My friend Dee is just as obsessed as I am with her kids’ lunches. And, like me, she has three little ones to pack for. (Two school-aged, one who just loves to eat what his big brothers do!)

She sent me this shot of their lunch today and I immediately had serious lunch envy. So good and so many great, new ideas here.

For example – can we just talk about the grilled cheese roll-ups for a minute? Genius! I always thought packing grilled cheese in school lunches would be a good idea – but they may be soggy by lunch time. A big issue for my texture-sensitive gal. Roll it up into a fun, log-style snack and the kids will likely eat it – whether it’s slightly soggy or not. (Plus her kids like to dip them in the soup she added – another way to get over the soggy front).  I’ve included her tips for making them at the bottom of this post.

Here’s a list of everything they had for lunch today:

• Grilled cheese roll ups
• Cucumber cups filled with hummus
• Yellow pepper strips & cherry tomatoes
• A fruit cup filled with: Cantaloupe, kiwi, mandarin orange, strawberries and apple slices
• Black bean brownie bites
• Gluten-free carrot/zucchini/pineapple muffin cake – recipe to come!
• A piece of panda licorice
• Tomato bisque soup (for dipping the grilled cheese)

How to Make Grilled Cheese Roll-Ups (It Ain’t Pretty, But it Works!)

Cut the crust off the bread.

Squish it flat with the palm of your hand against the counter or cutting board.

Slap on a piece of cheese (I used pre-sliced Swiss, although cheddar, mozzarella or havarti would all be good) and roll it super tight.

Squeeze it in your hand to make it stay in a roll and not unwrap (lesson learned after trying toothpicks).

Heat the pan with about 2 tbsp butter.

Fry them up until they turn golden brown on all sides and cheese is melted.

You can also try rolling sliced chicken in with the cheese. Yum!

I’d like to know if she’ll start packing my work lunches…