I'm Biggie: avid cook, speedy lunch packer, mom in San Francisco, & former expat fluent in Japanese. 
Speedy pancake lunch: freezing pancakes
Morning prep time: less than 5 minutes. The other weekend I made blueberry buttermilk pancakes for breakfast, so I made some extras in mini sizes at the same time and froze them for easy breakfasts and packing in lunches. Bug’s lunch also includes cream cheese in a little container with spreader (for the pancakes — probably better for a toddler than maple syrup), a strawberry with slits cut into it so Bug can eat it easily, grapes and a cheese cube. Little cheese cubes are great gap fillers that stabilize the lunch for transport. Packed in his 270ml Thomas the Tank Engine box, so it was a little small according to the bento box size guidelines — I shared some of my lunch with him.
For best results freezing pancakes, first cool them thoroughly after cooking. Wrap each pancake individually in plastic wrap, put in a freezer bag, and use a straw to suck the excess air out of the bag before sealing. To eat: If you allow these to thaw naturally they can lose fluffiness and collapse, so first remove the plastic wrap from the pancake, wrap in aluminum foil, and reheat in a toaster oven or oven. (source: Shufu no Tomo) EDIT: I microwaved a couple of these recently until warm and these particular pancakes didn’t collapse.
READ MORE:
- Need for speed: A mommy’s lunch manifesto
- Food safety for packed lunches
- How to pack a bento lunch and use “gap fillersâ€
- Choosing the right size bento box
- Biggie’s list of top speed tips, tutorials and equipment reviews
March 20th, 2007 | Categories: bento, for kids, freezing, phyllo or pancake or other | 
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March 20th, 2007 at 8:07 pm
oh my goodness! i got the little containers from daiso, as well
aren’t they just *so* adorable? thank you again for notifying me about their new shipment awhile back - i got the cutest stuff (like that little spreader/container)!
March 20th, 2007 at 10:28 pm
The pancakes looks awesome, just like fresh ones! Thank you for all the great speed-bento tips, I’ve gotten good use of some of them myself and it’s made bento-making much easier (I’ve got little time because of my hectic studies)
March 21st, 2007 at 1:08 am
I’m going to add you because I love that you photograph what you make, and it all looks so appealing. I’m trying to get into the mood to start making and packing my husband’s lunches for his days/nights at his new job here in Sydney.
I’d love you to add me back, mostly because I am one of those peculiar OCD-esque types who strives for balanced Friends/Friend Of lists.
March 21st, 2007 at 3:05 am
I hadn’t thought about doing that with pancakes. But it is a good idea since always make too much pancakes and there is no one else to eat it but me.
March 21st, 2007 at 8:03 am
I discovered your LJ via the comm food_porn and I think you’re great:-) Our cooking styles couldn’t be more different if we tried, but you’re making me want to stick my head into the screen and eat whatever’s on the page:-) If I ever have any sprogs, I’ll most certainly keep your tips in mind, what a great way to pack a quick and healthy lunch. On second thoughts, I better practice a little bit on myself too *G*
March 21st, 2007 at 11:09 am
I’ve been meaning to write you a thank you note for a few weeks now. My son is just starting to take his lunches to school and I love your ideas and instructions. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate all of your effort.
Liz
(http://dashislittle.blogspot.com/)
March 21st, 2007 at 3:06 pm
I just peeked at your son — what a cutie! My pleasure on the lunches; I’m glad someone’s benefitting.
March 21st, 2007 at 3:08 pm
Welcome, mamlambo! My cooking styles are a little disjointed: I like to make slow food on the weekends, and speed food in the mornings. Weeknights are somewhere in between.
March 21st, 2007 at 3:10 pm
It’s been nice having a few homemade blueberry pancakes on hand — I feel better about them than store-bought processed frozen food.
March 21st, 2007 at 3:13 pm
Welcome bluebellrock, and I hope this helps get you in the mood to pack lunches (it’s always a drag to feel like you HAVE to pack a lunch, but resent it or not enjoy it). I’d love to add you back, but I actually friend back only other lunch blogs (any kind: bento, Laptop Lunches, Mr. Bento or thermal lunch jars, lunch boxes, Tupperware, tiffins, etc.) — check out my profile. I hope you understand, it’s not personal.
March 21st, 2007 at 4:03 pm
My pleasure! I want local people to know before the eBay sellers descend and wipe out the inventory…
March 21st, 2007 at 4:04 pm
Thanks! I’m glad you’re enjoying them, amvn — I know you’ve been reading/commenting here for a long time!
March 21st, 2007 at 6:08 pm
Aw, that’s ok. Thanks for explaining!
November 26th, 2007 at 10:27 am
[...] the foods that freeze well such as cooked rice (see also this), inarizushi, takoyaki, spaghetti, pancakes, sandwiches, ground ginger, chopped herbs etc (see the full list from LunchInABox here). Read also [...]
July 21st, 2008 at 12:03 am
Try putting them in a toaster oven! I do that for leftover pancakes.
I bet if you just put them through a second cycle or on a higher setting it would work for frozen ones!
July 22nd, 2008 at 12:04 am
@15 from Tara: Hmm, I’ll have to try that out. I don’t like crispy pancakes, though, so am concerned about how they’d turn out if I don’t wrap them to preserve their tenderness… Maybe foil?