Get Ready for Back to School with Giant Eagle #ad #BackToSchoolSimple

Get Ready for Back to School with Giant Eagle

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #BackToSchoolSimple #CollectiveBias

We are in full back to school mode at my house, the kids have about three weeks left of summer vacation then it’s back to school for the new school term.  Some of my friends already sent their kids back to school for the new year already so I started thinking of all the things I need to get done so we are ready for a new school year.

When I think about back to school, aside from school supplies and clothes, the next big thing is the food.  We need to find quick options for breakfast, lunches, and an after school snack.  My kids try to skip out on breakfast so I wanted to make sure I planned for something easy that they can quickly enjoy or take on the go.  Lunches are the easiest because they always give me great ideas for lunch, but after school snacks are always a big deal.

My husband and I grabbed the kids and headed on a road trip to Giant Eagle since they the perfect place to grab all your back to school essentials for breakfast, lunches, and the after school snacks.  It’s convenient and serve as a one stop shop for all school no matter how young or old.

While shopping at the store I noticed that Giant Eagle String Cheese was on sale.  The wheels started turning in my head and I knew it would make a perfect snack for school in so many ways.  That’s when I decided to make some Baked Cheese Sticks for an after school snack.

The best thing about this easy to make snack is that you can get the kids involved.  It only takes about ten minutes to get on the table if you make ahead.  You can also make them in bulk and freeze them for a few weeks so you always have them in stock.

This was so easy to make and most of the ingredients you may already have at home.  I used bread crumbs in mines but you can use Panko style crumbs as well.  I used the seasoned one but you can season the crumbs yourself.

Getting started the first thing you need to so it remove all the string cheese from the packets.  These were individually wrapped so it took a few minutes for us to unwrap them.  I had the kids help me with all the steps so it was a fun activity for us to do together.

The next step is cutting the sticks in half so you get the most out of he cheese sticks.  If you want smaller bits you can cut them in thirds or even quarters or smaller.

Set up your stations so it easy when you’re assembling all the baked cheese sticks.  I assigned stations to each of my older children so it made it super easy and no fussing about who would do what.

Start by rolling the cheese pieces in some flour.  Be sure to knock off the excess flour off the cheese sticks.

Next roll in the egg wash mixture.  This will really get the bread crumbs to stick to the sticks.  Make sure you get a good coating of the egg mixture on all your sticks.

Roll in the bread crumbs.  I purchased a can of Market District Italian Bread Crumbs from Giant Eagle.  It was already seasoned and perfect for this snack.

Once all the sticks have been rolled in bread crumbs freeze the sticks for at least thirty minutes in the freezer.  This helps slow the melting process when baking.  I recommend freezing them for longer if possible.  Make extras to add the lunch the next day or save them for another day.  They should last a few weeks in a tightly sealed container in the freezer.

Bake in the over for eight minutes and serve with your favorite marina sauce.  It’s the perfect after school snack for the kids.

I also thought about getting a drink for the kids and we decided to make a quick Green Goddess Berry Smoothie.

I’ve had a Vitamix blender for a while.  I finally took it off the shelf and put it to good use.  We used the Bolthouse Farms juice as the starting base.  We found a big bag of frozen blueberries that would be perfect for smoothies, baking and more, so I figured it was a great investment.

The smoothies were so easy.  All you need is a cup of juice, a cup of the frozen blueberries, a quarter cup of plain yogurt, and a little honey to sweeten the smoothie.  Double the ingredients if you’re making it for more people.  Doubled I was able to make smoothies for four people.

Bolthouse Farms juices were on sale this week, buy one get one free.  They are great for making smoothies that can be a grab and go breakfast option for kids.  You can add so many things to smoothies, including vitamins, fiber, and even veggies.  I picked up a few bottles to make smoothies and also for baking muffins.

 

Giant Eagle was filled with tons of back to school essentials for the upcoming school year.  I found some great goodies for the kids.

I got items I know my kids would really like.  My son loves Peanut Butter and Jelly, they all love cookies and Goldfish Crackers, and juice packs are a must.

Add some fun to your sandwiches by using a cookie cutter to cut out the sandwiches and make a fun lunch treat.  Save the scrap for yourself or see if your child wants to keep them for after school.

I used my cheese sticks two ways by also including them in lunch boxes.  It’s a great snack for cheese lovers like my kids.  The Goldfish crackers I picked up were baked with whole grains making them a choice I can stand behind.

The juice packs I picked from Capri Sun includes fiber, fruit and more goodies.  I also pack two snacks since my kids have recess twice plus lunch.

Be sure to visit your local Giant Eagle for all your back to school needs for breakfast, lunch, and after school snacks.  Look for their special sales and offers to save when shopping. After you’ve finished your shopping try the Baked Cheese Sticks recipe with your kids for a fun and tasty snack.

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