If you’ve hit that point in the school term where you’re staring into the fridge thinking, “What on earth am I going to put in their lunchbox tomorrow?” - save this one.
These Quick Pizza Subs are one of our favourite easy school lunch ideas because they take just a few ingredients, can be made in the air fryer and, most importantly, actually have a pretty good chance of being eaten!
They’re warm, cheesy, easy to customise and perfect for breaking up the usual sandwich rotation.
Quick Pizza Subs 🍕
What you'll need
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English muffins
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Pizza sauce
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Sliced ham
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Grated or sliced cheese
That’s it!
You can also add whatever pizza toppings your kids normally love - think pineapple, capsicum, mushrooms, chicken or even just cheese for a super-simple version.
How to make them
1. Prep your English muffins
Slice the English muffins in half and place them cut-side up.
2. Add the toppings
Spread each half with pizza sauce, then add ham and cheese.
3. Pop them in the air fryer
Place your pizza subs in the air fryer and cook until the cheese is melted and golden and the muffins are warmed through.
Air fryers can vary quite a bit, so keep an eye on them - they don't take long!
4. Let them cool
This step is important when you're packing them for school.
Allow the pizza subs to cool before placing them into the lunchbox. This helps reduce condensation inside the lunchbox and stops them from becoming overly soft.
Then they're ready to pack!
Make Them Your Own
One of the best things about these little pizza subs is how easy they are to customise.
Try:
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Hawaiian: ham, cheese + pineapple
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Cheese pizza: pizza sauce + lots of cheese
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Chicken pizza: cooked chicken + cheese
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Veggie: capsicum, corn + cheese
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BBQ chicken: cooked chicken, BBQ sauce + cheese
They're also a handy way to use up those random little bits and pieces sitting in the fridge before grocery day.
What to Pack With Pizza Subs
For a balanced school lunchbox, you could pack your pizza subs alongside some easy-to-eat fruit and snacks.
Think sliced strawberries, grapes, orange wedges, cucumber, carrot sticks, yoghurt or a little crunchy snack.
And this is exactly where having a lunchbox with adjustable compartments comes in handy.
Some days you're packing a sandwich. Other days it's pizza subs, fruit, yoghurt and snacks. Being able to move or remove a divider means you can make the lunchbox work around what your child is actually eating that day - rather than trying to make their food fit into fixed compartments.
An Easy Alternative to the Everyday Sandwich
There's absolutely nothing wrong with a sandwich, but when you've packed approximately 4,000 of them, sometimes it's nice to have another easy option up your sleeve!
These pizza subs still use simple ingredients you probably already have at home, but they make the lunchbox feel a little different.
Even better, you can make a few at once so you've got lunch sorted for more than one child.
More Easy School Lunch Ideas
We're big believers that school lunches don't need to be complicated.
The best lunchbox ideas are often the ones that are quick to make, easy for kids to eat and simple to pack.
So next time you've run out of school lunch inspiration, grab some English muffins, pizza sauce, ham and cheese and give these Quick Pizza Subs a go.
They might just earn themselves a spot in your regular lunchbox rotation. 🍕💚
Looking for lunchware that works around the way your kids actually eat?
Explore Spixal lunch boxes, insulated food jars, reusable yoghurt pouches, snack boxes and lunch bags - designed to make packing school lunches that little bit easier.
Want to see how easy they are to make? 🍕
Watch us make these Quick Pizza Subs over on Instagram - they’re seriously so simple!
👉 Watch the Quick Pizza Subs video on Instagram
Save the Reel while you're there so you've got it handy next time you're stuck for school lunch ideas. 📌