There is something comforting about a hot school lunch. It somehow just feels homelier and made with love. Friends of ours are currently living in Germany and hot lunches are the norm there. Their kids are LOVING it, so with the weather rather cold and gloomy here we’ve decided it’s time to give it a try.
Pretty much any leftovers work as a hot lunch but my favourites are slow cooked stews, soups and curries. I like to freeze them in smaller portions and then reheat and put into a thermal container ready for school. Make sure not to make them too hot as the heat really does stay contained and you don’t want the kids burning themselves!
Another benefit of hot lunches for school is you can often sneak in a few extra veggies in the middle of the day. When every veggie counts (which it does for my veggie haters) it’s perfect.
Here are my top picks for hot school lunch ideas the kids will love.
If you are looking for ideas on what container to use for your hot lunch, Kylie over at Kidgredients has done an excellent round up of many of the different thermal containers available.
Pin for later:
Try these recipes in the Thermos too:
- A Hearty Dhal Recipe
- 10 Make and Run Slow Cooker Meals the Kids Will Really Go For
- 11 Slow-Cooker Beef Stew Recipes That Only Take a Few Minutes
Feature image: Bake Play Smile (Oven Baked Thai Chicken Meatballs recipe in gallery)
Hot school lunches - AU
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Oven-Baked Thai Chicken Meatballs
My boys love these meatballs from Lucy and Bake Play Smile. Pair them with a yummy rice, corn and capsicum salad and they make the perfect lunchbox treat. They are good cold too 😉
Image: Play Bake Smile
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Tuna and Herb Pasta
Tomato, tuna, herbs and pasta. Yes please! This is a super simple recipe by Practising Simplicity that's just asking to be reheated for lunch.
Image: Jodi Wilson
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Healthy Miso Soup
For the more "cultured" lunch box tastes, this miso soup recipe is super filling and healthy. It would be perfect in a thermos for lunch.
Image: Body Be Well
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Lunch Box Meatballs Recipe
Who doesn't love a good meatball? These ones with 2 cups of added veggies by Stacey Clare - A Healthy Mum will please even the fussiest kids. Find the recipe here.
Image: Stacey Clare
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Slow Cooker Pumpkin Soup
Who can go past a hearty pumpkin soup? Add in some crusty bread and you've got yourself a go to hot lunch that's easy to freeze and simple to make in the slow cooker.
Image: Michelle Thompson-Laing
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Slow Cooker Curried Beef and Vegetables
The perfect dinner come lunch with this delicious slow cooker curried beef and veggies from Create Bake Make.
Image: Lauren Matheson
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Simple Fried Rice
Another favourite in our house, we've always got left over fried rice in the freezer. It's great reheated and perfect in a thermal container. Here's my go to recipe.
Image: Michelle Thompson-Laing
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Tomato Noodle Soup
Gluten, egg and nut free as well as vegan... this tomato noodle soup a great option for those with allergies (& those without, it's so yummy!).
Image: Natural New-Age Mum
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Slow-Cooker Apple Rice Pudding
If you want to win mum of the year and make all the other kids jealous then this slow-cooker brown rice pudding is the perfect hot lunch box treat.
Image: Stacey Clare
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Creamy Coconut Noodles
These seriously look to die for. Home made takeaway that will go down a treat at lunch time. If you have a peanut allergy alert at your school, leave out the peanut butter and the roasted peanuts! Find the recipe here.
Image: Karen Biton-Cohen for Mumtastic
