This week, we're headed to John Hughes' favorite fictional filming location of Shermer, Illinois for some high school lunching. What do sushi, sandwiches, and soup have in common? A lot more than you might think, Mr. Vernon. Sincerely yours, The Breakfast Club.

Ingredients

Claire’s Lunch Ingredients: 

• 1 Cup sushi rice, rinsed

• 1 ½ Cups water

• 1 ½ tsp sushi vinegar (seasoned rice vinegar)

• 2 sheets sushi nori

• ¼ lb sushi-grade lean tuna, sliced 

• ¼ lb sushi-grade salmon, sliced

• ½ rice avocado, sliced

• 1 tsp wasabi paste

• As needed soy sauce

• 1 small coke

Andrew’s Lunch Ingredients: 

• 6 slices white bread

• 2 Tbsp mayonnaise 

• 2 Tbsp mustard

• ½ lb deli turkey 

• 3 pieces romaine or butter lettuce

• 6 slices american cheese

• 1 apple 

• 1 banana

• 1 quart whole milk

• 1 family size bag potato chips

• 1 bag Matt’s chocolate chip cookies

• 1 small coke

Brian’s Lunch Ingredients: (apple juice, PB&J with crust cut off, soup)

• 2 slices white bread

• ¼ Cup peanut butter

• ¼ Cup grape jelly 

• Minestrone Soup (see recipe below)

• 1 apple juice box

• 1 coke

Minestrone Soup Ingredients:

• As needed neutral oil 

• 1 yellow onion, diced

• 1 large carrot, diced

• 2 celery ribs, thinly sliced 

• 3 garlic cloves, minced 

• 6 Cups chicken stock, preferably homemade

• 1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes

• 1 Cup green cabbaged, chopped

• 1 (15 oz) can cannellini beans, drained + rinsed

• 1 small zucchini, diced

• 1 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

• 1 Tbsp fresh basil, chopped 

• 2 tsp fresh oregano, chopped

• Optional: 1 parmesan rind

• To taste kosher salt 

• To taste freshly ground black pepper

• ⅔ Cup ditalini pasta

Allison’s Lunch Ingredients:

• 1 slice white bread

• 2 Tbsp unsalted butter 

• 1 slice wheat bread

• 5 pixie sticks or 2 Tbsp granulated sugar  

• 1 Cup captain crunch cereal 

• 1 small coke

Cereal French Toast Ingredients:

• 4 slices white bread

• 4 slices wheat bread

• 3 large eggs

• 1 Cup whole milk 

• 1 Tbsp vanilla paste 

• ½ tsp cinnamon 

• ½ tsp kosher salt

• ¼ tsp freshly grated nutmeg

• 3 Tbsp granulated sugar

• 2 Cup captain crunch cereal, ground

• 2 Tbsp unsalted butter + more for serving

• As needed maple syrup

Method

Serves: 4

Claire’s Lunch Method:

1. Combine the sushi rice and water in a rice cooker. Cook the rice according to the sushi rice setting on the machine.

2. Once the rice is cooked, stir in the sushi vinegar. Using a sushi paddle, spread the warm rice onto a plate to sheet tray to cool to room temperature. Cover the rice with a clean damp towel. Reserve until ready to use. 

3. Prepare a sushi mat with a layer of plastic wrap. Place a sheet of nori in the center of the mat, then spread a layer of sushi rice on the lower third of the sheet. 

4. In the middle of the rice, place a strip of the fish and/or avocado. Roll the mat around the sushi roll, tightening the nori sheet as necessary. Keep rolling until the sushi rice is completely encompassed by the nori sheet.

5. Cut the sushi roll into 6 or 8 pieces. 

6. Serve with wasabi, soy sauce, and coke.

Andrew’s Lunch Method:

1. Assemble the sandwich by spreading 3 of the slices with mayonnaise and the other 3 with mustard.

2. Top the mayonnaise slices with turkey, lettuce, and cheese. Then top each sandwich with a corresponding mustard-covered slice of bread.

3. Serve with an apple, banana, milk, chips, cookies, and coke.

Brian’s Lunch Method:

1. Spread the peanut butter and jelly on each slice of bread. Combine the slices and cut off the crusts.

2. Serve with a thermos of soup, apple juice, and coke.

Minestrone Soup Method: Adapted from: Food Wishes

1. Heat about 2 tablespoons of oil in a large soup pot. 

2. Add the onion, then cook for another 3 minutes or until translucent.

3. Add the carrots and celery, and cook until tender, about 4-5 minutes.

4. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.

5. Add the chicken stock and tomatoes, bring the mixture to a simmer. 

6. Add the cabbage, beans, zucchini, parsley, basil, oregano, and cheese rind (if using). Simmer the soup for 15-20 minutes. Season the soup to taste with salt and pepper.

7. Add the pasta, cook until the pasta is cooked through, about 8-10 minutes. 

8. Remove the parmesan rind and transfer a ladle of soup into a thermos.

Allison’s Lunch Method:

1. Spread the butter on the slice of white bread. 

2. Pour the pixie/sugar over both slices of bread. 

3. Add about a half cup of cereal to each slice of bread. Gently crush or squish the cereal into the bread slices. Quickly combine the bread slices and consume immediately.

4. Serve with coke.

Cereal French Toast Method:

1. Place the slices of bread on a rack placed in a rimmed baking sheet tray.

2. Bake the bread for 30 minutes at 200 °F.

3. Meanwhile, whisk together the eggs, milk, vanilla paste, cinnamon, salt, nutmeg, and sugar together in a shallow dish. 

4. In another shallow dish, add the ground cereal. 

5. Coat/soak the bread slices in the custard mixture and then, in the cereal crumbs.

6. Preheat a large cast-iron skillet over medium heat. 

7. Add the butter and once melted, add the soaked and coated bread slices to the pan. Cook on each side until lightly browned and crisp, about 2-3 minutes.

8. Keep the french toast slices warm in the 200 °F oven until ready to serve.

9. Serve with more butter and maple syrup.