Lunchipops

I’m not going to take responsibility for naming these. 🙂
I was making them as an experiment for lunch one day, and P. bounded into the kitchen.  “Is dat for MY wunch, Mom?”
“Yup.”
“What IS it?  Wowwipops?”
I held them down closer to his face.  “Sort of,” I said.  “Except they’re like your lunch on a stick.”
He examined them.  “Ohhhhhh,” he said, after a minute.  “Dose are not wowwipops.  Dose are WUNCHIPOPS.”
Whatever you decide to call them, these are now officially one of P.’s favorite lunchbox items.  They’re just meat and cheese — or meat and vegetables, or cheese and vegetables — but somehow they’re just so much darned fun that they’re impossible for a kid to resist.

Lunchipops

2 slices sandwich meat — I used thinly sliced roast beef for most of these, and made a few with nitrate-free ham as well (optional)
2 slices thinly sliced muenster cheese (you could also use swiss or mozzarella) OR 4 small mozzarella balls
VARIATION: Instead of meat and cheese, you could sub in grape tomatoes and roasted bell peppers to make meat and veg or cheese and veg lunchipops.

To make the pops,cut the slices of meat in half. Securely wrap the slices of meat around the mozzarella balls or the grape tomatoes and spear onto the ends of lollipop sticks.  If you’re making the pinwheel variety, cut the cheese slices (or roasted pepper slices, if using) in half lengthwise.  Layer the cheese onto the meat slices so that the meat is evenly covered by the cheese.  Roll tightly into logs, then slice into pinwheels just slightly less than 1/2 an inch thick.  Skewer onto the ends of lollipop sticks.