Recipe

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

Today I’m going to show you how to pack a homemade version of those Lunchables nachos your kids love! This box has all the elements: chips, queso dip, protein, and fresh snacks; keep reading to see how to arrange this box so all the ingredients stays fresh.

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

Homemade Nachos & Cheese Lunchable

If your kids love those pre-packaged yellow boxes with nacho cheese and chips, this homemade version is a great swap that will cost less and includes better-tasting ingredients.

For the nacho dip, you can either use a queso cup from the grocery store or make my infamous (and easy) cheese dip and pack it into a mini sauce container– either way, you can’t go wrong.

From there, the rest of the lunch is a cinch to assemble; it’s a matter of what you’re kids would love to dip with queso.

What is in a Homemade Lunchables Nacho Lunch

This lunch can be packed with any ingredients, but you will need tortilla chips and nacho cheese to complete it.

Nacho dip: the star of this lunchable combo!
Tortilla chips: regular, blue corn, and even whole grain crackers.
Black olives: optional, but make a great snack in this bento.
Protein: sliced cooked chicken, rolled deli meat, or hard-boiled eggs.
Snacks: sliced veggies and fruit of any kind.

What Cheese Dip to Use for a Nachos Lunchable

To make this homemade nacho lunchable, you can use your favorite store-bought cheese sauce or my homemade cheese dip recipe. Two better-ingredient options you can find at the store (and on Amazon) are Primal Kitchen’s Queso Plant Based Dip and the 365 Organic Salsa con Queso.

Watch how it’s made in this video!

More Copycat Lunchables Recipes here!

How to Pack this Nacho Lunchables for Lunch

Here’s the part where I show you how to assemble all of these ingredients, so they stay fresh for lunch:

Prep
Wash and slice the fruit and veggies, if needed. Slice grilled chicken.
Wet ingredients together
The veggies, olives, and chicken can be packed into the same compartment. If you don’t want the fruit to pick on the flavors of the chicken or protein, pack it separately.
Chips separate
To keep the chips crispy, they should be packed into their own compartment or container.
Prepare for shipment
Close the lunchbox and add it to a lunch bag with an ice pack.
Cheese sauce
If you’re making homemade cheese dip, pack it into a mini sauce container. Otherwise, add the sealed dip cup to the lunch container or bag.

Ready to get packing? Grab the best container for homemade lunchables here.

Keeping Nacho Lunchables Fresh for School Lunch

Follow these packing tips for tasty and convenient nacho lunchables that remain neat until lunchtime:

Keep the nacho dip 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 thermos and enjoy that hot cheese.

Make ahead
This is one school lunch you can assemble ahead to save time. Pull everything together -except the apples if including- and store in the fridge.

Keeps apples from browning
If you include apples (or pears) as I did in nacho lunchable, pack them the same morning your kid is going to eat it. More tips on how to keep apples from browning here.

Separate wet from dry
Lunchboxes with compartments are my favorite for assembling this lunch since you can easily keep fruits, veggies, and chicken separate from crunchy nachos. Use a small leak-proof container to pack the nacho cheese dip if it’s homemade.

More Homemade Lunchables

Making lunchables at home is super simple and kids love them! This lunchable with banana chips is one you definitely have to try. And pizza lunchables? Of course! I also recommend these lunchable tacos, charcuterie lunchables, and chicken nuggets lunchable. So 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 Packed:

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.