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Let’s face it, even if your kids don’t mind the “crust” of the bread, eating a sandwich without the crust is sometimes just a little more fun. My kids do currently eat the crust at our house so homemade “Uncrustables” are not something I plan on doing every day, but will I do it on occasion just to switch things up? Absolutely.
One complaint from blog readers about making these sandwiches without the crust though is that they hate to waste food. So in addition to showing you how to make [and freeze] your own homemade “Uncrustables” I’ve got some solutions for those bread ends as well.
Why make your own “Uncrustables?”
- You can control the ingredients (see “Exhibit A” below).
- It (can be) cheaper.
- I am not going to lie…they are NICE to have on hand on those nights (or mornings) when you have no clue what to pack for school lunch! Or for when you just don’t have any fresh bread in the house. It happens to the best of us.
What I look for in “real” bread, peanut butter, and jelly
- Bread: I prefer 100% whole-wheat bread made with only 5 or 6 ingredients. This can be hard to find at a supermarket so instead look into your local bakeries or making your own (in the oven or in a bread machine).
- Peanut Butter: It only takes one ingredient to make peanut butter…peanuts. Anything else (salt, sugar, oil, etc.) is to be considered an “additive.”
- Jelly: I suppose I technically buy “jam” not jelly. I look for varieties that are organic, have the fruit listed as the first ingredient (as opposed to the sweetener), and that are sweetened with fruit juice as opposed to refined sugar. I either make my own or by Crofter’s brand.
So yes, I do recommend a special little “tool” for making these at home (as it turns out Wonder Bread is good for something), but you can certainly make them without this thing by cutting with a knife and then pinching the edges together with your fingers. It isn’t quite as easy or “pretty” because I tried it myself—but it will certainly work if you don’t want to spring the $4+ for yet another kitchen gadget.
Once you have that figured out it is time to get started.
Sandwich Options:
- Go with the classic PB&J.
- Use sunflower seed butter or cream cheese if you want/need to go nut-free.
- Use a different nut butter like almond butter if you prefer.
- Skip the jelly and make a peanut butter and honey sandwich instead…something my daughters really enjoy.
–
How to Freeze & Defrost Homemade “Uncrustables”–
There are two different ways that you can freeze your homemade “uncrustables” to easily store them in the freezer.
To Freeze:
- Wrap the finished sandwiches in foil (or small baggies) and transfer them to a labeled, freezer-safe container or bag. Put the crusts in their own labeled container/bag as well.
- You could also freeze the sandwiches in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet for a few hours before transferring them to a bag/container—if you prefer to skip the foil.)
To Defrost:
I personally pull out any frozen lunch or snack items the night before (whether it’s a sandwich, soup, muffin, waffles, or biscuit) and let it defrost slowly in the fridge overnight.
3 Uses For the Crust (no need to waste!)
I personally think it’s easiest to just freeze the crusts right away. Then there is no pressure to do something creative with them immediately! So as mentioned above, right after making the sandwiches just throw them all together in a big Ziplock bag or other freezer-safe container and save them for a rainy day.
Then when you have time to do something with those crusts just pull them out, defrost them at room temperature for a few hours, and make one of the following:
- Breadcrumbs.
Grind up the bread ends in a food processor until crumbly. Spread in one even layer on a baking sheet and bake for at 300 degrees F for 20 – 22 minutes or until golden brown. It is recommended to stir the bread crumbs once or twice while baking to ensure even doneness.
– - Homemade Croutons.
Chop the bread crusts into little cubes. Mix them together with just enough olive oil to coat and some spices to taste (we like Italian seasoning, garlic powder, and salt). Transfer to a baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees F until golden brown, about 15 – 18 minutes.
– - Stuffing or Bread Pudding.
Use your bread ends in your favorite holiday stuffing dish or bread pudding dessert recipe – yum!
–
Other Freezer-Friendly Lunch Ideas
Here are some more freezer-friendly recipes that are perfect to to have for lunches, whether the kids are in school or at home.
Homemade “Uncrustables”
Ingredients
- 1 loaf whole-wheat bread (can sub gluten-free bread)
- peanut butter (can sub nut butter if nut-free)
- jam (we prefer either homemade jam or an all-fruit spread that’s sweetened with fruit juice concentrate as opposed to sugar or high-fructose corn syrup)
Instructions
- Spread the peanut butter on one piece of bread and then the jam. Make sure to not spread the filling all the way to the edges. Place a second piece of bread on top to make the sandwich.
