Simple pasta/rice dishes for children’s packed lunch please.

[Ladyluckinred]

I cook quite a lot of one pot dishes and usually give this as lunch the next day. I want to change my kids lunches up a bit so they are not always having last nights leftovers for lunch but need some ideas of quick, simple and tasty ideas for their thermos, ideally rice or pasta based, but I’d appreciate all suggestions.

They have gone off sandwiches so I only do them once a week now.

Thank you 🙏

This isn’t a recipe as such, but my daughter loves rice or pasta salad for lunch. I basically chop and add anything I have lying around in the fridge such as: ham, cheese, pepperami, cucumber, peppers, peas, sweet corn, lettuce, tomatoes, chick peas etc - obviously not all at once! Sometimes bind it with a little mayo, for the pasta salad.

Do they like couscous? You can fry all the vegetables and meat if you’re having it, add the couscous to the pan, pour over the stock, mix and leave for a few minutes. My two like this hot and also cold the next day.

Jambalaya

It’s pretty much the only food they do not like, sadly! Your recipe sounds fab, so quick and easy, would have been perfect. Thank you x

Pesto pasta salad with wilted spinach or endive, or vegetables such as peas, broccoli, sweetcorn, diced ham or mozzarella balls added.
Orzo salad with roasted Mediterranean vegetables and cubed feta.
Couscous with chickpeas, roasted tomatoes and aubergine in a Moroccan spicy stew.

Oh forget the couscous then!

How about a biryani? With spiciness adjusted as necessary, of course. A "proper" biryani is quite a lot of work, but there are plenty of shortcuts you can take.

For the summer, a nice pasta salad with halved cherry tomatoes, cubed fresh mozzarella cheese, chopped basil and some good olive oil makes for a delicious and balanced meal. Throw in some olives if they like them to make it more interesting.

Do they feel the same about bulgur wheat as they do about cous cous? The texture is different, less grainy and with more bite, and it's also higher in fiber and protein. My kids will happily eat it cold or slightly warm mixed up with sauteed diced vegetables (courgette, aubergine, onion) and you can mix in some bits of chicken or a can of tuna to add protein.

The problem with regular pasta&sauce kept warm in a thermos is that it is going to be extremely soft/overcooked and dry due to the moisture from the sauce being absorbed from the pasta. By the time they eat it, potentially not very pleasant. Pasta bakes are better for this purpose. I make a version of Mac&cheese with cauliflower blended in with the cheese sauce, topped with garlicky breadcrumbs which goes down quite well, as an example

I agree that the thermos can be a problem. Pasta/rice salads would be much better if they'll eat them. I say this as I really tried to get on with my thermos but ultimately found the only things I really liked in it were soup, curry, chilli or stew. I also had some success with taking the broth and adding the noodles later in the day for ramen type meals but I don't think that'd work for kids at school. If you do want to stick with warm meals I know they're controversial but tinned potatoes keep their shape and work really well!

Jambalaya might work but I find the rice turns to mush in a thermos. Minestrone soup/cabbage roll/lasagne soup might work but I just feel like the pasta/rice would turn to mush.

I know you've requested stuff for a thermos but these are some of my favourite cold rice/pasta/noodle dishes if they'd tolerate them.

Grinder pasta salad

Blt pasta salad

Taco/fajita pasta salad
Cheeseburger pasta salad
Pizza pasta, using their fave toppings

I really love a noodle salad, my favourite has peanut butter in though which rules it out for most schools but there are lots of other options.

DH used ti take this to work. It’s quick and keeps well https://realfood.tesco.com/recipes/houmous-pasta-salad-with-cucumber-tomatoes-and-carrots.html

I used to use prawns with pesto pasta quite a lot because it’s quick to make in the morning and packed with protein.

You can also make quinoa and freeze into portions (I do this for my own lunch), grilled veg in the fridge in a tub to mix in and then a protein from the airfryer (I usually do a bit of salmon).

I do daal, chilli with rice, chorizo and butterbean stew, soup. I also do macaroni cheese which looks a bit rank to me when reheated but ds likes it. You don't need to do leftovers - I have Tupperwares the same capacity as the thermos and batch cook occasionally or double up on dinners then freeze, so there is plenty of variety.