The first week back is the one that catches everybody, because the mornings arrive earlier than anybody agreed to and dinner still has to happen at the end of them. So these 29 back to school recipes are built around that week. There are make ahead breakfasts that live in the freezer, burritos and hot pockets you reheat in a couple of minutes, lunches that travel without going soggy, and a long run of slow cooker dinners you start before you leave the house. Some take five minutes and one bowl. A few are Sunday projects that feed you right through until Thursday. I have noted what each one gets right, the temperature, the make ahead trick, the step people skip, so you can pick by what your week actually looks like rather than reading every single one of them.
1. Make Ahead Breakfast Bowls
Two pounds of Yukon gold potatoes, a green pepper and an onion go onto sheet pans at 425 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes, and a dozen scrambled eggs get divided in alongside them. That fills six containers, topped with cheddar and green onion, and the avocado, salsa and tortilla chips go on the morning you eat one. The one rule worth following: anything not eaten within three days goes in the freezer. Splitting the vegetables across two pans gives them room, which is worth doing before you commit two pounds of potatoes to a single sheet.
Get the full tutorial at Iowa Girl Eats.
2. Frozen Breakfast Burritos
Three quarters of a pound of bacon, a dozen eggs scrambled until just set and still glossy, then cheddar and a spoon of salsa, all rolled into eight large tortillas. Each one gets wrapped in plastic on its own and the whole batch goes into one freezer bag, which is the part that makes this work on a Tuesday. Take the eggs off the heat while they still look slightly underdone, since these are headed for a microwave later on and you do not want them hard set going in.
Get the full tutorial at Iowa Girl Eats.
3. Easy Breakfast Roll Ups
One egg beaten with a teaspoon of water, cooked flat like a thin omelette, laid on a soft taco tortilla with whatever you have, then rolled up firmly and cut in half. Baby spinach, avocado, tomato, crumbled sausage, bacon and cheese all work, so it becomes a way of using up the sad half an avocado rather than a shopping list. Cooking the egg flat instead of scrambling it is what makes these portable and less messy, and it gives a kid something to dip, which a plate of eggs never will.
Get the full tutorial at Home Cooking Memories.
4. Cheesy Jalapeño Popper Chicken Taquitos
Chicken breasts go into the slow cooker with cream cheese, a third of a cup of chopped jarred jalapeños, garlic powder, cumin and cilantro, and come out after six to eight hours on low ready to shred straight into the liquid. That filling rolls into sixteen soft taco tortillas with Monterey jack and bakes at 425 degrees for 12 to 14 minutes. Warm the tortillas in the microwave for a few seconds first or they crack as you roll them. There is an avocado and cilantro ranch to go alongside for dipping.
Get the full tutorial at The Chunky Chef.
5. Mixed Berry Yogurt Parfait
A cup of Greek yogurt stirred with a tablespoon of honey and a teaspoon of vanilla, then spooned into four glasses in quarter cup layers with vanilla almond granola, strawberries, raspberries and blueberries. Ten minutes of work and they keep in the fridge for up to five days, which is the whole point on a school morning. The honey and the vanilla are stirred through the yogurt in the bowl before any of it is layered, so measure them in there and not into the glasses once everything is already stacked up.
Get the full tutorial at Cooking with Curls.
6. Breakfast Trifle Recipe With Yogurt
One frozen waffle, toasted and cut into bite sized pieces, layered in a small bowl with six ounces of yogurt, half a cup of raspberries and a tablespoon of mini chocolate chips. That is the entire recipe, it takes five minutes and it makes one serving, so it is the thing to hand a teenager who says they are not hungry and then eats standing over the counter. Use a clear glass bowl if you have one, because half the appeal is being able to see the layers.
Get the full tutorial at The Weary Chef.
7. Slow Cooker Cube Steak
Two pounds of cubed steak, two cans of cream of mushroom soup, a cup of beef broth, a packet of onion soup mix, a packet of brown gravy mix, sliced mushrooms, garlic powder and black pepper, with parsley over the top at the end. Six to eight hours on low or three to four on high turns a cheap cut fork tender, and it serves eight over mashed potatoes, rice or egg noodles. Spread the steaks out evenly in a single layer in the pot rather than stacking them up on each other.