- Place the Wonder tool on top of the sandwich to seal the edges and take a knife to cut off all the crust around the edges (see notes on how to complete the sandwiches if you don't have the tool).
Notes
- How to seal the sandwiches without the Wonder tool: Simply cut off the crust on all sides and press the edges down firmly with your fingers to seal the sandwich.
- Can be nut-free if you sub peanut butter for sunflower butter.
- Can be gluten-free if you sub whole-wheat bread for gluten-free.
- We recommend organic ingredients when feasible.
Nutrition Facts
Please feel free to share your ideas for bread ends/crusts in the comments below. I hope your little ones enjoy these in their lunch. I know you will feel good about sending them :)
I just found the sandwhich de-cruster at Big Lots for $1.50. If you have a Big Lots in your area, you might want to stop by.
From my point of view, I don’t have to trick or entice my kids to eat anything really, they love all sorts of food, my 7 year old wrote beats as his favorite food tonight on his back to school get to know me sheet, it not about tricking them, it’s about making them feel special. That being said, I have never been a big one for extra food prep, I have 4 kids and typically when I make a sandwich or cut up an apple, it’s up to each kid to avoid the part they don’t like. I think the sandwiches sound “fun” because children like to feel special, like something a little different and like to feel like they are eating some of the same stuff as their friends and we like homemade croutons.
I agree! For a time my daughter’s school was serving Uncrustables (blech…so glad they did away with those) and some of her friends would bring them from time to time too. So it’s nice to be able to make a sandwich *my* way (without all the junk) and still give her something fun.
You can do PB and honey and freeze it? My kids would love that but I just want to make sure raw honey is okay to freeze.
Hello Julie. Freezing should work out just fine. :) ~Amy
I like to give the crust to my dogs—use as an individual treat or mix in with the food. That’s a happy day for them :D
I work in a school cafeteria where we have to make lots of PB&J at a time. We have found that if you soften the peanut butter slightly (microwave, etc.)you can put a thin layer on all slices of bread, then add jelly or honey in the middle of two slices. this keeps the jelly or honey from touching the bread and getting it soggy when it thaws or sits in a lunchbox for hours.
Ooooh, what a great idea, thanks!!
I actually started freezing my leftover crusts (or bread ends) that start to get too hard and I use them for breadcrumbs for our Chicken Parmesean, in my meatloaf, or chunked up to add to my overnight breakfast egg dish. ACTUALLY, I have your recipe for Breakfast Casserole Bites queued up and I was going to use my crusts for that recipe!! :D:D YAY for unprocessed and double YAY for Freezing!!
I just came upon this website and it seems very helpful, so correct me if I’m wrong but isn’t bread a processed food?
Hi Brandon, Lisa’s Real Food Rules include bread, but she sticks to 100% whole-wheat. You can read up on the rules here: https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/real-food-defined-a-k-a-the-rules/
– Nicole
Would these work if I didn’t cut the crust off and seal them? The crust is actually my boys’ favorite part, but I would love to have a bunch ready to just pull out in the morning.
I have always just made regular pb&j sandwiches, cut them in half and freeze them in snack size baggies. Doesn’t have the fun factor of the uncrustables, but still solves the problem of needing a quick, ready made lunch :)
Thanks Amanda!
I buy my bread from the Publix bakery. The Honey Whole Wheat loaf only has 6 ingredients. I sometimes ask them to order me a whole box and put in straight from their freezer into mine. I wonder if it is a problem to ‘refreeze’ bread that has been previously frozen?
Hi Betsy. It should be fine. Texture and moisture might be a little different but breads refreeze pretty well. ~Amy
A use for the crusts at our house: the dogs! They love that my daughter won’t eat crusts. Win-win!
Great solution! Too bad my dog is gluten free…no kidding.
Ooh that’s really unhealthy for the dog, because of the salts in the bread!
I’ve never heard that. The dogs are 13 and 11 years old, at this point, so if it’s harmful to them it is sure doing it slowly. I can’t imagine that them splitting one sandwich crust a day is going to prove that unhealthy?
I give the crust to my two dogs also…I’m thinking it’s a harmless treat! :))
I make my ‘uncrustables’ with an empanada press. I use just one piece of bread (but leave the crusts on, ya!)
