It happens to me every year at the same time. A couple of months before the end of the school year I find myself lacking original ideas when it comes to packing a school lunch. Every morning, I feel like I have to perform some miracle and come up with a new meal, otherwise lunch comes back home untouched!
So this is our latest super tasty and super easy favorite: Dinner leftover grilled meat – preferably chicken breast or pork, but you could also use beef, lamb, and even a ground meat patty – along with some refreshing and light tzatziki and juicy cherry tomatoes, all wrapped in a soft pita pocket.
Even though souvlaki is traditionally a hot meal, my school lunch version is delicious when consumed cold. It takes me only a minute or so to put it together in the morning. And it’s so rewarding to see an empty lunch box in the afternoon! And of course, this is a great idea for a take-to-the-office lunch, a picnic or a road trip!
In this picture, I wrapped them with some parchment paper and aluminum foil and left one side open for you to see what they look like.
To make them, lay a pita pocket flat and add:
- A tablespoon or so of my home made tzatziki. My recipe is super light since it uses garlic powder instead of raw garlic (to make it, you will be active for about 3 minutes and it will last refrigerated for up to 4 days).
- strips of meat
- halved cherry tomatoes
Fold the pita pocket in half and wrap completely with aluminum foil.
A few useful tips for the pita pockets:
- At the store, I spend a few moments looking at the “best by” date on the packaging, to make sure I get the freshest!
- I prefer the mini size ones. They’re just cuter!
- At home, I immediately freeze them. I reheat the needed quantity in the microwave. Just a few seconds are enough, but more can turn them hard as rock!
- In the USA, pita bread/pocket is similar to what is known in other parts of the world as Lebanese bread. You can definitely use Lebanese bread as well. However, the real Greek pita used for the original souvlaki is a lot thicker, needs to be re-heated on charcoal and is best when consumed warm. It would not be suitable for a cold alternative.
