A Perfect Pantry

Creating lunches has been something of a passion for me. Trying to get my daughter, who has refused to eat almost everything I put in front of her since she was 18 months old (now almost 4!), to eat a healthy lunch, let alone any meal. This has allowed me to get adventurous in the kitchen, but still keeping things simple to make!

There are so many things you can do, from batch cooking muffins, cakes, slices, that are sweet or savory, freezing them and popping into the lunchboxes to making your own rolls and then utilising them in different ways.

One of my favourite ways is making mini pizza bases - this way you can premake, freeze and just pop one in the lunchbox so they can make their own pizza style meal at lunchtime!

Little Bento Pizza Recipe

INGREDIENTS

• 1 ¼ cups water
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 cups plain flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 sachet yeast (7 grms)

DIRECTIONS

1. Place in breadmachine in order of ingredients - set to dough.
2. Roll out flat (about 5mm thick as it will start to rise as you cut)
3. Use a pizza docker to stop from rising while cooking.
4. Cut out shapes.
5. Place on baking tray in oven at 180 degrees for 8 minutes.

Notes: You can cook in oven with pizza toppings, cook without toppings and freeze in gladwrap, or place in airtight container and use within two days.

On the menu:
Mini Dinosaur and Bear Ham and Cheese Pizza
Yoghurt with Sprinkles
Celery and Carrots

Make your own Pizza Lunchbox:
3x Mini Pizza Bases
Grated Cheese
Sliced Ham
Cream Cheese spread (or use bbq sauce or tomato sauce - sweet chilli is nice if your children like it too!)
Served with yoghurt.

One of my batch cooking is scrolls - perfect snack for when you hear the "Mum I'm hungry!"

Peanut Butter and Nutella Scrolls

INGREDIENTS

• 255 mls Water
• 3 tablespoons Peanut Butter
• 500g Sweet Bread Flour
• 1 sachet Dry Yeast
• ½ Nutella

DIRECTIONS

1. Place Water, Peanut Butter, Flour, Yeast into bread machine.
2. Set machine onto Dough setting.
3. When cycle is finished - remove dough from pan and expel air.
4. (Wrap in gladwrap twice and pop into the freezer to use at a different time if needed - allow to defrost thoroughly then continue with steps below).
5. Cover with cloth and allow to rest for 10 minutes.
6. Roll into a rectangle (approximately 30x20cm by 5mm thick).
7. Spread Nutella to the edge.
8. Roll up like a swiss roll, making sure the seam is underneath.
9. Cut into 12 equal pieces - use a bread knife as easier to cut.
10. Allow to double in size (approximately 30-45 minutes)
11. Bake for 10-15 minutes in oven - pre-heated at 180 (fan forced)

 Delicious!

You can use many different variations for scrolls:
Peanut Butter & Choc Chip with Jam
Honey and Raisins
Fruit Mix with Custard
Banana Slice with Nuts
Cream Cheese and Nectarine slices

Using the same scroll recipe - omitting the peanut butter (if you want to make it savoury)

You can make Mini Scrollanties (cross between a scroll, crossant and bread roll!)

On the menu:
Mini Scrollanties
Leftover Spaghetti Bolognaise
Carrots and Celery
Trail mix - raisins, peanuts and IKEA biscuits

Honey and Milk Rolls 

A hit at every dinner, bbq and lunchbox!

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup lukewarm milk
• 2 eggs
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 3 1/2 cups bread flour (plain flour works too)
• 2 1/4 teaspoons yeast

DIRECTIONS

1. Put in bread machine in order given. When adding the yeast, make a hole in flour and put yeast in the hole.
2. Put on dough cycle.
3. On lightly floured surface, divide dough into 12 equal parts and shape into smooth balls.
4. Place balls in greased baking tray.
5. Heat oven to 180 degrees.
6. Cover with clean towel and let rise in warm place until they double in size (30 minutes).
7. Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until light golden brown (hollow tap underneath).

On the menu:
Beef Burger Honey and Milk Roll with Cheese and Mayonnaise
Carrots and Celery
Yoghurt with mini choc chips

On the menu:
Sliced Honey and Milk Roll with Cream Cheese and Avocado
Carrots
Yoghurt
Trail mix - raisins, peanuts and IKEA biscuits

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

Hi I’m Yvette from Little Bento Blog – Dealing with my fussy eaters has inspired me to find new ways to expose my children to the colours, textures and tastes of healthy eating and Little Bento Blog is where I share my ideas for the Bento Style Lunches that I have come to love along with the everyday recipes that help me make eating a fun experience for them.

I’m passionate about Bento style lunches and believe that thinking outside of the square sandwich and getting a little creative with the everyday lunchbox can do wonders for the appetite and imagination of your children.

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