Valentine’s Day Heart Grilled Cheese Food Art Sandwich

This Valentine’s Heart Grilled Cheese Sandwich is exploding with all the cheesy goodness and love life has to offer. Made with natural strawberry juice and melted butter to crisp the bread and make it red and served with a side of Peace, Love, & Happiness Pasta. This will have you and your little one doing the happy dance!

Ingredients

2 slices of your favorite white bread, 2 slices white American cheese, strawberries, 4 tablespoons melted butter, 1 red apple, Peace, Love & Happiness Pasta, and Little Hearts Cookies.

Optional: heart shaped food-cutters, candy eyes, 3-4 drops of natural food coloring (if not using strawberry juice for food coloring).

Here is everything you will need to create this fun Valentine’s Day lunch

Directions

1. Start by making the red strawberry food coloring if using; put about a cup of strawberries in a small saucepan with 1/2 cup of water, cook until it’s reduced down to about a quarter of a cup, stirring occasionally. Place the mixture into a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.
2. Bring pasta to boil and cook according to package directions.
3. Using the heart cut-outs, make cut-out 2 hearts from the bread slices and American cheese slices. Set aside and melt the butter. Combine the melted butter with a few spoons of the strawberry food coloring or 3-4 drops of natural red food coloring drops. Mix well, until desired color preference.
4. Brush about 1 tablespoon of the red butter on each slice of bread. Heat-up some of the red butter on low and place the bread onto the skillet, pushing down to toast the bread. Place the heart-shaped cheese slices on top, and then add on top the other slice of bread. Continue cooking until the bread is a rich reddish brown, flipping once and press down lightly to help the bread stick to the cheese. **You can use a lid to cover for a few seconds to make the cheese melt faster without burning the bread**
5. After cooling, place sandwich into the main compartment of the lunchbox. Cut-out heart shaped apples and strawberries; place around the sandwich. Add two toothpicks to each side and place a heart at the end of each to be the heart’s arms. Place candy eyes on top, pushing down to stick and had a thin slice of apple to form the heart’s smile.
6. In one side compartment place a good amount of the cooked pasta, add in a small amount of the strawberry food coloring butter and mix well to coat.
7. In the other side compartment place the Little Hearts Cookies or your little one’s favorite snack. You could even place extra heart shaped apples or strawberries in the box.

ENJOY! We hope you and your little one enjoy this Valentine’s heart grilled cheese sandwich lunch creation!

How do I transport this lunch creation?

You can make this design on a plate or for easy on-the-go travel, secure everything in place with toothpicks. Additionally, cover each compartment with tin foil. For the main compartment, add a ball of tin foil to the middle between ingredients and lid for extra hold.

Did you make this food art lunch? Don’t forget to #thetastefultribe on instagram @thetastefultribe if you create this fun Valentine’s Heart Grilled Cheese Sandwich lunch. We love seeing your version! You can also post your pictures to our facebook page!