PB&B Crunchies with Build-Your-Own Yogurt

Aired on: October 12, 2011

You can make five lunches for under $15 that your kids (and wallet!) will love, thanks to Liz Vaccariello, Editor in Chief of Every Day with Rachael Ray magazine. Use the shopping list below for this recipe and her other lunch ideas:

Spaghetti Salad with Herby Breadcrumbs
Cock-A-Doodle Skewers with Honey-Mustard Dipping Sauce
Use-Your-Noodle Mini Frittatas
Chicken Salad “Sushi” Rolls

Ingredients

From the pantry
Mayo
Salt and pepper
EVOO - Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Pasta (we used spaghetti)
Dried herbs
Peanut butter
Jam
Cheese (we used part-skim mozzarella)
Honey
Mustard (we used Dijon-style)
Eggs
Milk
Flour
Shopping List
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast $2.99/lb.
1 apple $1.15 ($1.99/lb)
Sandwich bread (we used soft wheat) $1.99/loaf
1 carrot $ .25 ($.99/lb)
1 banana $ .20
1 cucumber $.79
Cherry tomatoes $2.50/pint
Yogurt (2 single-serving containers with granola) $2.78
Sunflower seeds $ .99
TOTAL $13.64

Yields: 2 sandwiches

Preparation

Spread (about 2 tablespoons) peanut butter over 1 slice sandwich bread. Spread jam or drizzle honey or maple syrup over peanut butter. Top with 4 slices banana, overlapping slightly. (I halve banana crosswise and slice half lengthwise into thin slices that cover bread thinly and evenly.) Top with 1 slice bread. Cut out shapes using sandwich or cookie cutters or trim off crusts and cut sandwich into 2 rectangular bars, 4 squares or 4 small circles. Repeat for second sandwich.

Thinly spread edges of cut sandwiches with peanut butter. Pour 1/2 cup sunflower seeds or chopped nuts on a plate; dip edges in seeds or nuts to coat.

Pack a single-serve yogurt with granola packed into lid alongside.