! Love this idea and YUMMY ingredients 🙂
pegasuslegend says
you are such a great mom, and the note is very touching memories to make a lifetime of cherished times as they grow into men~ love the cups so delicious and a diffinite envy for all kids to see~
megan says
what a cute idea! I dont' like olives, but I love the toast cup idea for lunches
A SPICY PERSPECTIVE says
I think the only school lunch that was ever enjoyable, was the day they served cinnamon rolls!
What a great idea! These are so cute–sure to be gobbled up by hungry munchkins!
Sarah @ Mum In Bloom says
Wow, what a great idea to make the kid's lunch interesting. I run out of ideas quickly but this sandwich is truely inspiring. With the bread you made you could fill it with all kinds of yummy goodness.. I made some peaches blended with cream cheese & a pinch of sugar that would be heavenly on these. Those olives would be eaten by my whole family before I could get 'em on a sandwich.. we love them!
Mother Rimmy says
I need you to pack my lunch! I love the note you send with the kids!
Emily Malloy says
The luckiest little blessings alive! I might make this for myself!!!
Carol Egbert says
These are like savory cupcakes.Perfect for kids of any age.
ravienomnoms says
Wow!! Look at these things!! Fabulous post!
Diana Bauman says
Dara, this is great! I love this idea of the sandwich cups. I'm certainly going to make this for my kids this week 🙂
Paula - bell'alimento says
What a great idea Dara! It was so much fun being a part of this challenge! I'm getting lots of great new ideas for my kids' lunch boxes xoxo
Kalyn says
What a fun idea for school lunch. When I was a kid ("quite" a while ago) we had hot lunches that were nutritious and actually pretty tasty for the most part. And my mom had 10 kids, so taking lunch from home was NOT an option. I feel sad when I see what passes for school lunch now; your kids are lucky you make things like this for them.
Cookin' Canuck says
Jenny, Emily, Carol, Ravie – Thank you!
Claudia , Mother Rimmy- My kids love getting notes in their lunches. Usually I put in a joke or a fill-in-the-blanks puzzle for them.
Megan – You're right that these could be stuffed with almost anything that suits your fancy.
Spicy – Wow, we never had cinnamon rolls at our school!
Sarah – The peach idea is a great idea. Perfect for a bite-sized treat.
Diana – I love your Spanish tortilla contribution to this olive challenge.
Paula – Your olive spread made my mouth water!
Kalyn – I can't imagine keeping track of 10 kids, let along trying to get lunches ready for all of them. I can't blame your mum for relying on school lunches.
Marisa says
What a great school lunch. I bet none of the other kids' moms pack awesome lunches like this!
5 Star Foodie says
Those sandwich cups are adorable! My daughter will be hosting a Back To School 5 Star Makeover in September and this would be a perfect entry for the event 🙂
Fuji Mama says
I LOVE this twist on a sandwich! I think I need to make these for me…my kids will be lucky to get any… 🙂
Cristie says
What a fun idea for lunches! The issues for my kids, who are all grown, was always to get them to actually EAT what I sent. I think these would have done the trick.
Kristen says
Makes me wish I could pack a lunch for school each day. Yum!
And, I love your lunchbox note 🙂
bunkycooks says
Great idea and better than the usual lunchbox stuff! I can't believe school has already started. Wow!
Cookin' Canuck says
Marisa, Kristen – Thank you!
5 Star – That sounds like a fun event.
Rachael – I love the olive salad you came up with.
Cristie – I always hope that my kids are actually eating the things I send, particularly the veggies. I guess I'll never know.
Bunky – My kids don't start until next week, but I really can't believe that summer has flown by so quickly.
Mags says
What a unique and nutritious lunch for your darlings! You're so creative.
sweetlife says
great idea, I bet any kiddo would love this..
sweetlife
Kate @ Our Best Bites says
Oh, my gosh, I love those little bread cups! They're adorable!
Claudia says
I actually stopped making my kids lunches when they went into middle school. And they chose their lunches well. Now, they are in college and I know they wold love to come home to these – they're adorable for kids of all ages and we are definitely all olive fiends.
Kristen says
I was that brown bagger, too! I didn't think too much of school lunches and my mom was so willing to make mine. I took a thermos with hot food up until about 6th grade. My friends thought I was weird, but I loved having real food. I love the ingredients you put into these sandwiches! They sound delicious and look so fun.
Barbara Bakes says
What a fun post. Love the little note in the lunch box.
Magic of Spice says
Oh, these are fantastic…and perfect for a lunch box or any lunch…My boys are pretty big now, but they would devour these. I did see these olives in the new containers recently, very nice 🙂
penny aka jeroxie says
sandwich cups. even I want it!
Best Hamburger Recipe says
wow! what a delicious recipe site! thanx 4 sharing!
bellini valli says
I like the fact that the olives are in a resealable container. This is a fantastic brownbag idea:D
Table Talk says
My girls still like reading the notes I slip into their lunch boxes, though now they keep them hidden from the other kids at the table to escape embarrassment.
I know they would love to find these little sandwiches –great job thinking outside of the lunch box and coming up with something nutritious, tasty, and cute!
Alison says
What a great idea! Love it! Another awesome post by you!
Suzanne aka vivisue says
GREAT idea, not only for the little kids, but us "big kids", too! I can see these as an appetizer at our next family gathering. Oh, and about Lindsey Black Olives, they ARE, by far the best black olives! I use them for everything! Great post and as always great pics, too!
marla {family fresh cooking} says
Great lunchbox idea. Not only is it a well rounded meal, but it must taste wonderful. My kids would love these-they LOVE olives and cream cheese—so do I 🙂 Such a creative idea! xo
SprinkledwithFlour says
What a cute idea!
s says
fantastic idea!
danasfoodforthought says
Such a cute idea! I'm sure your kids loved helping you out with this!
My Man's Belly says
How cute! Lunches can get really boring. I'm sure your kids never know what they're going to be surprised with. How cool.
Drick says
now this is something this schoolboy will be packing for work – great treat
Maria says
Great lunch box recipe! I would love to have this in my box. Great seeing you last night. Thanks again for a wonderful time!
Devaki says
Oh my Dara! – What a lovely idea to cut them into little squars and bae them. Lovely combination of flavors too.
Excellent!
Ciao, Devaki @ weavethousandflavors
Tracy says
What a fun idea!!
Michelle @ Brown Eyed Baker says
Love these little gourmet lunchbox sandwiches!
Lydia (The Perfect Pantry) says
I was the tuna fish girl in school, too. In a million years, I couldn't imagine my mom ever packing a lunch like this. Your kids are so lucky.
[email protected] says
What a cute idea! Love these sandwich cups!
Jen Cheung says
these are indeeed very cute 🙂
Have a lovely day!!
Jen @ http://www.passion4food.ca
Magda @ Be Nutritious says
What an awesome idea, never thought of sticking bread into muffin tin 🙂
Those also would be great as an appetizer for a party, healthy finger food.
tspegar says
i want these in my lunch but i just know my picky little girls would not eat them 🙁 delicious idea! i have left a lunchbox note for my daughters every day they have ever taken a lunch 🙂