These Homemade Nacho Lunchables Beat the Store-Bought Ones

Recipe

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Learn how to assemble nachos and cheese for a balanced and healthy lunchable alternative!

If your kids love the store-bought nacho Lunchables, making them at home is an easy way to use better ingredients while keeping everything they love. Here, you’ll learn how to build one, make it a filling lunch, and keep it all fresh until lunchtime.

lunchbox filled with sliced chicken, fruit and sliced veggies, purple chips and cheese dip

Homemade Nachos & Cheese Lunchable

Laura Fuentes holding a stack of lunchboxes and a school lunch bag

Kids love nacho Lunchables because they’re fun, but making them at home lets you choose better ingredients, customize them, and build a more filling lunch. Whether you use your favorite queso from the store or make my homemade cheese dip, this is one of those DIY Lunchables that disappears every time.

What Goes in a Homemade Nacho Lunchable?

These are easy to customize, but these are the ingredients I reach for most often.

Protein: Sliced grilled chicken, deli turkey, ham, or a hard-boiled egg.
Fruit and veggies: Apple slices, strawberries, cucumbers, carrots, peppers, or whatever your kids enjoy.
Nacho cheese dip: Homemade or store-bought queso both work.
Tortilla chips: Regular, blue corn, or another favorite sturdy chip.
Fun extras: Black olives, salsa, or guacamole.

Packing It for Lunch

Assemble
Arrange the protein, fruit, veggies, cheese dip, and olives (if using) in separate compartments. Pack the tortilla chips in their own compartment or container so they stay crisp until lunchtime.
Pack it for school
If you’re using homemade queso, spoon it into a small leakproof container or pack it hot in a preheated wide-mouth thermos. Refrigerate the lunch until you’re ready to place it inside an insulated lunch bag with an ice pack.

Laura’s Lunch Packing Tips

What cheese dip works best?

Use your favorite store-bought queso cup or make my homemade cheese dip and pack it in a small leakproof container. If you’re sending warm queso, pour it into a preheated wide-mouth thermos to help keep it warm until lunchtime.

How do I keep the tortilla chips crispy?

Keep the chips in their own compartment or separate container so they don’t absorb moisture from the fruit, veggies, or cheese dip.

Can I make this Lunchable ahead of time?

Yes! Assemble the Lunchable up to two or three days ahead and refrigerate it until you’re ready to pack it. If you’re including apples or pears, slice and add them the morning of so they stay fresh.

What can I add to make this Lunchable more filling?

One of my favorite ways is to add a protein like grilled chicken, deli turkey, ham, or a hard-boiled egg. You can also include extra fruit or veggies to turn this copycat Lunchable into a complete lunch.

How do I keep the nacho cheese hot?

The best way to keep homemade velveeta dip hot is to pack it in your lunch thermos. I like to use a wide-mouth thermos when sending dip so it’s easy for kids to get their hand in the thermos and enjoy that hot cheese.

More Homemade Lunchables

If your kid loves Lunchables, make a healthy Lunchable, a pizza lunchables, lunchable tacos, charcuterie lunchables, and chicken nuggets lunchable. They’re easy, tasty, and much healthier.

DIY “Lunchables” Nachos

Servings: 1

Prep Time: 5

Total Time: 5

Learn how to assemble nachos and cheese for a balanced and healthy lunchable alternative!

5 from 29 votes

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Watch How It’s Made:

Ingredients

½ red bell pepper, sliced into ¼-inch thick strips
1 small apple, sliced
¼ cup pitted black olives
3 ounces grilled chicken, sliced
1 serving blue corn tortilla chips
¼ cup or 2 ounces nacho cheese dip

Instructions

Wash and slice the fruit and veggies as needed.
Pack the veggies, olives, and chicken into a compartmentalized lunch container. The fruit can be packed in the same or a separate compartment.
To keep the chips crunchy, pack them separate from the rest of the ingredients.
If making this with homemade nacho dip, pack it into a mini sauce container or add the dip cup to the lunch bag along with the assembled Lunchable and an ice pack.