and how to be efficient in the process!
I am about to start my 10th year as a Lunchbox packing Mum. At first I thought it was a creative challenge to vary the contents of the little pots each day. A mini tapas looked pretty cute in my preschooler’s lunch box*, but over time it gradually became a drag and the same things started to feature every day. Come Thursday evenings I was not in the mood for facing another lunchbox. Vegemite sandwich, cheese cubes, sultanas and an apple became a regular. 3 years later when my son started school, 2 school lunchboxes on top of mine and I was officially over it! Which parent has energy to do gourmet at 10pm after coming in from work, surviving witching hour and home readers and then doing the washing up? It certainly wasn’t me. Our life needed a radical overhaul. It was time to bake in bulk and freeze.
Once I had filled the freezer, the children were given guidelines on the composition of a balanced lunchbox and then let loose in the freezer each morning. Not only had I got over the evening drag, I had given the children more autonomy. At the time I was still making sandwiches daily as they weren’t freezing so well, but now I have my Tefal Cuisine Companion I make topped rolls and scrolls which freeze well.
If you want to stock your freezer this school term, have a look through these recipes and be sure to post back in the Shine with your Cuisine Companion Facebook group your creations.
This list will constantly evolve based on your feedback so please leave comments below.
*Note to self – cute mini tapas do not cut it with a teenage girl who is at sport training morning, noon and night and her giant and growing, younger brother. Add more protein based recipes to the below 😉
My recipes
(Please note some of these are only available in my book)
Quick soup rolls slightly sweeter, bit more crunchy and cooked in half the time!
Mini or full size pies
Shredded chicken perfect for sandwiches
Beetroot salad depending on your tastes you can alter the dressing or leave plain
Shortcrust pastry for mini quiches
Puff pastry for sausage rolls
Smoothies this method can be used for any smoothie combination you like
These recipes are on the sweeter side, I tend to cut the sugar down for lunchboxes:
Sweet scrolls I reduce the sugar and do not ice. The plain dough can also be used as a basis for slightly sweet bread products
Here are few basics you might find useful too:
Butter This also produces lots of yummy buttermilk which I love in mini pancakes or muffins
Tefal recipes
Thermomix recipes
The following are Thermomix recipes which can be easily converted to Cuisine Companion methods using my conversion chart. If you have any questions please just ask in my Facebook group. If any of these become popular I will explicitly publish the CC method so be sure to let me know what you enjoy.
Skinnymixers back to school guide
The Road To Loving My Thermomix lunch box recipes