Skip to content

Top Navigation

Food & Wine Food & Wine
  • Recipes & Cooking
  • Drinks
  • Travel
  • Holidays & Events
  • News
  • F&W Classic
  • Video
  • Kitchen & Home
  • F&W Pro

Profile Menu

Your Profile

Your Profile

  • Join Now
  • Newsletters
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Give a Gift Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Wine Club
  • Podcast
  • Logout
Login
Subscribe Subscribe
Pin FB

Explore Food & Wine

Food & Wine Food & Wine
  • Explore

    Explore

    • F&W Cooks

      Food and Wine presents a new network of food pros delivering the most cookable recipes and delicious ideas online. Read More Next
    • Our 22 Best Crock Pot and Slow-Cooker Recipes

      Looking to amp up your beef stew but unsure where to start? A slow cooker can can take your comfort food to the next level. Read More Next
    • 50 Affordable Wines You Can Always Trust

      We’ve assembled a list of 50 of the world’s most reliable, inexpensive wines – bottles that offer amazing quality for their price year in and year out. Read More Next
  • Recipes & Cooking

    Recipes & Cooking

    See All Recipes & Cooking
    • Chicken Recipes
    • Comfort Food Recipes
    • Breakfast & Brunch Recipes
    • Salad Recipes
    • Dessert Recipes
    • Vegetable Recipes
    • Pasta & Noodle Recipes
    • Chefs
    • Meat & Poultry Recipes
    • Soup Recipes
    • Appetizer Recipes
    • Side Dishes
    • Fruit Recipes
    • Seafood Recipes
    • Special Diets
    • Cooking Techniques
    • Steal This Trick
  • Drinks

    Drinks

    See All Drinks
    • Wine
    • Cocktails & Spirits
    • Coffee Drinks & Recipes
    • Juices
    • Beer & Brews
    • Champagne & Sparkling Wine
    • Tea Recipes & Ideas
  • Travel

    Travel

    See All Travel
    • Wine Regions
    • Restaurants
  • Holidays & Events

    Holidays & Events

    See All Holidays & Events
    • Valentine's Day
    • Halloween
    • Passover
    • Hanukkah
    • Christmas
    • Gifts
    • Super Bowl
    • Easter
    • Thanksgiving
    • New Year's Eve
    • Holiday Entertaining
  • News
  • F&W Classic
  • Video
  • Kitchen & Home
  • F&W Pro

Profile Menu

Subscribe this link opens in a new tab
Your Profile

Your Profile

  • Join Now
  • Newsletters
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Give a Gift Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Wine Club
  • Podcast
  • Logout
Login
Sweepstakes

Follow Us

  1. Home Chevron Right
  2. Comfort Food Recipes Chevron Right
  3. School Lunch, Reinvented

School Lunch, Reinvented

By Food & Wine
Updated April 24, 2017
Skip gallery slides
Save FB Tweet
Classic lunch favorites of old (think sloppy joes, tater tots and chicken nuggets) are transformed into utterly delicious, adult-friendly meals in these easy, fun recipes.
Start Slideshow

1 of 15

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message Print

Barbecue Sloppy Joes

Go to Recipe

This updated old-school diner classic is mom-approved. Before serving the hearty sandwich chef Christopher Tunnell ran it by his mom. "When she tasted it, she was proud," he says.

  • All-American Recipes

1 of 15

Advertisement
Advertisement

2 of 15

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message Print

Carrot Macaroni and Cheese

Go to Recipe

The silky carrot puree mixed with the cheddar here is a terrific source of vitamin A and helps reduce the amount of fat in the recipe.

  • More Macaroni and Cheese Recipes

2 of 15

3 of 15

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message Print

Crisp Gnocchi "Tater Tots"

Go to Recipe

In this reinvented recipe for tater tots, homemade gnocchi are fried to resemble the cafeteria tray classic.

  • More Delicious Potato Dishes

3 of 15

Advertisement

4 of 15

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message Print

Grilled-Chicken Tacos

Go to Recipe

This grilled-chicken taco recipe calls for chicken thighs marinated in tomatoes and lime. The result: super juicy meat that cooks quickly.

  • More Tasty Taco Recipes

4 of 15

5 of 15

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message Print

Black-Bean Turkey Chili

Go to Recipe

"In this industry, you often don't eat when you need to," says Ronnie Killen. "What helped me lose weight was eating at the right times." He started having real meals with lean proteins, like this turkey chili.

  • More Chili Recipes

5 of 15

6 of 15

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message Print

Free-Form Sausage-and-Three-Cheese Lasagna

Credit: Quentin Bacon
Go to Recipe

This rustic and gooey lasagna is packed with cheese and sausage. The style is called free-form because the pasta can be arranged in different ways—for instance, folded over the filling—instead of traditionally layered.

  • More Baked Pasta Dishes

6 of 15

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

7 of 15

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message Print

Oven Fries with Roasted Garlic

Go to Recipe

Skin-on potatoes, like the ones used for these crispy, low-fat fries, are high in vitamin C and potassium; they're also a good source of dietary fiber and vitamin B.

  • More French Fry Recipes

7 of 15

8 of 15

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message Print

Margherita Tortilla Pizzas

Go to Recipe

Jacques Pépin makes quick pizzas with pita bread, lavash or flour tortillas. The possibilities are endless, from a simple Margherita to a pizzeria-inspired white-clam pie.

  • More Easy Pizza Recipes

8 of 15

9 of 15

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message Print

Cheddar-and-Onion Smashed Burgers

Go to Recipe

Chef Adam Fleischman creates beef patties by flattening balls of ground meat on the griddle before cooking them with cheddar and onions. Before serving, the burgers are sprinkled with "umami dust," a savory mix that includes ground kombu (a type of seaweed) and dried shiitake mushrooms.