Get the full tutorial at Frugal Mom Eh.
8. Stuffed Peppers with Ground Beef
Eight bell peppers, a pound of lean ground beef seasoned with cumin, smoked paprika and chili powder, and then black beans, corn and fire roasted tomatoes stirred through before it goes back into the shells. About thirty minutes at 375 degrees, then Mexican cheese over the top and another two minutes to melt it. The chopped pepper tops go into the filling rather than the bin, which cuts the waste and adds a bit of extra crunch. You can stuff them and leave them unbaked for up to five days.
Get the full tutorial at Jessica Gavin.
9. Healthy Almond Joy Baked Oatmeal
Two cups of rolled oats with chopped almonds, unsweetened shredded coconut, almond milk, two eggs, maple syrup, almond extract and melted coconut oil, baked in an eight inch square pan at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes. Mini chocolate chips go over the top rather than through the batter, so they stay where you can see them. It cuts into six squares once it has cooled five minutes, and a square eaten cold from the fridge is a completely acceptable breakfast in September.
Get the full tutorial at Kim's Cravings.
10. Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp Bars
One oat, brown sugar and cinnamon mixture does double duty here, pressed into the bottom of a nine by thirteen pan as the crust and crumbled over the top as the topping. The crust bakes alone for 10 to 12 minutes before three cups of strawberries and three cups of rhubarb go anywhere near it. Let the fruit sit with a little sugar and drain the liquid off before the cornstarch goes in. Twelve bars, and they travel in a lunch box better than a crisp in a bowl ever could.
Get the full tutorial at Beyond Frosting.
11. Greek Snack Flats
A Foldit flatbread sliced in half at the seam gives you two rounds, each spread with a tablespoon of hummus and topped with baby spinach, diced grape tomatoes, kalamata olives, feta and slivered basil. Five minutes, two flats, and it is a genuinely adult lunch that does not need heating. If you are taking it to work, mix the tomato, olive, feta and basil together ahead of time and carry them in a sealed container, then spoon the lot onto the bread at your desk.
Get the full tutorial at Emily Bites.
12. Roll Up Blender Pancakes
Cottage cheese, six eggs, half a cup of flour, oil, milk, vanilla and sugar all go into the blender and come out as a thin batter you swirl into a ten inch skillet, about a minute on the first side and thirty seconds on the second. Twelve of them from one blender jar. Spread jam, fruit or whatever you like down the middle and roll each one up, and suddenly breakfast is a handheld thing. The cottage cheese is what makes the batter smooth and silky, and it brings the protein along with it.
Get the full tutorial at Mel's Kitchen Cafe.
13. Pizza Pasta Salad
A fourteen ounce box of whole wheat rotini dressed in olive oil, white balsamic and Italian seasoning, then loaded with pepperoni cut in thin strips, black olives, cubed mozzarella and halved grape tomatoes. It keeps in the fridge for five days, so it covers lunch boxes all week and doubles as the side dish when you are grilling out or heading to a potluck. Drain the pasta and rinse it with cold water before anything else touches it. If your kids object to anything tangy, the vinegar can come out entirely and it still works.
Get the full tutorial at The Weary Chef.
14. Ham And Leek Quiche
Premade crust cut into mini quiche pans, blind baked about 15 minutes with weights, then filled with leeks softened in butter for eight to ten minutes, diced ham and gruyere. The custard is heavy cream, milk, three eggs and a teaspoon and a half of cornstarch, with a pinch of nutmeg and a pinch of cayenne. Bake at 375 degrees. Fill each one to about a quarter inch below the top of the crust and no further, and expect a little of the custard mixture to be left over when you are done.
Get the full tutorial at Cooking On The Front Burner.