I may have to try this with gluten-free bread for my girls (we don’t eat regular bread due to gluten intolerance).
How does it work with home-made bread? Is it too crumbly?
I am wondering if it might not just be easier to cut the crusts off BEFORE spreading on the fillings….
I also imagine you could use a fork to press down on the edges and seal it – it would look better than just using your fingers.
Hi. We typically use bread that is homemade or from our local bakery. I use Gluten free bread from our bakery as well. It is a bit more crumbly but moist enough than it holds and presses together pretty well. ~Amy
My daughter won’t eat peanut butter. Do you know if cream cheese freezes well? I was thinking about cream cheese/jam uncrustables.
Hi Laura. You can freeze it but it does change its texture. It becomes less creamy. ~Amy
I found the Wonder bread gadget at the Dollar Tree tonight!
We feed bread crusts to our chickens!
Has anyone tried this with meats and cheese? Do they freeze well and do they come out soggy after defrosting? Thanks.
You should be able to make these with meats and cheese. Here’s a link that might help with freezing sandwiches: https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/school-lunch-frozen-sandwiches/
– Nicole
Hi Lisa,
I love all your ideas and suggestions! You have converted our family to “real food.” We sometimes use a giant cookie cutter to make our sandwiches in different crustless shapes.
However, I’m bummed to see plastic bags being promoted. Would you be willing to try a reusable alternative to Ziploc freezer bags? I would love to have you give neat-os a try.
Thanks for helping our family get clean!
All the best, Rachel
Rachel- I was so excited to see your recommendation for neat-os. I have been looking for something like that. I immediately searched for it online, but was so deflated when I saw the price. $9 for one sandwich size, $15 for one gallon size. Stocking up would break the bank for us. Do you have any recommendations for how to find them at a more economical price? I’d appreciate any tips. Thanks!
Ziplock brand bags are BPA free, at least.
I have been making these as well and they freeze and thaw amazingly well. My daughter has a Planet Lunch Box that came with a stainless steel circular container. I take the lid off and use the base for cutting and sealing the “uncrustables”. The size is perfect and the kids love the round shape.
Seems silly to call salt in peanut butter an additive! It tastes so much better and considering your recent trouble with not enough salt why would you discourage that?
I consider anything that is extra (i.e. not necessary) to be an additive…and even though I like some salt in my diet I still like to add it myself (in the right quantity) instead of leaving it up to the food industry to do it for me. I agree though salt in PB is minimal concern compared to the other junk some companies try to add to it!
You can also use a cup(glass usually works the best) turn it upside down press and twist and it cuts the bread. The trick of course is to have one with the right circumference.
Love this! I have a very picky 5th grader. Thanks so much. I know Lisa mentioned using the Wonder Bread container or fingers to pinch the bread together so not to have to get another kitchen gadget. If anyone doesn’t have the Wonder Bread container or would like to have another kitchen gadget, The Pampered Chef has an awesome product called the Cut-N-Seal that makes circle “Uncrustables”. Just push down and it cuts and seals the bread in one step. They are $10 with a 3 year warranty.
We found the same wonder bread cutter at our local Dollar Tree dollar store! Can’t beat a buck for one! We’ve been making these for years out of wide mouth canning jar rings. The kids like the square cutter too!
I actually found that adorable “tool” at my local family dollar for only $1 same one and it works great. I use my own bread and jam that we made this past spring. my son wanted to make strawberry-banana jam and it’s the bomb!
I’ve been making these for years. My boys love them and can tell no difference between a fresh pbj or frozen ones despite two having major texture and tactile issues. However, here is another idea for the crusts. A friend suggested it and we love it! Cut or tear the crusts into bite size pieces. Grease a baking dish. Depending on how much crust you have, mix eggs, milk, a jar of baby sweet potatoes (my way of sneaking in veggies and my kids never know!) and vanilla (however much you would use for an equivalent of french toast) and pour over the crusts. Toss it until it is wet (you’ll have to test how wet to make it according to your family’s preference). Bake on 350 for 15-25 minutes (depending on how much, how wet, etc.) Serve with pure maple syrup if you choose. It makes a french toast bake. It’s great. I make sandwiches for the week on Sunday and then whip up the bake for Monday morning. You can save the crusts in the bag already crumbled and it takes less than 5 minutes to prep in the morning. Ready before everyone is even ready for school! Way to start a Monday!