  • Best Burgers in the U.S.

9 of 15

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

10 of 15

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message Print

Skillet Chicken-and-Mushroom Potpie

Go to Recipe

Grace Parisi proves that making potpie doesn't have to take a long time with this one-skillet version, prepared with store-bought rotisserie chicken and—her stroke of brilliance—buttered white bread in place of the usual labor-intensive puff pastry crust.

  • Delicious Potpies

10 of 15

11 of 15

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message Print

Beef Tenderloin "Dogs" with Corn Relish

Go to Recipe

David Burke grills beef tenderloin, cuts it into long, thick slices about the length and width of a hot dog, then cradles each piece in a soft bun. One summery relish, made with kernels of sweet corn and bits of red onion tossed with cider vinegar, goes on top of all the "dogs."

  • Great Hot Dogs

11 of 15

12 of 15

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message Print

Classic Spaghetti and Meatballs

Go to Recipe

Spaghetti and meatballs is a crowd-pleasing classic Italian-American dish. The mixture of beef, veal and pork makes the meatballs really flavorful.

  • More Recipes for Spaghetti

12 of 15

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

13 of 15

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message Print

The New American Grilled Cheese

Go to Recipe

The best grilled cheese is the gooiest grilled cheese, says author Laura Werlin: "After you bite into it, the cheese should stretch out past your face as far as your arm will reach. Otherwise, it's just not right."

  • Great Grilled Cheese

13 of 15

14 of 15

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message Print

Oven-Fried Chicken

Go to Recipe

For this oven-fried chicken recipe, skinless, boneless chicken thighs are breaded in panko and a blend of spices including celery salt, garlic salt, and cayenne pepper.

  • More Fried Chicken Recipes

14 of 15

15 of 15

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message Print

Baked Beans with Maple-Glazed Bacon

Go to Recipe

For a zippy version of a New England classic, Laurence Jossel bakes buttery Rancho Gordo Yellow Eye beans in a tangy-hot mixture of apple cider vinegar, molasses, brown sugar and crushed red pepper. Regular Italian cannellini or Great Northern beans can replace the Yellow Eyes.

  • More Baked Beans Recipes

15 of 15

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Replay gallery

Share the Gallery

Pinterest Facebook

Up Next

By Food & Wine

Share the Gallery

Pinterest Facebook
Trending Videos
Advertisement
Skip slide summaries

Everything in This Slideshow

Advertisement

View All

1 of 15 Barbecue Sloppy Joes
2 of 15 Carrot Macaroni and Cheese
3 of 15 Crisp Gnocchi "Tater Tots"
4 of 15 Grilled-Chicken Tacos
5 of 15 Black-Bean Turkey Chili
6 of 15 Free-Form Sausage-and-Three-Cheese Lasagna
7 of 15 Oven Fries with Roasted Garlic
8 of 15 Margherita Tortilla Pizzas
9 of 15 Cheddar-and-Onion Smashed Burgers
10 of 15 Skillet Chicken-and-Mushroom Potpie
11 of 15 Beef Tenderloin "Dogs" with Corn Relish
12 of 15 Classic Spaghetti and Meatballs
13 of 15 The New American Grilled Cheese
14 of 15 Oven-Fried Chicken
15 of 15 Baked Beans with Maple-Glazed Bacon

Share options

Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message Print

Login

Food & Wine

Magazines & More

Learn More

  • Subscribe this link opens in a new tab
  • Books from Food & Wine
  • Contact Us
  • Media Kit
  • Content Licensing

Connect

Follow Us
Subscribe to Our Newsletter
Other Meredith Sites

Other Meredith Sites

  • 4 Your Health this link opens in a new tab
  • Allrecipes this link opens in a new tab
  • All People Quilt this link opens in a new tab
  • Better Homes & Gardens this link opens in a new tab
  • Bizrate Insights this link opens in a new tab
  • Bizrate Surveys this link opens in a new tab
  • Cooking Light this link opens in a new tab
  • Daily Paws this link opens in a new tab
  • EatingWell this link opens in a new tab
  • Eat This, Not That this link opens in a new tab
  • Entertainment Weekly this link opens in a new tab
  • Health this link opens in a new tab
  • Hello Giggles this link opens in a new tab
  • Instyle this link opens in a new tab
  • Martha Stewart this link opens in a new tab
  • Midwest Living this link opens in a new tab
  • More this link opens in a new tab
  • MyRecipes this link opens in a new tab
  • MyWedding this link opens in a new tab
  • My Food and Family this link opens in a new tab
  • MyLife this link opens in a new tab
  • Parenting this link opens in a new tab
  • Parents this link opens in a new tab
  • People this link opens in a new tab
  • People en EspaƱol this link opens in a new tab
  • Rachael Ray Magazine this link opens in a new tab
  • Real Simple this link opens in a new tab
  • Ser Padres this link opens in a new tab
  • Shape this link opens in a new tab
  • Siempre Mujer this link opens in a new tab
  • Southern Living this link opens in a new tab
  • SwearBy this link opens in a new tab
  • Travel & Leisure this link opens in a new tab
Food & Wine is part of the Meredith Corporation Allrecipes Food Group. © Copyright 2021 Meredith Corporation. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policythis link opens in a new tab Terms of Servicethis link opens in a new tab Ad Choicesthis link opens in a new tab California Do Not Sellthis link opens a modal window Web Accessibilitythis link opens in a new tab
© Copyright . All rights reserved. Printed from https://www.foodandwine.com

View image

School Lunch, Reinvented
this link is to an external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines.