24 Back To School Recipes (and a Few Survival Tips)

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These back-to-school recipes and tips are your cheat sheet for the school year. From 30-minute dinners to sourdough treats to make-ahead sourdough bread, this list is full of recipes and tips that can help you get back into a routine and easefully cook from scratch on busy weeknights.

The countdown to the first day of school has officially begun. In fact, at the time of writing this, my daughter is at her very last day of preschool summer camp. So, that means the leisurely days of summer are ending, and we are headed into a fresh, productive mindset for the new academic year.

As soon as the new school season arrives, our whole rhythm shifts. We have to wake up earlier, rush hour traffic slows down the commute to school (where were all of these people over the summer?), and we have earlier bedtimes.

The shift from free-spirited summer to studious student/parent isn’t new for me. I spent 15 years as a college English instructor. I was off work for about three months in the summer. So, easing into the transition from summer break to school was part of my professional norm and routine.

Along the way, I learned some useful back-to-school tips and delicious dinner ideas that make getting back into the swing of things a little easier.

These easy recipes and tips are for all moms and caretakers, whether you spend your days at home, in the office, or anywhere in between.

Here’s to a great school year!

Ps. I also have a few back-to-school cooking and sourdough survival tips at the end of this post.

Tips for Back-to-School Cooking

• Plan ahead – I’m not a full-blown meal planner, so I get it if you aren’t the plan-ahead type. But having a few back-to-school recipes and tricks in your pocket can help. Double up on recipes. Start lacto-fermented peppers and onions so you don’t have to chop them on school nights. Little steps offer big help!
• Use the freezer – Freezing convenience ingredients like cooked white rice, shredded cheese, black beans, and diced onions cuts out tedious work. When you make a meal, cook extras and freeze them for later use.
• Get breakfast ready the night before – If possible, prep breakfast the night before. Slice up any bread for toast, or make a big batch of sourdough crepes for the week’s breakfasts.
• Make grab-and-go portions – Pre-portion snacks and school meals so they are ready to go. That way, you don’t have to prep them the day of. Packs of sourdough Cinnamon Toast Crunch are a simple snack to toss in lunch bags. And if you pre-portion meals, you can hand them off as everyone heads out the door.

Easy Back-To-School Dinner Recipes

The entire family will enjoy these quick and easy meals. I’ve selected recipes that take 40 minutes or less to make.

First-Day-of-School Treats

The first day of school is an exciting day and one to be celebrated! Every year, on the first day of school, my mom made chocolate chip cookies. Decades later, I still like to make something sweet on the first day of school.

I hope these scratch-made sweet treats become part of your memories and traditions as your family journeys through the school years.

Back-to-School Breakfast Recipes

Breakfast is a bear around our house. Honestly, if I’d wake up earlier, I might be able to squeeze more in my mornings. But I have a three-year-old, and I’m tired. So easy breakfasts it is!

I don’t make these the morning of. Instead, I make them in advance and prepare them as needed in the morning. On really busy mornings, we eat these breakfasts on the go.

Scratch-Made Bread for Back-to-School Lunches

Since I’ve started making my family’s bread from scratch, no one in my family will eat store-bought bread. I guess I’ll just consider it job security.

Luckily, making homemade bread isn’t as tricky as it sounds. Yes, it does require some pre-planning. But once you get into a bread routine, it’s pretty simple.

These are my favorite breads to keep on hand. Just freeze individual portions, and you can have homemade bread ready to go for scratch-made school lunches.

Quick Sides for School Nights

Once a week, I cook one chicken and use it 3 ways (or more). It’s a great way to stretch a single ingredient, and it offers a pretty big bang for your buck. If you don’t have time to cook a chicken, grab a rotisserie chicken and pair it with these easy sides.

Video – Back-to-School Tips

Is There Really Time for Back-to-School Sourdough?

Sourdough does need a little pre-planning. But most sourdough breads require very little hands-on time. And many sourdough discard recipes are no-wait, meaning they can be made quickly and without a long fermentation period.

Sourdough Bread Hacks

The trick to sourdough is building it into your routine and rhythm and to plan ahead. Freeze sourdough bread dough in batches so you can bake when you have time. Or check out my post on how to freeze sourdough bread so you can have freshly baked bread on demand.

Also, using a proofing box helps control the temperature for bulk fermentation. In other words, you can decide how fast or slow the dough ferments.

So, if you need it ready to go as soon as you get home from work, you can set the temperature a little higher. Of if you need to slow it down so you can deal with it after the kids’ bedtime, drop the temperature.

Sourdough Discard Hacks

Sourdough discard recipes are often are quick and easy. Like any other recipe, pre-planning and making extra will save time down the road. But you can also freeze sourdough starter so you don’t have to worry about keeping a ton on hand for discard recipes.

How To Squeeze in Scratch-Made Food During the School Year

I truly believe that with the right back-to-school recipes, tips, and tricks, you can make scratch-made food for yourself and your family.

But I also want to emphasize the importance of doing the best you can. Don’t beat yourself up if you can’t make every single meal from scratch.

Instead, pick one scratch-made goal, practice it, and integrate it into your routine. Once that becomes second nature, settle on a new scratch-made goal and work on it until it’s part of your norm.

Cooking from scratch is possible. But it usually isn’t an overnight overhaul. Start small. Do what works for you and your family. And always remember: you are doing a great job!

Video – Freezer Meal Ideas

Time-Saving Tools for the Kitchen

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• Instant Pot – An Instant Pot saves endless time on busy nights. Once you hit “start,” it’s completely hands-off, so you don’t have to stand around the stove. I prefer the 8-quart Instant Pot because it’s better for batch cooking.
• Brod & Taylor proofing box – A proofing box is a busy baker’s best friend. It allows you to control the temperature for bulk fermentation so it’s ready when it’s convenient for you. Plus, it doubles as a slow cooker!
• Slow cooker – When I’m getting back into the school year mojo, I always have to remind myself to bust out my slow cooker. It’s a set-it-and-forget-it tool, and I’m here for anything that doesn’t need my attention until it’s time to eat.
• Garlic press – A good garlic press cuts out tedious work in the kitchen. I recommend this garlic press because you don’t even have to worry about peeling the garlic.
• Stand mixer – A stand mixer reduces hands-on time, especially when it comes to kneading enriched doughs like sourdough sandwich bread or sourdough buns.

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• How to Make Sourdough Less Sour (Includes Recipe!)
• Sourdough Donuts with Chocolate and Vanilla Glaze

If you tried any of the recipes in this post or have back-to-school tips, leave a comment below!