back to school

14 Kid-Friendly Sandwich Ideas

Justine Lee
Justine LeeRecipe Production Coordinator
Justine Lee is Kitchn's Recipe Production Coordinator and a food writer and recipe developer based in NYC. Her writing frequently appears in Food52, Bon Appetit, Food Network, The Infatuation, among others. She has also been featured in the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal. In her past, Justine has worked in various professional kitchens and food companies. This, along with her Korean-American culinary identity and a lifelong passion for baking, often informs her work. You will find Justine drinking iced coffees year-round, even in a snowstorm with gloves on.
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published Aug 18, 2022
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Credit: Maria Siriano

Starting a new school year is exciting! But between those first-day jitters, the sprint to find the next classroom, new clubs and extracurriculars to join, homework, and generally wanting to start off on the right foot, it’s important for kids to be fueled and focused. (The same holds true for adults heading back to the office!) When the first hours of school and work get the best of us, there’s nothing quite like a good sandwich. It makes opening up that lunch container feel like uncovering precious treasure.

The sandwiches your kids will actually want to eat stand in a class of their own. These classic clubs, salad sandwiches, wraps, sliders, and even calzones are very transportable, handheld, and will stay pretty fresh until it’s time to head to the cafeteria. Here are 13 kid-friendly sandwich ideas to make the back-to-school routine all the more tastier and easier.

1 / 14
Chickpea Caesar Salad Wraps
A vegetarian spin on the chicken Caesar salad wrap with crunchy spiced chickpeas, sourdough croutons, and a creamy tahini-based caesar dressing.
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2 / 14
Pinwheels
These turkey pinwheels only take 15 minutes to assemble. In other words, you can pack them right before your kids rush out the door for school.
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3 / 14
Whole-Wheat Double Peanut Butter & Jelly Pockets
Kids will love these baked calzone-like sandwiches made with sticky jam and double dose of peanut butter. (Any other nut or seed butter would work just fine here.)
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4 / 14
California BLT with Avocado and Basil Mayonnaise
There's no better way to enjoy the tail-end of peak summer produce season and the start of back-to-school season than with the combination of ripe tomato, crisp lettuce, salty bacon, and avocado.
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5 / 14
Smashed Chickpea Salad Sandwiches
For vegetarian kids, this plant-based take on tuna salad sandwich with a base of hearty chickpeas and crunchy vegetables will hit the spot.
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6 / 14
Bell Pepper Sandwich
Crunchy bell peppers replace the bread in this deli-style kid-friendly lunch. Fill them with deli ham or turkey slices, baby spinach, and sliced Provolone.
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7 / 14
Egg Salad Sandwich
Not only do fresh chives and dill add a bright pop of color and flavor, but they also make this otherwise basic egg salad taste like something your kid will want to eat for lunch in the cafeteria.
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8 / 14
Cucumber Sandwich
Pack cucumber and herb cream cheese tea sandwiches in a bento box with a side of fruit and crackers, and your kid's lunch is good to go.
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9 / 14
Peanut Butter, Banana, and Granola Wrap
This sweet and easy recipe for kid- and adult-friendly wraps takes just a few minutes to make.
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10 / 14
Roasted Tomato and Turkey Club Sandwich
Your kid wants a club sandwich in the colder months of school, when the only tomatoes available are rock-hard and sad. What are you to do? Pop those tomatoes into a hot oven and in just 30 minutes, you’ll have juicy oven-roasted tomatoes for the perfect turkey club sandwich.
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11 / 14
Muffin-Pan Breakfast Sliders
On busy weekday mornings, these mini muffin-pan sausage and egg sandwiches are a hands-off breakfast kids can take on-the-go. Just grab a muffin pan, a carton of eggs, a tube of biscuit dough, and a few links of breakfast sausage.
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12 / 14
Calzones
One bite of these perfect little pockets of cheese and veggies, and your kids will forget they ever wanted Lunchables.
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13 / 14
Boiled Egg, Seared Asparagus & Pickled Onion Sandwiches
This baguette sandwich makes you feel like you're lunching like a Parisian. Don't forget to pack a bag of chips and fun juice or sparkly soda beverage.
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14 / 14
Farmer's Lunch Sandwich
With a simple lunch sandwich like this, go for a crumbly and sharp cheddar cheese and whole grain mustard to contrast the onion jam.
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