Pastries, pockets and pupusas

Top ten cheesy lunchbox treats from around the world.

Cheesy pitas, pies and parcels are beloved by kids in nearly every corner of the globe. From ooey, gooey fillings to crispy, golden crusts, cheese-stuffed goodies are the ultimate lunchbox staple. And while fresh-baked is unbeatable (hello molten mozzarella!) these cheesy treats are also delicious packed up for school lunches.

Don’t forget to include a little tub of creamy yoghurt dip for dunking – and a double-dose of dairy! Kitchen Garden Program members will find recipes for cacik (Turkish cucumber and yoghurt), raita, beetroot raita and lime yoghurt on the Shared Table, our online resource library and networking hub. 

Cheese and all dairy products are more than just tasty – they’re packed with essential calcium and protein, for growing strong bones and muscles. The Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Foundation has partnered with Saputo Dairy Australia (SDA) since 2019. SDA are experts in everything dairy, producing and distributing a creamy range of cheese, milk, cream and yoghurt. You’ll probably recognise some of their brands, like Devondale, CHEER, Liddells, Tasmanian Heritage and Mersey Valley.

Grab your lunchbox and join us on a global adventure to find the top ten cheese-filled treats that children devour around the world!

1. First stop: Ecuador.
PAN DE YUCA. Pan de yuca are little gluten-free buns made from cassava (tapioca) starch and cheese (queso fresco, quesillo or mozzarella). They are as light as air, and very moreish.

Pan de yuca made by Kitchen Garden Foundation team member, Saskia

2. Over to: Italy.
FOCACCIA RIPIENA PUGLIESE. Children in Italy often enjoy a warm hunk of focaccia with their lunch. Focaccia Ripiena Pugliese is a traditional recipe from Puglia. Milk-enriched focaccia is made from scratch and stuffed with delicious combinations of greens and cheese, like silverbeet, fennel and mozzarella. Kitchen Garden Program members will find the recipe on the Shared Table. Delizioso!

3. Next up: El Salvador.
PUPUSAS. Pupusas are a beloved traditional dish from El Salvador. Made from masa harina (white cornmeal), these thick flatbreads are stuffed with cheese (quesillo, Oaxaca cheese or mozzarella) and loroco buds*, or cheese and refried beans. Loved by kids for their handheld size, they are officially celebrated in El Salvador every second Sunday of November on National Pupusa Day!

Find Stephanie Alexander’s recipe for refried beans in her cookbook Fresh, available signed, from our online shop.

Shop now: Fresh by Stephanie Alexander (signed)

* Loroco buds are small, green, unopened flower buds from the fernaldia pandurata plant, a woody vine native to Central America. They are aromatic and slightly sour. Capers or chopped pickled jalapeños are a good substitute.

Pupusas are considered the national dish of El Salvador

4. Now to the Netherlands.
KAASBROODJE. In the Netherlands, children love kaasbroodje, a flaky pastry filled with cheese (traditionally Gouda or Edam) and a creamy mustard-spiked roux. Lekker lekker (yum yum)! Note: A kaasbroodje is not to be confused with a broodje kaas ie. a cheese sandwich.

5. Let’s travel to Turkey.
GÖZLEME. Cheese and chopped spinach or silverbeet are wrapped up in a thin, crispy dough to make gözleme, a dish loved by kids across Turkey. Gözleme can be made with fetta, or Turkish cheeses like beyaz peynir and kasseri.

Bialik College students made gözleme filled with fetta and school-grown silverbeet

6. Onward to Mexico.
QUESADILLAS. Families in Mexico love quesadillas for lunch. Soft tacos are filled with cheese, beans and mixed veggies before being fried until golden and crisp. Add a little tub of sour cream or avocado crema (mashed avocado mixed with lime juice and yoghurt or sour cream) for dunking!

For small soft tacos (10 cm or less):
Place one soft taco on your bench and scatter with your favourite grated cheese. Add a sprinkle of veggies, such as sautéed sliced red capsicum, cooked potato pieces, thinly sliced red onions, chopped spinach, black beans, and/or sliced mushrooms. Top with another generous sprinkle of cheese. Place a second tortilla on top, pressing down lightly. Cook in a dry, non-stick frying pan until the cheese melts and the tortillas are golden brown, flipping halfway through.

For larger tortillas:
Place cheese and fillings over one half of the tortilla, then fold the other half over to enclose. Cook until the cheese melts and the tortilla is golden, flipping to cook both sides. Kitchen Garden Program members will find recipes for soft taco shells and gluten-free soft corn taco shells on the Shared Table.

Students at Wendouree Primary School love making fresh soft taco shells

7. Across to Greece.
TIROPITAKIA. Greek children love tiropitakia, little filo pastry triangles stuffed with feta, and often ricotta and parmesan. In Mykonos, locals grow beautiful onions in the rocky island soil, along with rosemary whose name (Rosmarinus) means ‘rose of the sea’. Members will find a recipe for Mykonos fetta triangles with sweet onion and rosemary (and handy illustrated folding techniques) on the Shared Table.

This recipe is also used in the unit ‘The Science of Taste’ in our educator’s resource, Tools for Teachers 5 – Years 5 & 6, to illustrate cooking vegetables in a way that emphasises their natural sweetness and combining this sweetness with herbs. This jam-packed book is currently 50% off in our online shop.

Shop now: Tools for Teachers 5 – Years 5 & 6

8. Off to the UK.
CHEESE SCONES. In the United Kingdom, cheese scones are a beloved snack, often popped into lunchboxes. Made with sharp cheddar cheese, they’re delicious served with lashings of butter. Our Founder Stephanie Alexander’s classic cheese scones are easy to whip up.

9. Head to India.
PANEER PARATHA WITH DAHI. In India, children often enjoy paneer paratha (classic North Indian flaky flatbread stuffed with a spiced paneer mixture) with a side of dahi, a traditional fermented yoghurt. This combination is not only super svaadisht (delicious) but provides a double-whammy of protein and calcium, making it a great lunchbox choice for action-packed afternoons!

10. Take a trip to Czech Republic.
OVOCNÉ KNEDLÍK. All Czech kids love Ovocné knedlík, simple dairy dumplings. A piece of milk or ricotta-enriched dough is wrapped around a strawberry or other fruit, then boiled, and topped with sour cream, cottage cheese or tvaroh (‘farmer's cheese’) along with melted butter and powdered sugar. Ovocné knedlík are often eaten for lunch and are popular in school cafeterias.

Don’t forget to share your cheesy lunches with us on Instagram and tag @kitchengarden_foundation.

If you feel like experimenting, Kitchen Garden Program members will find our Pastry Recipes Collection on the Shared Table, with everything from simple olive oil pastry to gluten-free pastry. Get that dough rolling!

Dough-rolling skills at Clarendon Children’s Centre

Childhood is the best opportunity to build strong bones for life, and peak bone density is reached around age 20-25. Growing bones need plenty of calcium, and dairy foods are the best source of this essential nutrient.

Like to learn more about the Kitchen Garden Program? Join a community of early childhood, primary school and secondary school educators all around Australia teaching children and young people how to grow, harvest, prepare and share fresh, seasonal, delicious food.

Learn about the Kitchen Garden Program

The work of the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Foundation is only made possible with the continued support of our partners, and we thank Saputo Dairy Australia for their commitment and generosity. 

Learn more about partnering with the Kitchen Garden Foundation

Header photo: A sun-kissed platter of hand-made pasties and pastries at North Melbourne Primary School