Dumb Dad NEVER carries his lunch to work.
Ever.
We’ve talked about the health benefits of doing so, and the cost savings we could incur. But, still. No dice.
Apparently, someone at some point in his life, ruined packed lunches for him.
He now has a laundry list of reasons why he can’t make himself eat anything he takes to work in a sack and no amount of my nagging convincing has been able to change his mind on this point.
I don’t want to scar The Dudes this way. So, I’ve taken an oath to omit the leftover meatloaf sandwiches and turkey noodle soups from their lunch boxes. I promise to never send them a casserole or anything with the word “surprise” in the name. Nothing that is meant to be eaten warm, but can be eaten cold will ever see the inside of their lunch sack. And, I am working hard to up the awesome of the every day by adding a little fun to their midday meals.
It doesn’t have to be edible fun.
It can be in the form of a cool lunch box note (#2 LOVES these, and if I don’t put a new one in every day he will just hang on to the old one).
But, Dumb Dad likes to draw them super pictures on paper or napkins and tuck those in with their food…
They love everything he makes and usually they keep them, tucked safely away in their drawers or under their pillows.
I’ve tried the hand made thing, but usually it turns out embarrassing for everyone…
I try to stick to writing a heartfelt word of encouragement instead; drawing is clearly just NOT my strong suit.
Sometimes I slip in a funny sticker. Or even a small piece of candy along with my notes. I’m a bad mom like that.
But I do like to dabble in fun food from time to time. It’s always a crap shoot though because you never know if they are going to love it, or trade it in the intricate lunch crime syndcate they’ve got going on at school instead.
We recently celebrated opening day of football at our house (and by celebrated I don’t mean we had an actual party, I mean we ate in front of the Niners game in the living room) with these delicious sandwiches.
I call them Hey-Hey-Hawaii Chicken Sandwiches. Because of the King’s Hawaiian bread. And the pineapples. And the fact that I am totally a dork.
I marinated the chicken breasts in teriyaki sauce and then breaded and fried them. You can also use the boxed patties and then add the sauce afterward. Either way, this meal is high on taste and artery clogging, and low on health (you could probably grill the chicken, but my way is just tastier).
Slide the chicken between some tasty King’s Hawaiian Mini Sub Rolls. Top with pineapple (the rings work best) and enjoy.
We ate ours with crispy home fries.
The Dudes LOVED it. #1 even downed two whole sandwiches!
Thank goodness I made enough chicken that they could take some Hawaii to school the next week.
I went ahead and added some awesome elements to it and called it a day…
Yeah, baby, that’s a lei in there.
They loved it of course. And I plan to live on these awesome points straight through the weekend.
KING’S HAWAIIAN has an all-star line-up of sandwich products which includes: Mini Sub Rolls, Sandwich Buns, and Hamburger Buns and Hotdog buns.
Whether you are at your kid’s game or the stadium, KING’S HAWAIIAN is a great choice for a family tailgate.
What is your family’s favorite part of game day? Comment below and be entered for a chance to win $200 to put towards your next game day event.
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