A Bite Inspired by… School Lunch:
Are your kids feeling uninspired by their school lunches? Want to give them a hot, nutritious meal that will fuel them for the school day? This hot, melty Cheesy Vegan Cauliflower Lasagna is your solution! It’s delicious, full of healthy ingredients, and made in a thermos, so it stays warm all day! This post also includes variations on the recipe, so your kids will never get bored. It’s so good and easy to make, you’ll want it for your lunch too!
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Did you know that what your child eats for lunch at school can effect his or her learning? Numerous studies over the past 10 years, including this one discussed in U.S. News, have shown that the nutritional quality of school lunch affects the academic performance of students.
I’ve personally found that lunches for kids not only have to be nutritious, but fun and exciting. Kids will eat fruits, vegetables, and other “scary” foods, if they’re packaged in an inspiring way. When kids become uninspired by their lunches, they just aren’t as excited for the school day, which can translate into boredom in the classroom. Since the cornerstone of my blog is inspiring everyone, big or small, through food, I’ve dedicated this blog post to helping you solve food boredom for kids.
But, you don’t have any kids, Alyssa! How do you know all this? The answer is simple: I was a kid myself once too! I know what lunches motivated me to do well and which ones just made me shut down. Personally, when I was in elementary school, I became much more excited for the school day, when I had a hot, yummy lunch to look forward to rather than just another PB & J sandwich.
When I was in 5th grade, my mom started sending me to school with this cheesy lasagna made with tofu, vegan cheese, and cauliflower. She packed it in a thermos, so I would have a hot, comforting lunch. At first, I was sort of embarrassed. The other kids had snack cakes, Lunchables, and Oreos in their lunches. What would they think of my veggie filled lunch? It turned out, the second my friends saw my gooey, melty, steaming hot lasagna, they all wanted a bite. My friend, Elizabeth, actually offered to trade me 3 of her Little Debbie cakes for a few bites of my vegetables! Amazing, right?
I know school lunch can be tough. You work and take care of the kids all day, you cook dinner for your family, and the last thing you want to do is make a complicated lunch. I get it. That’s why this Cheesy Vegan Cauliflower Lasagna is no harder to make than a PB & J sandwich, while being much more exciting and nutritious. The only ingredients you need are pictured below!
Yes—this recipe is vegan, but don’t underestimate the power a cheesy, hot dish can have on kids. Most of them will enjoy things like tofu and cauliflower, if it’s in the guise of a delicious lasagna.
This Cheesy Vegan Cauliflower Lasagna is ooey, gooey deliciousness! It’s honestly so, so good! You’ll want it for your lunch too (go ahead– it’s not just for the kids!) You start with an insulated food thermos to keep the lasagna hot until lunchtime. Thermoses are honestly the best thing to ever happen to packed school lunches. Since kids don’t generally have access to a microwave at school, a thermos allows them to bring a hot lunch from home that will stay warm the whole day! I used the THERMOS FOOGO Vacuum Insulated Stainless Steel 10-Ounce Food Jar
The cauliflower gets mashed small, so it’s barely noticeable, but still provides a nice, noodle-like texture. The tofu is pulsed in the food processor with salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning, so that it mimics ricotta. The texture and taste between ricotta and the tofu is so similar that the kids won’t even be able to tell the difference (you probably won’t either!) This recipe is not only super healthy and vegan, it’s also gluten-free and nut-free too!
Next, there’s a generous sprinkling of vegan mozzarella (I used Daiya cheese
The best thing about this recipe? It’s not just one school lunch for your kids—it’s many school lunches! I promised you a solution to food boredom, so I’m not just going to leave you with one, measly recipe. You can make this recipe for your kids several times a week with different variations and they won’t even notice because the flavors are totally different. Feel free to come up with your own variations on the recipe based on your kids’ favorite flavors or use one of these:
- Pizza- add vegan (or real) pepperoni and olives
- Mexican-Style- replace the tofu with refried beans, the mozzarella with cheddar, and the tomato sauce with salsa
- Garden- add baby spinach (the spinach will wilt nicely by lunchtime)
- Meat Lovers- add leftover chicken or ground beef for an extra protein boost
- Asian-Style- replace tomato sauce with teriyaki sauce (but use half the amount), omit the cheese and add spinach, add sesame seeds to the tofu instead of Italian seasoning
- Broccoli Cheddar- replace cauliflower with broccoli, replace mozzarella with cheddar, replace tomato sauce with a cream-based sauce (use a cashew cream sauce for a vegan option)
The possibilities are endless. With my cauliflower lasagna recipe, your kids will always have an exciting, healthy school lunch to look forward to.
The takeaway? School lunch can make or break your child’s school day. Why not send them to school with an inspiring, healthy lunch that’s also easy for you to make? Your kids will have a great day, and so will you! Enjoy!
P.S. Looking for more lunch inspiration? Check out my healthy and flavorful Mediterranean Grilled Chicken Pasta inspired by Work Lunch!
- ½ cup steamed cauliflower florets
- ½ cup firm tofu, cubed
- ¼ cup of your favorite tomato sauce
- ¼ cup vegan mozzarella cheese (I used Daiya)
- ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 (10 ounce) insulated food thermos (see note)
- Add tofu, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper into a food processor. Pulse until the tofu has the texture of ricotta cheese.
- Smash the cauliflower into small pieces with the back of a fork.
- Heat tomato sauce on the stove or in the microwave until piping hot. (see note)
- Add 2-3 tablespoons of cauliflower to the bottom of the thermos.
- Add 2-3 tablespoons of the tofu on top of the cauliflower.
