Buy These 10 Ingredients, Make a Whole Week of School Lunches

Martha Stewart

If your refrigerator and pantry are stocked with staples, a quick shopping trip and just 10 ingredients will yield a week's worth of tasty lunches for the kids to tote to school.

Here is the shopping list and our top five recipes to start the school year in delicious fashion. (The recipes yield more than one serving; depending on how many kids you're feeding, there may be enough for your lunch, too.)

Shopping List
What you should have in the pantry or refrigerator: extra-virgin olive oil, butter, Parmesan, mayonnaise, mustard, vinegar, onions, garlic, pasta, and sliced bread

What you need to buy:
Apples
Broccoli
Carrots
Lemons
Parsley
Turkey breast (fresh-cooked)
Canned white beans
Eggs
Cheddar
Tortillas

Related: Fast, One-Pot Meal Ideas To Feed the Whole Family

Turkey + Tortillas + Carrots

A wrap is easy for small hands to handle and can hold myriad fillings. Here we use cooked turkey breast (cook one yourself or buy fresh-cooked turkey breast, not turkey roll) and add finely grated carrot for color and crunch. Tuck in some baby spinach if you can and opt for plain, not flavored, tortillas if that's what your audience prefers.

Turkey Salad Wrap

1 cooked piece (4 ounces) turkey breast
2 tablespoons light mayonnaise
1 tablespoon honey mustard
1/2 teaspoon white-wine vinegar
Ground black pepper
1 cup (1 ounce) arugula, or baby spinach
1 carrot, (4 ounces) finely grated (2/3 cup)
1 (12 inch) flavored flour tortilla, such as red pepper

1. Coarsely chop the turkey and place in a medium bowl. Stir in the mayonnaise, mustard, and vinegar until combined. Season to taste with pepper.

2. Arrange arugula and carrot in the center of the tortilla. Spoon turkey salad down the center. Fold one end of tortilla up over a little of the filling. Fold the sides over to enclose the filling, and then roll up to close. Cut sandwich in half crosswise, wrap each half separately in waxed paper, and refrigerate overnight.

Apple + Cheddar + Eggs

Another food that's easy to pick up and eat. This frittata has a surprise inside--apple pairs wonderfully with cheddar and makes a substantial savory yet sweet lunch.

Apple-and-Cheddar Frittata

8 large eggs plus 2 large egg whites
4 ounces white cheddar cheese, coarsely grated (1 cup)
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 tablespoon butter
2 Gala apples, peeled, cored, and sliced lengthwise into 1/8-inch-thick pieces

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees, with rack set in top third. In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, egg whites, and half the cheese; season with salt and pepper. In a medium cast-iron or nonstick ovenproof skillet, heat butter over medium. Add egg mixture; while it cooks, 1 to 2 minutes until edge is set, arrange apples on top in a circular pattern, starting from the outside edge, and sprinkle with remaining cheese.

2. Transfer skillet to oven. Bake until frittata is set in the center and cheese is browned, about 20 minutes. Using a rubber spatula, release frittata onto a cutting board; let rest 5 minutes. Cut into wedges, and serve.

Related: 35 Beyond Delicious No-Bake Dessert Recipes

Broccoli + White Beans + Lemons + Parsley

Add protein and fiber to your kids' pasta lunch with creamy-tasting white beans.

Pasta and White Beans with Broccoli Pesto

Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 bunch broccoli, cut into 1-inch pieces (about 4 cups)
10 ounces short pasta, such as fusilli
5 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 ounce Parmesan, finely grated (1/4 cup), plus more for serving (optional)
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest, plus 1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 cup packed fresh parsley leaves
1/2 small garlic clove

1. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook broccoli until tender and bright green, about 4 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer broccoli to a food processor. Return water to a boil and cook pasta according to package instructions. Reserve 2 cups pasta water; drain pasta and return to pot.

2. To food processor, add oil, Parmesan, lemon zest and juice, parsley, and garlic. Puree until smooth, about 2 minutes, scraping down side as needed. Transfer pesto to pot with pasta. Stir to coat, adding enough reserved pasta water to make a creamy sauce. Stir in beans and heat over medium until warmed through. Season with salt and pepper. To serve, sprinkle with Parmesan, if desired.

Eggs + Carrots

Brighten the week with this fun sandwich. Try grated carrot hair, a pickle nose and egg slices for eyes or ask the kids what to use for the face. The recipe calls for a slice of ham hidden under the egg salad but we think it's fine as an egg-only lunch. For older kids, lose the face and make a classy closed egg salad sandwich with grated carrot.

Open "Face" Egg Salad Sandwiches

7 eggs
1/4 cup mayonnaise
2 teaspoons mustard
1/2 teaspoon each salt and ground pepper
1 slice ham

1. In a medium saucepan, cover 7 eggs with water. Bring to a boil; cook, uncovered, 2 minutes. Cover and remove from heat; let stand 10 minutes. Place eggs in bowl under cold running water until cool. Peel eggs.

2. Slice 2 eggs with an egg slicer or a knife. Set aside 8 of the slices for eyes. Place remaining pieces in a bowl; add unsliced eggs. Mash with a fork. Add mayonnaise, mustard, and salt and ground pepper; stir to combine.

White Beans + Lemons + Tortillas

Okay, so we're pulling a switch here. Substitute homemade tortilla chips for the toasted pita chips, unless of course you just happen to have some pita in the bread box. Round out the meal with carrot sticks and broccoli florets or any other crudite your kids will enjoy.

White-Bean Dip with Toasted Pita Chips

1 can (19-ounce) cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 1 lemon)
Coarse salt and ground pepper

1. In a food processor, combine cannellini beans, olive oil, 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (about 1 lemon); season with coarse salt and ground pepper. Puree until smooth.

2. Place puree in a serving bowl, and lightly sprinkle chili powder over the top, if desired. Serve dip with toasted pita chips.

More from Martha Stewart:
Hands Down, The 20 Grilling Recipes You Must Try This Summer
15 Kitchen Shortcuts That Will Change the Way You Cook
20 Delicious New Brown-Bag Lunch Ideas
Martha Stewart's All-Time Favorite Dessert Recipes

These healthy muffins would also make a killer lunchbox addition.