15. Homemade Breakfast Hot Pockets
Two sheets of puff pastry, each cut into six rectangles, with a filling of chicken sausage, red pepper, red onion, six scrambled eggs and cheddar. The second sheet gets rolled out four inches wider before it is cut, so the lids actually reach over the filling, and the filling goes into the fridge to cool before it is used. Twenty five to thirty minutes at 425 degrees, until the tops are properly golden. Chill the cut pastry as well while you are waiting on the filling.
Get the full tutorial at Running to the Kitchen.
16. Apple Butter French Toast Roll Ups
Sixteen slices of white sandwich bread flattened to half their thickness, spread with a tablespoon of apple butter each, rolled and then dipped in egg, milk, cinnamon and nutmeg. They bake at 375 degrees for ten minutes, get brushed with butter, flipped and baked ten more, then go straight into cinnamon sugar while hot. Grease the pan far better than you think you need to, because these stick. The dipping sauce is cream cheese beaten with more apple butter and powdered sugar.
Get the full tutorial at Homemade In The Kitchen.
17. Easy Baked Macaroni Cheese Cups
A whole head of cauliflower simmers in milk for twenty minutes, then gets pureed smooth and whisked with Greek yogurt, cheddar, mozzarella and parmesan into the sauce. Sixteen ounces of elbows fold in, the mixture is scooped into two muffin tins, topped with panko and parmesan, and baked at 400 degrees for thirty minutes. The cauliflower is invisible once it is blended, which is the whole idea: the vegetables end up in the dish instead of sitting beside it. Eight servings, and leftovers keep three to five days.
Get the full tutorial at Lemons for Lulu.
18. Baked Corn Tortillas Cheese Dogs
Four hot dogs, four slices of cheese, four corn tortillas and four short wooden skewers. The tortillas go in the microwave for thirty seconds between paper towels first, which is the step that lets a corn tortilla bend instead of cracking down the middle. Brush the underside with olive oil, roll each one seam side down on the tray, and bake at 375 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes until crisp. Skewers go in before or after baking, either works, and they come out looking like something from a fair.
Get the full tutorial at Simply Gloria.
19. Homemade Stuffed Pizza Pockets
The dough needs no rising, which is the entire reason this is a Thursday recipe and not a weekend one. It divides in half and then into quarters for eight pockets, each one worked out between your hands on an unfloured surface rather than rolled. Fill one side, leave a margin, pinch the edges shut, lift onto a cornmeal dusted sheet and brush with garlic butter and parmesan. Twenty five to thirty minutes at 350 degrees on the lowest rack. Wrap the spare ones in freezer wrap.
Get the full tutorial at Simply Gloria.
20. Mini Taco Tortilla Cups
Five ten inch tortillas, quartered and then each quarter halved, give you three triangles to line each of twelve muffin cups. Those bake at 375 degrees for ten minutes and cool in the pan two minutes before they come out. The filling is cream cheese whipped with taco seasoning and Greek yogurt, then corn, black beans, diced peppers, cherry tomatoes and avocado on top with a drizzle of ranch. Assemble them closer to serving time rather than in advance, because the shells soften if they sit around made up.
Get the full tutorial at Lemons For Lulu.
21. Loaded Ranch Potato Salad
Three pounds of red potatoes cut into bite sized pieces and boiled just ten to twelve minutes, then cooled properly before anything else happens to them. The dressing is mayonnaise, sour cream and a one ounce packet of ranch seasoning with garlic powder and pepper, and in go sharp cheddar, ten slices of crumbled bacon and sliced green onions. It needs an hour in the fridge before serving, and it serves eight. Give the potatoes fifteen to twenty minutes first, or the dressing goes runny and the cheddar melts instead of staying shredded.
Get the full tutorial at Bitz and Giggles.
22. Crock Pot Overnight Breakfast Casserole
A pound of frozen shredded hash browns layered twice with browned breakfast sausage, onion, green and red pepper and crumbled bacon, with the cheddar on the top layer only, then a dozen eggs whisked with a cup of milk and half a cup of sour cream poured over the lot. Six to eight hours on low in a six quart cooker, and the last of the cheese goes on at the end to melt. It serves eight. The sour cream is in there for creamy moisture, which is worth knowing before you decide to leave it out.