For everyone asking about swithcing kids to a real food diet, most of those processed foods (kraft mac & cheese, hamburger helper, etc.) can be made at home from real food. I have a coworker whose son has ADHD and the doctor recommended cutting out food dyes. Her twins (7) love mac & cheese so I made my homemade version for her, she took it home, and they loved it. Now that is what they eat all the time. I don’t have kids so I can’t speak from personal experience but I think with older kids letting them have a say in what they eat helps too. You can also look at ‘Better than a Box’ by Katie Kimball avaialble on amazon or her website http://www.kitchenstewardship.com.
Would this work with meat & cheese sandwiches? turkey & cheese, ham & cheese, etc. I’m not a big fan of PB&J but cream cheese & J is ok.
Re e-meals. I’m not too impressed. Every week there is at least one meal that has ingredients that I do not like or can’t eat. I do like the idea of having someone else do all the planning but when the plan includes things taht don’t work for my family it just seems like a waste – especially since the later week meals often include leftovers from the beginning of the week – if i haven’t cooked that beginnig meal that I am missing an ingredient for the later one.
I don’t really meal plan anyway it’s only me so I usually cook one or two nights and just eat a lot of leftovers. I would prefer a website that allows me to mealplan with my own recepies over emeals.
If there was a way to set conditions on emelas (for example no salmon which seems to be their favored fish) I would probably like/ue it more. What I have done is saved the recipes and used them to make my own plan.
There is a site called http://plantoeat.com/
It allows you to upload your own recipes in the format of a meal plan. They then, compile a grocery list for you based on your recipes. They offer 30 day trials. After that, it’s the same $ as EMeals. I tried it, but it seemed like a big time investment to get started with all your recipes. Besides, I’m seriously not creative when it comes to meal planning. So I’m a HUGE FAN of Emeals. I’d much rather they plan it for me. I agree though, most of their meals are strange to me – but we’ve almost always been pleasantly surprised by the tastes.
Hi. You should be able to do this with meat/cheese combinations, too. ~Amy
Can you recommend bread recipes? I have yet to find one that works well for sandwiches. I would love to not buy bread anymore!!
Agreed! I need a bread machine recipe that makes a good sandwich bread that isn’t dry and slices well!
I use this recipe and it never fails: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/6971/honey-of-an-oatmeal-bread
I simply use white whole wheat flour and olive oil instead of regular flour and vegetable oil. Works great!
Sorry, bad link. Try: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/honey-of-an-oatmeal-bread?sitepref=ar
I’ve linked 2 recipes above in the post – both for oven and bread machine. Good luck!
Here’s a great gluten/dairy/soy/corn free option: http://allergylane.blogspot.com/2013/08/perfect-sandwich-bread.html
I am anxious to do this for my kids!!! I LOVE all of the ideas for the crusts!
Do you use this allergy free bread? Does it work well in a bread machine? What is the texture and taste like?
Lisa,
I make homemade bread several times a week and have the Panasonic model that makes a wider loaf. Do you find that the bread cutter wastes more of the homemade bread? Store-bought loaves are much “slimmer” than homemade!
Thanks!
I made these with a loaf from Great Harvest and I agree it seems that more of the crust came off unfortunately.
Well, I happened to be at the Dollar Tree today and, lo and behold, there it was for a buck! I couldn’t resist :-) I have to say that it didn’t waste too much bread, though you know each homemade loaf is different. I love the idea to freeze them, so I think it was a fun buy. I found it at the Dollar Tree at the Galleria and there was only one left. I couldn’t help but wonder if people bought them after your post!
I love making my own ‘uncrustables’, and I got the Wonder Bread sandwich maker from the Dollar Tree Store. I’ve seen it there a few times, definitely worth a buck :)
I actually still have one of those old “flying style” sandwich cutters for using with a campfire or the grill – it cuts burger/bread sandwiches to look like a flying saucer! The thing is all metal (wooden handle) and looks like a clamp with handles. UFO uncrustables!!!
I am going to try this on PBJ today!!!
I also use creamed honey and almond butter for a delicious change. The crusts make great crumbs for meatloaf without the toasting.
I may have to make these for my family. Even if my only is 14 now. My family prefers the peanut butter and honey ones which are hard to find. And to the one who asked how many freezers everyone has. Three refrigerator ones and an upright freezer.