- Sprinkle 1-2 tablespoons of vegan mozzarella on top.
- Add 1-2 tablespoons of hot tomato sauce.
- Repeat steps 4-7 until the thermos is filled.
- Add a little extra vegan mozzarella on the top of the last sauce layer. Sprinkle with a bit of Italian seasoning.
- Close thermos and seal tightly. By lunchtime, the hot sauce will make the cheese melty and gooey. Enjoy!
It’s SUPER important that the tomato sauce is extremely hot when you put it in the thermos. That’s what’s going to make the cheese melt and keep the lasagna gooey and warm until lunchtime.
To ensure that this lunch is nut-free, check the label on your vegan cheese to make sure it doesn't contain nuts.
See post for recipe variations!
I would be happy to take this lunch treat to school. Looks delicious and so healthy. Aren’t cauliflowers just the most adaptable of vegetables?
Totally agree, Mark! Cauliflower works well is so many different dishes. Definitely one of my favorite veggies. Thank you so much!
I love how creative this is! I’m always looking for new vegan dishes for family and friends, and this lasagna looks fantastic.
Thank you so much, Kristen! Enjoy! 🙂
Love this! Looks sooooooo good – I’m such a sucker for lasagna! Love the tofu-ricotta trick, plus it’s low carb, so woohoo! This recipe was made for me lol! Now if only vegan cheese isn’t so expensive… :'(
Haha I feel your pain, Elizabeth. Why are the healthiest things always the most expensive?? LOL I’ve found the best way to avoid spending a lot of money on vegan cheese is to make my own! It’s a bit time consuming, but totally worth it and it lasts for a while. The other option is to just omit the vegan cheese in this recipe. There’s so many other yummy ingredients in this lasagna that it will still taste delicious without the vegan cheese. That’s what I love about this recipe– it’s so adaptable! You can use the basic recipe, but add or remove anything you want. Hope this helps with your vegan cheese dilemma. haha 😉 Thank you so much for stopping by!
What a great idea and it looks like it would come together super quick in the morning if you prepped ahead of time. I’ll have to pick up a thermos and give this a try!
Thank you, Alison! Yes– doing the prep work the night before would work really well for this recipe. Great idea! If you don’t have a thermos, you can always make this lasagna in a bowl or even a casserole dish, if you want to feed a lot of people. Just make sure you warm up all the ingredients in either the microwave or the oven. That’s the best part about the thermos– only the sauce needs to be hot and the rest of it cooks itself! How ever you choose to make this dish, I hope you enjoy it! 🙂
Oh my gosh I love this so much!! I’m a vegetarian and always find myself in a tofu rut, making it the exact same way every single time. This is so creative and fun…I may need to try it out. Yummy! Thank you for sharing! 🙂
Megan
http://www.lifeonshadylane.com
Thank you, Megan! I hope this recipe inspires you out of your tofu rut! 😉 Enjoy!
This looks AWESOME, Alyssa! I love that your mom packed a hot lunch in a thermos–that’s so clever! And I love that your friend wanted to trade THREE snack cakes :).
Thank you so much, Kelsie! It’s a great story, huh? Funny how we tend to remember the smallest details from our most vivid childhood memories. Trust me– this lasagna is definitely worth AT LEAST three snack cakes. hahaha 🙂 Thanks again for stopping by!
Yum! I’n so excited to try this recipe, Alyssa! I am in love with anything “cauliflower.” Thanks for sharing! xoxo
Thank you so much, Lisa! ❤️
This looks so delicious!! I don’t have kids but I’m a kid myself so that counts right? 😀 haha I think I will have to start making these for Terry to pack for lunch! Thermos’ are so underrated. 🙂
Thank you so much, Joyce! This tasty lunch is definitely not just for kids. I’m sure Terry (and you) will love it! 🙂
What a neat idea to make it right there in the thermos! I bet that would be adaptable to any number of lunch ideas – love it!
Thank you so much, Monica! I included a ton of variations on the recipe in the post, so you can have lots of lunch options! Definitely take a look. 🙂 Thanks again for stopping by!
i was definitely the kid who wanted something warm (and was anti-sandwich throughout elementary school, anyways) for lunch! this sounds delicious, and i’m sure i would have loved this (though i would still love some for lunch nowadays lol).
Thank you, Heather! You can definitely still pack this for your lunch. A warm, cheesy lasagna is not just for the kids! 😉 Enjoy!
I’m not vegan so I might use regular cheese but otherwise I’m making it the way you wrote it. What a wonderful lunch idea. I haven’t used a thermos in years but I’m digging it out as soon as I finish this comment. Does the cauliflower have to be hot when you make this? I’m pretty fuzzy in the morning so if I can cook everything and reheat in the morning that would be safer for me.
Thank you, Romain! I’m glad I inspired you to dig out your Thermos again. haha You can definitely use regular cheese for this recipe! And, guess what! The cauliflower does NOT have to be hot! That’s the beauty of this recipe. Only the sauce has to be hot (super hot though) and then the thermos works its magic creating a gooey, warm lasagna by lunchtime. That way, you can meal prep the night before and just toss everything in the thermos in the morning. So easy, right? Hope you enjoy it!
You are a genius! Obviously, your mom’s hot lunches paid off. I cannot wait to give this a try, for both myself and the girls. I totally agree with you that school lunches leave much to be desired, but sometimes I fall into a rut with the lunches I send to school with them. Honestly, thank you for an incredibly easy yet delicious and healthy alternative!
Thank you so much, Erica! I’m so glad I could provide you and your girls with some new lunchtime inspiration. 🙂