Get the full tutorial at The Gracious Wife.
23. Spicy Bacon Avocado and Tomato Breakfast Sandwich
The sauce is what makes this one, and it is a stir together job: cream cheese, sour cream, mayonnaise, grated parmesan, a quarter to a half teaspoon of cayenne and garlic powder. Bacon cooks first, the eggs cook in the bacon fat, and a sunny side up egg takes two to two and a half minutes covered on medium low. Ciabatta, bagel, croissant or English muffin all work. Fifteen minutes for four sandwiches, and it is the one on this list you would make for yourself on a Saturday.
Get the full tutorial at Meaningful Mama.
24. Slow Cooker Beef And Cheese Pasta
Two pounds of browned ground beef go into a six quart cooker with marinara, stewed tomatoes, basil, oregano, Italian seasoning, Worcestershire, two crumbled beef bouillon cubes and a couple of tablespoons of sugar, then cook six to eight hours on low. The pasta is cooked separately to al dente and folded in at the end with parmesan and mozzarella for a final thirty minutes on high, and spinach goes in last. Cooking the pasta in the sauce all day is how you end up with soggy pasta, so do not.
Get the full tutorial at The Cooking Jar.
25. Slow Cooker Chicken Fajitas
Two pounds of chicken breasts layered between canned tomatoes with green chilies, three bell peppers and a sliced onion, seasoned with chili powder, cumin, paprika and coriander. Two to three hours on high or four to six on low. Then the order at the end matters: lift the chicken out and slice or shred it, ladle out a cup of the broth and throw it away, and stir lime juice and a tablespoon of honey in as the chicken goes back. The honey balances the acidity of the lime and the tomatoes.
Get the full tutorial at Cooking Classy.
26. Chipotle BBQ Chicken Sandwiches
Two cups of shredded cooked chicken warmed through with three diced chipotle peppers in adobo and three quarters of a cup of barbecue sauce. The buns get a slice of mozzarella on the top half and go under the broiler for one to two minutes, then the chicken, spinach, crushed pineapple and sliced red onion go in. Fifteen minutes, six sandwiches, and eighteen ounces of canned chicken breast works in place of the shredded. The spinach and the pineapple together are what tone the heat down, so think hard before you drop either one.
Get the full tutorial at Inside BruCrew Life.
27. Slow Cooker Salsa Chicken
Two ingredients. Two pounds of chicken breasts and one cup of salsa, six to eight hours on low, then shredded with two forks right in the pot so the meat drinks the liquid back up. No draining. It makes four to five cups, keeps three to four days in the fridge and three to four months in the freezer, and turns into tacos, burritos, quesadillas, burrito bowls, taco salad or enchiladas depending on what night it is. Let it cool ten minutes before you shred it or you will burn your hands.
Get the full tutorial at Life As A Strawberry.
28. Shrimp And Avocado Taco Salad
Cilantro, lime juice, olive oil, honey and chili powder blitzed into a dressing, three tablespoons of which marinate half a pound of jumbo shrimp for exactly ten minutes and no longer, because lime juice starts cooking shrimp the way it cooks ceviche. One to two minutes a side in the pan. Romaine, red cabbage, grape tomatoes, avocado and crushed blue corn chips underneath, the rest of the dressing over the top. Fifteen minutes for two, and it is a genuinely good weeknight dinner.
Get the full tutorial at Iowa Girl Eats.
29. Steak Stir Fry Recipe With Peppers
A pound and a quarter of flank steak sliced thin across the grain and tossed with a tablespoon of cornstarch before it ever sees the pan, which helps it brown and thickens the sauce later on. The sauce is rice vinegar, soy sauce, orange zest, sugar and a teaspoon more cornstarch, mixed and waiting. Steak stir fries two minutes, comes out, then onion, red peppers, garlic and ginger go five minutes, everything returns and the sauce thickens in two or three. Forty minutes, four servings, over rice.
Get the full tutorial at Taste and Tell.
