Are there sandwich-shaped thermoses?

[redheadbaker]

DS usually alternates between hot and cold pasta for lunch at school. I make two servings of pasta one morning, send half warm in a Thermos, and chill the other half to take to school cold the next day. 

Now he's tired of cold pasta. 

He will not even consider eating school lunch. 

At home, he will have a quesadilla (microwaved, not cooked on the stovetop); grilled cheese; or shells and cheese. Shells and cheese could work in the Thermos, but not quesadillas or grilled cheese. Do they make sandwich-sized Thermoses? If so, please recommend one that works well. 

[jinkies]

I have no idea whether they work, but I googled "sandwich warmer lunch box" and a bunch of stuff came up.

This looks promising: www.walmart.com/ip/Portable-Food-Warmer-School-Students-Lunch-Box-Case-Thermal-Insulated-Container/764208434

There's also these bags: www.amazon.com/Reusable-Sandwich-Bags-Environmental-Waterproof/dp/B01FRRQOKU/ref=asc_df_B01FRRQOKU/

[meanie]

Any time I have sent something bread-y in a thermos my kids complained that it got soggy. The thermal sandwich bags that jinkies posted is probably your best bet.

FWIW I have sent cold quesadillas and grilled cheese and my son eats them no problem, but he's not picky.

[ilikedonuts]

I just cut it all into pieces and put it in the thermos. I put a paper towel at the bottom too which helps it not be as soggy.

[InBetweenDays]

Are you hoping to keep them warm or just find something that will better accommodate the shape of a sandwich/quesadilla? If you're trying to keep it warm I'd test it at home somehow first because I'd worry that the bread or tortilla would get really soggy.

[redheadbaker]

Sept 13, 2022 15:28:47 GMT -5 InBetweenDays said:

Are you hoping to keep them warm or just find something that will better accommodate the shape of a sandwich/quesadilla? 

Both. He prefers his quesadillas microwaved, not pan-cooked, because he "doesn't like" the crispy texture anyway, so I'm not worried about keeping the bread as crisp as fresh off the stove. 

[af1212]

My kid will eat quesadillas and grilled cheese in her lunch - I just send it cold.

She is crazy picky about lots of things but not this. Has your kid tried them in his lunch just cold?

[redheadbaker]

Sept 13, 2022 17:19:47 GMT -5 af1212 said:

My kid will eat quesadillas and grilled cheese in her lunch - I just send it cold.

She is crazy picky about lots of things but not this. Has your kid tried them in his lunch just cold?

He used to get cold quesadillas in his camp lunch. He wasn't crazy about them. 

[af1212]

Sept 13, 2022 19:12:28 GMT -5 redheadbaker said:

Sept 13, 2022 17:19:47 GMT -5 af1212 said:

My kid will eat quesadillas and grilled cheese in her lunch - I just send it cold.

She is crazy picky about lots of things but not this. Has your kid tried them in his lunch just cold?

He used to get cold quesadillas in his camp lunch. He wasn't crazy about them. 

Darn that’s too bad

[isabel]

Does he eat any other "main" foods? PB&J, lunchmeat and cheese sandwich, chicken nuggets (would probably hold up well in a thermos)? Not judging. My kids are pain the ass about food stuff too.

We do the above stuff plus salami and cheese, bagels with a spread (pb or cream cheese), greek yogurt, raisin bread with cream cheese.

[UMaineTeach]

My kid has the short S’Well S’Nack container. It’s short and wide enough that you could fit a few stacked quarters of quesadilla.

What I don’t know is how well it holds heat. We use it for mac and cheese, but my kid is too young to tell me if it’s cold at lunch. It fits a cup of Easy Mac with a bit of head space.

www.swell.com/shop/swell/snack/

I’m only seeing pink for a color choice right now, you might have to search if you want a different color or get the tall one (if it fits in the lunchbox)

[Dznyprnces]

Sept 13, 2022 15:17:01 GMT -5 ilikedonuts said:

I just cut it all into pieces and put it in the thermos. I put a paper towel at the bottom too which helps it not be as soggy.

I do this too. 

[redheadbaker]

Sept 13, 2022 19:57:38 GMT -5 isabel said:

Does he eat any other "main" foods? PB&J, lunchmeat and cheese sandwich, chicken nuggets (would probably hold up well in a thermos)? Not judging. My kids are pain the ass about food stuff too.

We do the above stuff plus salami and cheese, bagels with a spread (pb or cream cheese), greek yogurt, raisin bread with cream cheese.

He'll eat peanut butter as a dip for apples, but not on a sandwich. 

We used to do homemade cracker stackers (cheddar, pepperoni and club crackers), but he says he "doesn't like them anymore" (which is his catch-all phrase for "tired of it," "it didn't taste right last time," etc) 

Chicken nuggets are a good idea, he eats those. 

[sju1982]

I just saw someone mention pancakes & sausage stuffed in a thermos, in my local mom group. I plan on trying that soon.  We did Kraft mac & cheese (microwave packets) and that seems to be going well, as does chicken nuggets (just threw them in the air fryer so super quick).

Could you cut the quesadilla in strips--would they fit in the thermos that way?

[redheadbaker]

Sept 14, 2022 8:57:18 GMT -5 sju1982 said:

I just saw someone mention pancakes & sausage stuffed in a thermos, in my local mom group. I plan on trying that soon.  We did Kraft mac & cheese (microwave packets) and that seems to be going well, as does chicken nuggets (just threw them in the air fryer so super quick).

Could you cut the quesadilla in strips--would they fit in the thermos that way?

I did the quesadilla this morning, and sort of layered them overlapping around the wall of the Thermos. Did the paper towel at the bottom. We'll see how it goes! 

[jinkies]

I just posted a thread this week about lunch ideas.

I ended up making pizza rolls using the crescent rolls in a tube. I spread them with pizza sauce, pepperoni and a mozzarella (I just sliced up half a cheese stick), then rolled them and baked. My son eats them at room temperature and has been raving about them. He was so tired of sandwiches and pasta salad.

[madringal]

Tin foil?

[redheadbaker]

Sept 14, 2022 11:39:06 GMT -5 jinkies said:

I just posted a thread this week about lunch ideas.

I ended up making pizza rolls using the crescent rolls in a tube. I spread them with pizza sauce, pepperoni and a mozzarella (I just sliced up half a cheese stick), then rolled them and baked. My son eats them at room temperature and has been raving about them. He was so tired of sandwiches and pasta salad.

I plan to make these pizza cupcakes for DS to try at home, and if he likes them, I'll send them for school lunch. www.allrecipes.com/recipe/283652/pizza-cupcakes/

[sent]

Does room temperature = cold to him or is the pasta still have a little chill to it by the time he eats it? I usually warm up pasta from the fridge in the microwave before giving it to DD for lunch so that it can be room temp by the time she eats it. Or can you warm it and put it in the thermos so it is still warm by lunch?

My DD is also annoying about school lunch. We can't send PBJ either due to their rules about nuts which really limits her options.

[sassystace]

I used to send microwaved chicken nuggets in the thermos made for liquids. While heating the food, heat empty thermos with hot water, dump out water, put a half paper towel in first to line the sides of the thermos, drop food into thermos, screw on cap. At lunch time kid will have soggy chicken nuggets that are warm. Gross, I know, but kid loved it (and she was in HS).  So you could do that with anything warmed that will fit in there or in pieces like others have suggested.

[redheadbaker]

Well, quesadilla was a definite no-go, said he'd rather have the pasta again.

But, microwave mac and cheese was a big hit!