A Perfect Pantry

My daughter starts school next year and I have worked out I will make for her 1400 school lunches during her entire primary school years. 1400 sandwiches. That's alot of bread and then my son starts a year later!

If you think outside the sandwich and look at what you make for dinner, you can always incorporate it into their lunches the next day! Leftover lunches are great - especially with the right lunchbox and iceblock to keep meat cool. Using the Kambrook Sear and Slow Cooker on the stovetop and then slow cooking your meal is so quick and easy to do. Pop it on in the morning and dinner is ready by 5pm. The meat is always so tender that children of all ages will be able to eat it.

Here are three of my recipes, and how I've transformed the leftovers into lunches.

Beef Stew Recipe

INGREDIENTS

• 1kilo Slow Cook Beef Chuck
• 3 Carrots (peeled and sliced)
• 5 Baby Potatoes (sliced into quarters)
• 1 Onion (sliced)
• 375gms Mushrooms (whole)
• 1 Litre Beef Stock
• 2 Tbsp Worcester Sauce
• 1 tsp Paprika
• 1 tsp Ground Chilli
• 1 tablespoon plain flour
• 1 knob butter
• 1 dash Olive Oil

DIRECTIONS

1. Place removable cooking pot onto stove and add oil and butter to melt. 
2. Place Beef in a bag with Flour, Chilli, Paprika and shake until all evenly coated.
3. Sear Beef in batches until lightly browned.
4. Place removeable cooking pot into slow cooker and add the vegetables and beef stock
5. Cook on low for 8 hours.

Beef Stew Lunch #1:

Beef Stew and Rice in a Japanese bowl with chopsticks.

Beef Stew Lunch #2:
Beef Stew with Shaped Bunny Rice, Crackers, Cheese, Pikelet and Apricot Balls.

Beef Stew Lunch #3:
Beef Stew Pie with Mashed Carrot and Potato, accompanied by yoghurt and an Anzac biscuit.

BBQ Pulled Chicken Recipe

INGREDIENTS

• 2 Chicken Breasts (skin off)
• ½ cup BBQ Sauce
• 1 dash Worcester Sauce

DIRECTIONS

1. Mix BBQ Sauce and Worcester Sauce together. 
2. Place Chicken into the Slow Cooker. 
3. Pour BBQ mixture over Chicken. 
4. Turn over and cover again with BBQ mixture. 
5. Turn Slow Cooker onto low and cook for 2-3 hours.
6. Remove Chicken when cooked and shred with a fork
7. Return Chicken to Slow Cooker and mix it into the BBQ mixture
8. Remove and use hot or refrigerate for later.

BBQ Pulled Chicken Lunch #1:
Rice with BBQ Pulled Chicken and Salad

BBQ Pulled Chicken Lunch #2:
BBQ Pulled Chicken Wrap with Yoghurt, Watermelon, Apple, Carrots, Raisins and Apricot Ball.

BBQ Pulled Chicken Lunch #3:
BBQ Pulled Chicken Rice Paper Rolls, BBQ Sauce, Cheese, Grapes, Raisins, Carrots and a mini Easter Egg.

Slow Cooked Silverside (Corned Beef) Recipe

INGREDIENTS

• 1 Silverside (I use Harveys Old English Silverside)
• 2 small onions, halved
• 1-2 Carrots - peeled, halved and quartered into sticks
• 1-2 Celery - halved and quartered into sticks
• 4/5 Small Potatoes - halved (do not include if you want mashed potatoes)
• ¼ cup brown sugar
• ½ cup malt brown vinegar
• 2 cloves garlic (whole)
• 5-6 Whole Peppercorns
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 L beef stock
• Water, sufficient to cover Corned Beef

DIRECTIONS

1. Place all ingredients in the slow cooker, silverside on top of vegetables.
2. Ensure silverside is almost emerged in the stock and water.
3. Cook on low for 6½ hours until tender and slightly falling apart.
4. Allow to rest for atleast 10 minutes under foil before serving (makes for easier carving).
5. Serve with mashed potato, vegetables from the slow cooker, green beans, peas and corn.
6. Keep the leftover meat in a plastic container wrapped in foil for up to a week.

Silverside Lunch #1:
Silverside and Cheese (with Mayo) Mini Wraps, Ham Flowers, Peanuts, Fruit Bar, Mini Rice Crackers, Yoghurt Balls and Apricot Balls.

Silverside Lunch #2:
Silverside, Cheese and Branston Pickle Tiger Roll with Raisins and Candy Eyes

Silverside Lunch #3:
Silverside Fried Rice in a bowl with chopsticks.

Recipes and Lunches created by Yvette Bowyer of Little Bento Blog. 

Dealing with her own fussy eaters has inspired Yvette to find new ways to expose her children to the colours, textures and tastes of healthy eating and Little Bento Blog is where she share her ideas for the Bento style lunches. Passionate about Bento style lunches and believes that thinking outside of the square sandwich and getting a little creative with the every day lunchbox can do wonders for the appetite and imagination of your child.

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