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How to: Make back to school lunches

By Coupon Sherpa, http://www.couponsherpa.com/, Source: MCT News Service

Kids want something different in their lunch boxes and moms want easy sandwich recipes. We're all about making your life easier, so I combed recipe books, my mother's recipe box and the Internet to find some interesting and easy back-to-school sandwich recipes. All can be made with basic ingredients you'll find at your local supermarket, often using grocery coupons and hitting weekly sales.

Make sure your child has an insulated lunch box for any recipes containing mayonnaise, salad dressing, yogurt or other ingredients that could degrade with heat.

1. Meatloaf Sandwiches

As a kid I always looked forward to meatloaf dinners because it meant leftover lunches the next day. It's surprising how good cold meatloaf sandwiches taste when spiced up with a few extras.

     Ingredients
     Leftover meatloaf
     Sliced American cheese
     Canned fried onions
     Italian bread or baguette
     Directions
     Slice the meatloaf.
     Place it on a piece of the bread.
     Top with cheese.

Warm in microwave or toaster oven for a few seconds until cheese melts slightly.

Sprinkle with fried onions.

Top with second piece of bread.

2. Trail Blazer Wraps

Here's a crunchy and healthy twist on the banana and peanut butter sandwich. Tortilla wraps also are handy on days when you're out of bread.

     Ingredients
     Peanut butter
     Honey
     1 banana, sliced
     1/4 cup banana yogurt (or vanilla yogurt)
     1 cup granola
     2 tortillas
     Directions
     Spread peanut butter over two tortillas.
     Drizzle honey to taste.
     In bowl, mix together banana, yogurt and granola.

Divide mix between tortillas, roll up sandwich, wrap in wax paper and store in refrigerator.

3. Southwestern Wrap

Tortillas again, plus a way to recycle last-night's chicken. Try switching out Dijon mustard and mayonnaise, using condiment coupons to vary the flavor.

     Ingredients
     1/3 cup honey Dijon mustard
     1/4 cup mayonnaise or salad dressing
     2 cups cubed, cooked chicken
     1 green pepper, chopped
     1 tomato, chopped
     2 10-inch flour tortillas
     4 lettuce leaves
     4 slices Muenster or Swiss cheese
     Directions
     In medium bowl, combine salad dressing and mayonnaise.
     Gently stir in chicken, green pepper and tomatoes.
     Lay out tortillas and line with lettuce leaves and cheese.
     Divide chicken mixture between tortillas and roll tightly.
     Cut tortillas in half.
     Wrap in waxed paper and chill.
     Makes 4 sandwiches.
     4. Cheddar and Apple Sandwich

Easy to make and it offers an interesting change from boring cheese sandwiches.

     Ingredients
     2 slices of bread (multigrain, baguette or Italian)
     1 tsp whole-grain mustard
     1 ounce cheddar cheese
     Several pieces thinly sliced apple
     Directions
     Spread 2 slices of bread with whole-grain mustard.
     Top 1 slice of bread with cheddar and several pieces of apple.
     Sandwich with the remaining bread.
     5. Peanut Butter Berry-Wich

Elvis Presley taught us peanut butter and banana make a great sandwich, but you'll be surprised how well strawberries complement this sandwich standard.

     Ingredients
     2 slices whole-wheat bread or banana bread
     1 tbs peanut butter
     1 tbs softened cream cheese
     2 medium strawberries, sliced
     1 tsp honey
     Directions

Spread the peanut butter on one slice and the cream cheese on the other.

Arrange strawberry slices in an even single layer on top of the peanut butter.

Drizzle honey on the berries.

Place the cream-cheese half on top.

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(Coupon Sherpa is the penny pinching, coupon clipping, deal digging, Himalayan haggling, he-man of bargains. Visit http://www.couponsherpa.com/ for more shopping advice, insider tips, and coupons.)