I couldnt believe when I checked the ingredients on a name brand 100% whole wheat bread and found that it was an actual flour blend of both white and wheat bread. The generic store version turned out to be much cheaper and also only had 5 ingredients!
This project will definitely be something I do for my kiddos. Thanks as always!
I’m going to try these soon!! Thanks!
:)Jamie
I also use the crust for strips of french toast :)
Ooooh, great idea! I use our bread heels for bread crumbs but usually have too many of them. I’m thinking french toast strip preparation would make them more appetizing. :-)
This is such a great idea! My kids love the Uncrustables, but they can be so expensive and not to mention too sugary! I’m new to this website and have made the choice to take processed foods from our diets and I’ve learned a lot of new things from ALL the reading and I just want to say thank you for all the great info!
I just finished making eight grilled cheese sandwiches (on home made bread of course). They are cooling now and when they have cooled completely I am going to stick them into my FoodSaver bags, suck all the air out and throw them into the freezer. Now more cooking sandwiched after dinner for school lunches!
One question – how many of you have a second freezer? I’m starting to think I might need one with all the baking and freezing!
We are about to get a small chest freezer and can not wait to have it! Every time I go to the Reg. freezer and have to cram it all in AGAIN I think to my self, “wish I had that freezer already.”
I have one, Kim. Love it, love it, love it. I store frozen chicken stock, bulk meats, etc. in there. I also love having the fridge on the bottom for my Costco purchases like organic eggs and butter. We bought a simple, freezer-on-top model and I highly recommend that. When you want to freeze things individually (like Lisa was talking about with the sandwiches), it’s easy to lay the cookie sheet in there. Not as easy with a side-by-side!
We have a large chest freezer, small upright freezer, bottom freezer on the kitchen fridge, and top freezer on the garage fridge (and I still sometimes don’t have enough freezer space during processing seasons). And my mother-in-law has more freezers than me! :)
I have 2 extra freezers. One specifically for salmon. We live in AK and just caught our limit of 75 red salmon so the smaller chest freezer is for our fish freeing up the upright freezer for meals and Dave’s killer bread :)
I have 3 freezers!!!!! 2 chest freezers (one for a half a grass-fed cow, one for other random meat (pastured pork and chicken, lamb, goat and fish) and the small one that is attached to the fridge in the kitchen…)
I’ve actually been contemplating a third freezer for the past year. We have a side by side upstairs, which contains everyday items currently in use. Our downstairs chest freezer is full to the brim with grass fed/pastured meat and wild caught fish, veggies, fruit, ravioli, jam, and preservative free bread/bread like products. On most days it is difficult to close and I would never have the room to make ahead food and store it. So yes, get a second freezer or even a third, LOL
what bread and cheese are you using with you grilled cheese? both my kids have nut allergies so these would be great for them.
I make whole wheat bread, so no nuts. Oh, we did buy a freezer. I loooove having it.
Pampered Chef has a circular tool for this too. Much pricier than the wonder bread contraption, but another option nonetheless. (And, no, I don’t sell for them ;)… just have it and like it for a treat for the kids when I’m too uninspired to do anything but Pb&j)
I have this tool as well… I just got it. I feel like i either push too hard- and the bread breaks or i don’t push hard enough adn it doesn’t seal. Any tips?! LOL I would be sad if I had to go buy the cheap wonder bread tool to make a neat uncrustable! LOL :)
After seeing all the prepackaged and processed foods the other kids bring in their lunches at school, my son has been asking for these. Thanks for providing the perfect solution!
How does the thawing work? Can you pack it in the morning and have it be ready to eat by noon? Get it out the night before? Is it weirdly soggy?
I so want to try this – my kids would love it for trips!!!
We take them out the night before, and put in the fridge with the rest of lunch. Thawed and not soggy @ childs lunch of 11:45am. ENJOY
I’ve been making these for years. They thaw rather quickly and will definitely be ready by lunch even if they eat at 10:00 a.m.! They can’t tell the difference in texture either. I have one child who gags on many foods, can taste if I alter one ingredient, and is extremely picky. I worried he wouldn’t like it, but he said he couldn’t tell the difference. Neither can either of my other boys, nor my friend’s children who also eat the homemade version uncrustables!
If you place them in the refrigerator the night before they should be fine for lunchtime. – Nicole