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Make these dinosaur sandwiches for a fun and easy lunch you can pull together in under 5 minutes! The best part is you can make these with any ingredients available like deli cuts and cheese, PB & J, or Nutella and berries- it’s up to you!
Cut-Out Dinosaur Sandwiches
Something about dinosaur sandwiches makes the usual ham and cheese taste 10x better, or so I’m told by my kids. And you don’t need this specific dinosaur shape; you could use any shape or large cookie cutter.
Sandwich crimpers are a fun way to recreate a lunchtime staple into something your kids will look forward to eating. They also come in handy when you have kids who don’t like crusts. Just press down, and presto! It’s ready to be packed up.
Speaking of no crusts, have you tried these PB & J Uncrustables? They’re super easy to make and taste way better than the store-bought option!
How to Make a Dinosaur Sandwich
These dinosaur sandwiches are a breeze to make with this super simple process:
- Choose your sandwich
Place the sliced bread onto a flat surface and assemble it with your choice of spreads and ingredients. Example: deli cuts and cheese or peanut butter and jelly. - Make it a dinosaur
Place the sandwich cutter over the center of the sandwich, gently press down, and pull away the crust. - Pack it for lunch
Pack the dinosaur sandwiches in one compartment of the lunchbox, keeping it separate from the fruits and veggies. Pack the lunch container into a lunch bag with an ice pack, and lunch is ready.
Watch how it comes together in this quick video.
Need more simple ideas to make lunchtime even better? Find them all right below:
101 Packed Lunches eBook
All my best kid-friendly lunches from over a decade of creating meal plans. Add some variety to your child's lunchbox with these epic lunches, plus receive my Pack Meals Like a Pro ebook, free with purchase!
School Lunch Packing Tips for Younger Kids
Follow these sandwich packing tips for a terrific school lunch that remains intact until the little ones eat it!
Use a hard container
I recommend packing dinousaur sandwiches -and any sandwich- in a hard container, not zip bags, so they won't slide around or get squished in a backpack.
Do not overfill it
If making a deli meat and cheese sandwich, be careful not to overfill it with wet ingredients like tomato and lettuce. This will make it harder to cut into a solid shape. It’s best to make it with the meat and cheese first, cut it out, and add the extra ingredients after.
Keep food cool
Add an ice pack inside the lunch bag to help regulate the temperature and keep this meal fresh, especially if the lunch bags will be kept outside for some of the day.
Make it more nutritious
Healthy snacks like homemade banana chips and yogurt are a great way to feed growing kids with larger appetites or require more energy for sports.
More Lunch Ideas for Kindergarten and Preschool
Want the best lunches that are also easy to eat for little hands? I’ve got you covered! Pack these fun ham, cheese and tomato skewers, this homemade chicken nuggets lunchable, or these delish banana sushi rolls.
I know your kids and you will also love these homemade pizza uncrustables, this picnic bento lunch box, and this easy pasta lunch you can make with dinner leftovers!
Easy Dinosaur Sandwiches
Watch How It’s Packed:
Ingredients
- 2 slices of sandwich bread
- mayonnaise or butter, optional
- 2 ounces deli ham or turkey
- 1 slice of cheese, your favorite
Instructions
- Place the bread on a flat surface and spread the mayonnaise or butter thinly, just enough to keep the bread moist.
- Place the deli meat and cheese centered and inside the bread crust of one slice of bread. Close the sandwich.
- Place the sandwich cutter on top of the sandwich and gently press down until you feel the board. Slowly jiggle to pierce through the bread, lift the cutter, and remove the outer crusts.
- With your hands, gently push the shaped sandwich away from the sandwich cutter on the board.
- Pack the sandwich inside its own lunch box compartment, along with any sides like fruit and veggies in separate compartments.
- Close the lunch container and refrigerate or pack it into a lunch bag with an ice pack.
Mandy says
My preschooler loooooves these dinosaur sandwiches!