DIY Pizza Lunchables
Each DIY Pizza Lunchables kit has two soft mini flatbreads, pizza sauce, shredded mozzarella, and pepperoni. Pack the toppings separately, then assemble the pizzas at lunchtime. The bread is already baked, so there’s no cooking or heating to do; a sealed sauce cup keeps it from soaking into the bread on the way to lunch.
Yield: 2 lunchbox kits | Prep time: 10 minutes | Cook time: 0 minutes | Total time: 10 minutes
Ingredients for DIY Pizza Lunchables
- 4 ready-to-eat mini naan or similarly soft, round baked flatbreads, about 5 inches across (about 200g total)
- 1/4 cup pizza sauce (about 60g)
- 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella (about 55g)
- About 12 pepperoni slices (about 25g)
How to Pack DIY Pizza Lunchables
- Check the bread: Use fully baked flatbreads that fit in the lunch containers without being crushed. If using homemade rounds, bake and cool them completely before packing.
- Portion the toppings: Put 2 tablespoons pizza sauce in a small, leak-resistant lidded cup for each lunch. Put 1/4 cup mozzarella in a separate lidded cup for each lunch. Check that the filled cups fit under the lunchbox lids.
- Pack the kits: Overlap two flatbreads in each container and place about six pepperoni slices beside them. Add the sealed sauce and cheese cups, keeping the sauce off the bread.
- Keep cold and serve: Refrigerate the kits until departure, then carry them in insulated lunch bags with frozen ice packs. At lunchtime, spread sauce on the flatbreads and add the mozzarella and pepperoni. Eat cold; the cheese does not need to melt.
Choosing the Mini Pizza Bases
Mini naan makes a soft, roughly round base with light brown spots. Choose fully baked rounds that fit your containers. Homemade baked pizza-dough rounds also work if cooled completely before packing; they can be frozen separately for future lunches, but thawing time depends on their thickness and packing conditions. Sandwich thins are another ready-to-eat option, though they make a thinner base.
Turkey pepperoni can replace regular pepperoni. Thick marinara or tomato-basil pasta sauce can replace pizza sauce if it spreads without dripping.
Keeping the Lunches Cold
Keep the mozzarella and pepperoni refrigerated until packing. Use an insulated bag and frozen ice packs to keep the packed lunch at 40°F (5°C) or below. You can portion the components ahead, but keep them separate and wait until lunchtime to sauce the bread. Store unused ingredients separately according to their package directions.
If there’s room, add fruit or another side in its own compartment and pack a small spoon or spreader for the sauce. For another packable lunch idea, try muffin tin corn dogs for kids.
Nutrition
Approximate per lunchbox kit: 450 calories, 19g protein, 18g fat, and 55g carbohydrates. Approximate per 100g: 265 calories, 11g protein, 11g fat, and 32g carbohydrates. Values vary with the flatbread, sauce, cheese, and pepperoni used.
Equipment
- Lunch containers
- Small leak-resistant lidded cups
- Insulated lunch bag
- Frozen ice packs
Ingredients
- 4 ready-to-eat mini naan or similarly soft, round baked flatbreads, about 5 inches across (about 200 g total)
- 1/4 cup pizza sauce (about 60 g)
- 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella (about 55 g)
- About 12 pepperoni slices (about 25 g)
Instructions
- Check that the flatbreads are fully baked and fit in the lunch containers without being crushed. If using homemade rounds, bake and cool them completely first.
- Portion 2 tablespoons of pizza sauce into a small, leak-resistant lidded cup for each kit.
- Portion 1/4 cup of mozzarella into a separate lidded cup for each kit. Make sure the cups fit under the lunchbox lids.
- Overlap two flatbreads in each container and add about six pepperoni slices beside them.
- Add the sealed sauce and cheese cups, keeping the sauce off the bread.
- Refrigerate the kits until departure and carry them in insulated lunch bags with frozen ice packs.
- At lunchtime, spread the sauce on the flatbreads and add the mozzarella and pepperoni. Eat cold; the cheese does not need to melt.
Tips
- Choose fully baked flatbreads that fit the containers without being crushed.
- Use sealed sauce cups to keep the bread from getting soggy.
- Check that the filled topping cups fit under the lunchbox lids.
- Keep the sauce, cheese, and pepperoni separate from the bread until lunchtime.
Variations
- Turkey Pepperoni: Replace regular pepperoni with turkey pepperoni.
- Marinara or Tomato-Basil Sauce: Use thick marinara or tomato-basil pasta sauce instead of pizza sauce, as long as it spreads without dripping.
- Alternative Pizza Bases: Use cooled homemade baked pizza-dough rounds or ready-to-eat sandwich thins instead of mini naan.