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If your child is into funky sandwich combinations, I’m sure they’ll get some clever ideas from What’s Cooking, Jenny Archer? It may even inspire them to pack their own lunches.

However, you may be safer going with the lunch box recipes The Associated Press (via the Denver Post) took from the August-September issue of Everyday With Rachael Ray magazine. As The AP writes:

Lunch shouldn’t be a chore and shouldn’t be boring, whether it’s for a back-to-school lunchbox, a brown-bagger’s menu, or to eat on the spot at home in the kitchen.

Let’s liven it up, lightly and easily. That’s the cue to take a look at a couple of suggestions from the August-September issue of Everyday With Rachael Ray magazine, from a feature on stylish lunch boxes and tasty meals that are good to go, and can be prepared in less than half an hour.

These two recipes are based on turkey and chicken, respectively; nothing outre about that. But look at the details: You’ll see that beans, corn and a dash of chipotle give the turkey tostadas a special flavor.

To prepare this lunch special, you just pack up the ready-to-eat ingredients, and then assemble the tostadas as you eat, Silvana Nardone, the magazine’s editor-in-chief, says - and points out it’s fun and interactive, especially for kids.

Turkey and Black Bean Tostadas
(Preparation 20 minutes)
Makes 2 tostadas

Ingredients:

1. 3 1/2 ounces roast turkey, from the deli counter, finely diced (3/4 cup)
2. 1/4 cup cooked black beans, drained and rinsed
3. 3 tablespoons fresh corn kernels or thawed frozen corn
4. 1 small ripe tomato, finely diced
5. Juice of 1 lime (about 1 tablespoon)
6. 1 tablespoon chipotle sauce or hot sauce, to taste
7. 1/4 cup shredded extra-sharp Cheddar cheese
8. 1/4 cup plain reduced-fat sour cream
9. 2 flat corn tostada shells
10. 1/2 cup shredded lettuce
11. 1 tablespoon snipped chives (optional)

Directions:

1. In a bowl, combine the turkey, black beans, corn, tomato, lime juice, chipotle sauce and cheese.
2. Pack the turkey mixture, sour cream, tostadas, lettuce and chives separately until ready to use.
3. To serve, spread some sour cream on each tostada. Top each tostada with some turkey mixture, lettuce and chives.

With the curried chicken salad, tossing in broccoli, dates, apple and celery makes clear this is not the same old, same old. It effortlessly introduces children to spices with familiar foods like chicken and fruit, Nardone says, and there’s an added bonus: “You get to sneak in some vegetables!”

Curried Chicken Salad With Broccoli and Dates
Makes 2 servings

Ingredients:

1. 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2. 1 whole skinless, boneless chicken breast
3. Salt and freshly ground pepper
4. 3/4 cup broccoli florets
5. 1/3 cup mayonnaise
6. 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
7. 1/2 teaspoon curry powder
8. 1/2 Granny Smith apple, chopped
9. 3 dates, pitted and finely chopped
10. 2 celery ribs, thinly sliced
11. 2 pita rounds

Directions:

1. Heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium heat.
2. Season the chicken breast on both sides with salt and pepper and cook, until lightly browned and cooked through, about 5 minutes on each side; let cool.
3. Meanwhile, bring a small saucepan of salted water to a boil, add the broccoli and cook until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes.
4. Drain, rinse under cold water and set aside.
5. Chop the chicken and broccoli into bite-size pieces.
6. In a large bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, vinegar and curry powder. Add the chicken, broccoli, apple, dates and celery, and toss.
7. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve with pita.

More school lunch ideas from Everyday With Rachael Ray (and other places) tomorrow.

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