Hot Packed Lunch Ideas for Kids

Ten hot food ideas that you can pack into a food flask or thermos and send to school for a warm lunch for kids

As the weather cools it’s a nice option to be able to send the kids to school with something warm for their lunch. It also gives you lots more variety other than sandwiches if you are packing lunch every day.

As well as being warming, all these Hot Food Ideas are also really filling, perfect to keep kids fuelled for an afternoon of learning.

Tips For Packing Hot Food For Lunches

When you get into the swing of packing hot foods for school lunches it will become second nature. But if you are just getting started here are my top tips:

• Always pre-heat the food flask. Fill it with boiling water, add the lid and leave for at least 10 minutes before removing the water.
• Fill the food to the top of the flask. The less cold air that’s in the flask, the warmer it will stay.
• Make sure the food is piping hot when you add it to the flask and close with the lid quickly.
• Foods with sauce retain their heat the best.
• For younger children it’s a good idea to have them practice opening the food flask at home a few times before sending into school.

Lunchbox With Food Flask

There are lots of lunchboxes on the market with food flasks. These are the ones which I am using here from my own brand Pick Plates.

You can buy the full lunchbox with food flask

Or just the food flask on it’s own.

Hot Packed Lunch Ideas for Kids

Please note – All the recipes below are based a food flask size of 250ml. If you have a smaller or larger food flask you may want to adjust the quantities of the ingredients in the recipes.

1 – Chicken Sausage Bites

Ingredients:

• 340g chicken sausages
• 75g carrot
• 40g grated cheddar cheese
• 25g dried breadcrumbs

Directions:

1. Remove the skins from the sausages and add them to a bowl.
2. Finely grate the carrot and add that to the sausages, along with the grated cheese and dried breadcrumbs.
3. Mix everything together really well.
4. Take a heaped tablespoon of the mixture and roll into a ball. 
5. Repeat the remaining mixture. You should be able to make 18 – 20 sausages bites.
6. To cook in the oven, preheat it to 180c / 350f and add the bites to two lined baking sheets. Bake for 17 minutes.
7. To cook in the airfryer, add the bites directly to the airfryer. You may have to cook them in two batches. Airfry for 11 minutes.
8. Once cooked, add to a pre-heated thermos.
9. Leftovers will keep in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 2 days. 
10. These sausage bites can also be frozen for up to 2 months. Defrost in the fridge overnight. They can be reheated in the microwave or eaten cold.

2 – Chicken Noodles

Ingredients:

• 40g dried egg noodles
• 120ml chicken stock
• 1 teaspoon cornflour
• 0.5 tablespoon soy sauce
• 60g frozen peas & corn
• 50g cooked chicken

Directions:

1. Add the noodles to a saucepan of boiling water and cook accordingly to the package instructions.
2. Meanwhile mix the stock and cornflour together and whisk with a fork to ensure there are no lumps.
3. Add this to a small frying pan with the soy sauce, frozen peas and corn and diced cooked chicken.
4. Cook for 3-4 minutes until everything is piping hot.
5. Add the drained noodles and mix well. Then transfer to a pre-warmed thermos.

3 – Cheese & Tomato Pasta

Ingredients:

• 50g dried pasta
• 1 tin chopped tomatoes
• 0.5 teaspoon oregano
• 0.5 teaspoon smoked paprika
• salt and pepper to taste
• grated cheese to top

Directions:

1. Cook the pasta according to package instructions.
2. In another saucepan add the chopped tomatoes, oregano, smoked paprika and a little salt and pepper.
3. Simmer on high for 10 minutes.
4. Mix a portion with the drained cooked pasta in the saucepan, ensuring that it is piping hot. Then transfer to the pre-heated thermos pot. Top with grated cheese.
5. Leftover sauce can be kept in the fridge for 2-3 days and can also be frozen.

4 – Airfryer Tomato Soup

Ingredients:

• 300g cherry tomatoes
• 2 garlic cloves
• 0.5 teaspoon dried basil
• Salt & Pepper
• Spray oil
• 100ml hot water
• one third of a veg stock cube

Directions:

1. Add the tomatoes, garlic and dried basil to an oven proof dish.
2. Season with a little salt and pepper and spray with some spray oil.
3. Airfry at 190c for 12 minutes. You can also roast in the oven at 190c for 15 minutes.
4. Add everything to a blender with the hot water and stock cube.
5. Blend until completely smooth then transfer to the pre-heated thermos pot.
6. If you want to make more than one portion, just double or triple the ingredients.
7. Leftovers will keep in the fridge for 2-3 days and can be frozen too.

5 – Red Pepper Pasta

Ingredients:

• 50g dried pasta
• 480g jar of roasted red peppers
• 150g cottage cheese

Directions:

1. Cook the pasta according to package instructions.
2. Add the roasted peppers plus the juice from the jar along with the cottage cheese to a food processor and blitz.
3. Mix a portion of this sauce with the drained cooked pasta in the saucepan, and cook for a couple of minutes, ensuring that it is piping hot. Then transfer to the pre-heated thermos pot.
4. Leftover sauce can be kept in the fridge for 2 days and can also be frozen.

6 – Gnocchi Mac & Cheese

Ingredients:

• 150g gnocchi
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon plain flour
• 120ml milk
• dash of dijon mustard
• 30g grated cheese
• Salt & Pepper

Directions:

1. Add the gnocchi to a pan of boiling water and cook according to the package instructions.
2. In another saucepan add the butter and heat until melted. Add flour and stir quickly, cooking for about 20 seconds.
3. Pour in the milk and cook for a minute, stirring continuously until the sauce thickens.
4. Add the dijon mustard and grated cheese and mix again, seasoning with a little salt and pepper.
5. Add in the cooked gnocchi, ensuring that it is piping hot. Then transfer to the pre-heated thermos pot.

7 – Nut Free Pasta Pesto

Ingredients:

• 50g dried pasta
• 15g basil leaves
• 70g parmesan (coarsely grated)
• 0.5 garlic clove
• 150ml olive oil
• Juice of half lemon

Directions:

1. Cook the pasta according to package instructions.
2. Add the basil, grated parmesan and garlic to a food processor and blitz just enough until everything is finely chopped.
3. Add the olive oil and lemon juice and blitz again.
4. Mix a portion with the cooked pasta in a saucepan and heat until piping hot. Then transfer to the pre-heated thermos pot.
5. Leftover pesto can be kept in the fridge for 2-3 days or frozen into portions too.

8 – Leftover Spaghetti Bolognese

Ingredients:

• Leftover Spaghetti Bolognese
• Grated cheese

Directions:

1. Heat the leftover spaghetti bolognese in the microwave or on the hob until piping hot.
2. Transfer to the pre-heated thermos pot and top with grated cheese.

9- Chicken Nuggets

Ingredients:

• Chicken Nuggets or Goujons

Directions:

1. Cook the nuggets in the oven or airfryer according to the package instructions.
2. After pre-heating the thermos pot, dry it quickly then add some kitchen paper to the bottom of the pot. Place the cooked nuggets on top.

10 – Baked Beans

Ingredients:

• Small tin of baked beans

Directions:

1. Heat the baked beans in the microwave or on the hob until piping hot.
2. Transfer to the pre-heated thermos pot.

More Lunchbox Recipes?

I have lots more lunchbox recipes in the My Fussy Eater App. Available in the App Store and Google Play Store for a one time payment of £4.99. No monthly subscriptions or in-app fees.