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Home » Recipes » Lunch Packing Tips

Make the BEST Cutter Sandwiches for School Lunches

By Laura Fuentes Updated Oct 7, 2024

5 from 11 votes

Recipe

This post may contain affiliate links. Read our disclosure policy here.

Use your favorite sandwich cutter to turn a simple sandwich into a lunch your kid will devour!

In 30 seconds, you can make an exciting lunch that stays fresh and holds its shape with the cutters we tested and the packing tips.

sandwiches cut into puzzle pieces for a kids lunch

Fun Sandwich Shapes & Cutters for Kids Lunches

It’s true. Kids love to use cookie cutters to bring cookie dough to life and the same can be said for sandwiches. 

Turning any sandwich into a fun shape is great for making kids’ lunches more exciting to eat; which is always great if you want to make sure all the contents of the healthy lunch you packed are eaten.

Best Cutters for Sandwiches

While some traditional cookie cutters can pierce through a sandwich, especially metal ones, flimsy plastic cookie cutters tend to only work on sugar cookies.

Below, you’ll find all the cutters I’ve tested in classic peanut butter sandwiches, ham sandwiches, turkey sandwiches, and even on grilled sandwiches and grilled uncrustables. 

blue sandwich cutter in the shape of two dinosaurs
Dino Sandwich Cutter
This classic shape never goes out of style and it's one shape that cuts most of the sandwich with minimal waste.
Find it on Amazon
puzzle sandwich cutter cutting a ham sandwich
Puzzle Sandwich Cutter
This kid-favorite shape makes lunch more fun to eat! It also uses up most of the bread for less waste. Win-win!
Find it on Amazon
Uncrustables Sandwich Crimper
This circular crimper will allow you to make everyone's favorite cut-out sandwich at home! Use it on the classic PB&J or any deli meat + cheese combo!
Find it on Amazon
blue dolphin sandwich bites
Dolphin Sandwich Cutter
What's not to love about two dolphin-shaped sandwiches with a tiny heart in between? This one is fun and suitable for any kid who loves sea creatures and the beach.
Find it on Amazon
red mickey sandwich cutter
Mickey Sandwich Cutter
This large cookie cutter made many mouse-shaped sandwiches for my Mickey-obsessed child. Durable and affordable.
Find it on Amazon
“Wonder Bread” Sandwich Cutter
This square sandwich cutter is like the (discontinued) nostalgic wonderbread sandwich cutter. It removes the crust, lightly seals the edges, and gives it an easy to hold shape.
Find it on Amazon
Cute Cat Sandwich Cutter
This oversized cookie cutter creates the perfect-shaped sandwich for cat-loving kids. It's made with food-safe steel, and the edges will give you a clean-cut sandwich.
Find it on Amazon
Ultimate Sandwich Cutter Pack
Perfect for multiple kids or simply packing ultimate lunches, this pack has it all. 10 full-sized cutters, mini fruit cutters, sandwich picks, and sweet lunch notes!
Find it on Amazon

Tips for Packing Cut-Out Sandwiches

The best school lunches are those that stay fresh and are still in one piece come lunchtime. Below are my top tips for packing your cut-out sandwiches:

Don’t over-stuff
Sandwiches thicker than ½ inch, or as high as the cutter, tend to be difficult for any sandwich cutter regardless of the material. Thicker sandwiches might need to be cut layer by layer and then assembled.

Cutting gluten-free bread
Gluten-free bread tends to be thicker and denser than classic sandwich bread. For PB&J, most cutters will pierce through without any issues. For deli meats and cheese, I recommend cutting out the bread first, then the filling, and then assembling. This is a trial-and-error since density varies by brand and type of sandwich cutter.

Pack the cut-out sandwich by itself
Compartmentalized lunch containers are the best option for separating the shaped sandwich from other ingredients and helping it stay intact until lunchtime. Vs using a zip bag.

Separate wet & dry ingredients
Prevent your cut sandwich from getting soggy, as well as any other dry ingredients, by packing fruits and dips in other compartments or small dip containers.

Press first, then jiggle
When cutting the sandwich into the shape, it’s best to gently press the cutter all the way down until you feel the counter or cutting board. Then, gently jiggle it to pierce through the layers until you see the bottom of the cutter.

Watch this video showing you how I make a dino-shaped sandwich although the method works for any shape.

Good Sandwiches to Cut into Shapes

The best sandwiches to cut into shapes are made with similar textured ingredients like deli meat and cheese or soft PB&J. Other things to avoid are sauces or wet ingredients like pickles or tomatoes as well as leafy vegetables. 

Here are some ideas:

  • Turkey & Cheese
  • Ham & Cheese
  • Deli meat only
  • Grilled cheese, after grilling
  • Peanut butter and jelly
  • Cream cheese and jelly
  • Egg salad sandwich (not overly stuffed)
  • Tuna salad sandwich (not overly stuffed)
  • Canned salmon salad sandwich (not overly stuffed)
  • Creamy chicken salad sandwich (not overly stuffed)
  • Pimento cheese sandwiches
  • Fresh mozzarella & pesto sandwich
  • Flutternutter Sandwiches
sandwich pieces cut into puzzle pieces on a blue countertop with two pink plates of sandwiches for kids

What to do With Leftover Sandwich Crusts

A lunch that comes home eaten is the best price to pay for a few crusts. But if you want zero waste, use them to make homemade croutons, make bread crumbs, french toast sticks with crusts, or simply eat them yourself or feed them to the dog.

Make the BEST Cutter Sandwiches

sandwiches cut in to puzzle pieces
Servings: 1
Prep Time: 5 minutes mins
Total Time: 5 minutes mins
Use your favorite sandwich cutter to turn a simple sandwich into a lunch your kid will devour!
5 from 11 votes
Print Pin

Ingredients

  • 2 slices sandwich bread
  • mayonnaise , or butter, optional
  • 2 ounces deli ham, or turkey
  • 1 cheese slice, 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.

Notes

Nutrition information is calculated without veggies and fruits.

Equipment

101 Packed Lunches
Dino sandwich cutter
Kids Lunch Box

Nutrition

Serving: 1 sandwich | Calories: 249kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 31mg | Sodium: 1052mg | Potassium: 201mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 168IU | Calcium: 255mg | Iron: 2mg

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5 from 11 votes (11 ratings without comment)

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laura fuentes momables holding a lunch bag and lunch boxes

My name is Laura Fuentes
I’m here to help you simplify school lunches with fresh ideas your kids will actually eat.

Mom of 3. Certified in Integrative Nutrition. 5x Cookbook Author.

school lunch ideas! →

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