Back to School Gluten Free

The back-to-school honeymoon is over. We're firmly into October, Homecoming has come and gone for most schools, and soon kids (and teachers) will be praying for a snow day. 

While we don't have children, my husband is a teacher. I've been gladly packing his lunch for the past decade, trying to nourish him to the best of my ability and therefore play some small part in the education of 100+ students everyday. When he decided to eat gluten free so I could have a "safe house," I stepped up my lunchtime game and tried to make his lunches one that people wanted for their own. I often get feedback from his co-workers that they wished I packed their lunch too!

Mini Deep Dish Pizza with carrots, cottage cheese and a valentine cookie. 

I have three kitchen items that I find to be extremely helpful in making small portions that are perfect for lunches. My Wilton Mini Springform Pans and Whoopie Pie pans have been a big help! The Springform pans create the perfect individual portion sizes and lunch size deep dish pizzas.The individual tamale pies that I make with Maseca corn flour are perfect for the springform pans.

Tamale Pies

My Whoopie pie pans make small buns that are perfect for breakfast sandwiches or veggie burger sliders. Of course, they're great for actual desserts as well.

Bean burger slider on Chebe mini buns with sweet potato chips and red cabbage

Surprisingly, my third favorite lunch gadget is my waffle iron. My favorite creation is "corn dog" waffles. Pamela's Products Corn Bread mix is the perfect consistency to add chopped up bits of hot dogs and cook up in my Belgian waffle maker. (Perfect for those times when you are all out of Foster Farms Gluten Free Corn Dogs!) I also use leftover plain waffles, sliced carefully down the middle, as "bread" for sandwiches.

Turkey Sandwich with Pumpkin Butter on Pumpkin Waffles

"Corn Dog" waffles with Pamela's Cornbread & Muffin Mix and Applegate Naturals hot dogs

So what are some of your favorites to pack in your lunch? 

What products make your lunchtime routine easier?