Ham-tastic! Try these super SIMPLE ham-based school lunches

Ham is a staple ingredient in many Irish children’s lunch boxes – and with its delicious taste and versatility, is it any wonder?

And while there's no doubt it’s a handy, protein-packed snack on its own for school lunches, we suggest getting inspired and making these tasty, easy recipes using ham as your star ingredient.

1. Chilled ham and cheese toasties

Who doesn't love a good cheese and ham toastie? They're the ultimate comfort food, making them perfect for winter lunch boxes. Simply grab two slices of wholemeal bread and butter them. Pop your ham and cheddar on the non-buttered side and toast until golden. And if you're worried about them becoming soggy by lunchtime, we've got you sorted with our clever hack: cut your toastie in half and pop on a wire rack to cool fully. Then, wrap each half in a double layer of kitchen roll and seal with a sticker. 

2. Pitta pizzas

Wholemeal pitta pizzas piled with chopped ham and fresh salad veggies like peppers and onions are a brilliant option for your child’s lunchbox. For one thing they look naughty, but with the wholemeal base, tomato puree, veg and cheese, they’re anything but. Pop them into the oven for about 10 minutes at 180°C or until the cheese is bubbling and when cooled cut them into four ‘pizza slices’. Little ones will absolutely love the novelty of them.

3. Ham wraps

Keeping in with the pizza theme, make delicious Hawaiian wraps stuffed with ham, pineapple and cream cheese. Children will love the sweetness of the pineapple balanced with the flavour of the ham, so they’re a school lunch winner. Or make a homemade salsa with onion, tomato and sweetcorn –  it's all about creativity! This lunch idea really couldn’t be easier – no cooking is required so it’s simply a case of assembly.

4. Ham roll-ups

We absolutely love this idea. Instead of using ham as a filling why not try using it as the ‘bread’? Ham roll-ups work in the same way as normal wraps – all you need to do is fill them with your kids’ favourite fillings and roll. Try a sweeter option for little break, like pear and cheese, and for big lunch a more savoury filling like olives, spinach and cream cheese. 

5. Ploughman’s lunch platter

With its many different components, a Ploughman’s lunch platter makes for a fun meal. Use a food saver with different compartments and fill with cheese, pickled onions, ham, brown soda bread and relish.

Of course to make these lunches as healthy and tasty as possible, you’ll need a quality ham free from any artificial ingredients, like Denny All Natural Ingredients Ham. It’s the only 100% natural ingredients ham, which means there are absolutely no artificial additives or preservatives. And we all know we can’t pull the wool over our kids’ eyes – they’re just too darn smart. So see what they had to say when put to the test over which ingredients were natural, and which definitely weren’t.

For more information on Denny All Natural Ingredients Ham pop over to the website or Facebook page..