My kids love Uncrustables sandwiches — and I have to admit I love the convenience of them. But at around $3.19 for a box of four, I don’t love the price…
So I set out to figure out how to make homemade Uncrustables to stock my freezer. Sure, it’s easy enough to toss some basic peanut butter and jelly sandwiches in the freezer, but my kids prefer their sandwiches cut and sealed. And the real challenge is keeping them from getting soggy when they’re defrosted.
I’ve used the Pampered Chef Cut-N-Seal in the past, but it makes very small sandwiches and wastes quite a bit of bread. I spied this Wonder Sandwich Seal’r N’ Decruster at Walmart the other day priced at just $1.97 and figured at that price it was worth a try.
(Note that I found it hanging in a random grocery aisle. I looked in the kitchen gadgets sections and it was not stocked there.)
While it did fall short of the one-step sealing and cutting claim, after a bit of trial and error, it easily produced perfectly cut and sealed peanut butter and jelly sandwiches (and peanut butter and honey for my particular 6 year old)!
So what’s the secret to using this contraption? First things first — spread a thin layer of peanut butter on both slices of bread. The peanut butter acts as a sealant and is the key to preventing the sandwiches from getting soggy when defrosted.
Use about a tablespoon of jelly or preserves and keep it confined to the center of the bread. If you use too much jelly, the contents will burst through the top of the bread during the cutting and sealing steps.
The Seal’r N’ Cutter is actually two separate pieces, and I found that the sandwiches turn out the best when you cut and seal in two steps. Keep both pieces together and center them over your sandwich. Press down on the outside cutter piece to trim away the crusts and move them aside. Then press down on the center sealing piece to seal the sandwich all the way around.
Larger sandwich bread loaves work best because the sandwich won’t seal well if the crust is not completely trimmed off. I used Brownberry Whole Wheat bread, and the center sections worked perfectly but the edge pieces were just a touch too small to give a good seal.
To freeze the sandwiches, simply lay them out individually on a cookie sheet and flash freeze them for about two hours.
At this point you can transfer them all to a large freezer Ziploc bag or package them up in individual Ziploc sandwich bags.
Ingredients:
- peanut butter
- jelly or preserves
- 2 loaves sandwich bread
Instructions:
- Spread a thin layer of peanut butter on both slices of bread.
- Place about one tablespoon of jelly or preserves in the center of the bread.
- Top the jelly slice with the peanut butter only slice.
- Center a sandwich sealer over both slices of bread. Press down on the outside cutter piece to trim away the crusts and move them aside. Then press down on the center sealing piece to seal the sandwich all the way around.
- Lay the sandwiches out individually on a cookie sheet and flash freeze them for about two hours.
- Transfer them to a large freezer Ziploc bag or package them up in individual Ziploc sandwich bags.
- Sandwiches will thaw on their own by lunchtime or you can put them in the microwave for 15 seconds to thaw.
Now I have a freezer full of homemade uncrustables for easy lunches for my on the go kids! They thaw easily on their own in a packed lunch or toss them in the microwave for 15 seconds. Plus I love that I can control the quality of the ingredients in their sandwiches versus the store bought processed products.
Now to figure out what to do with all of the crusts… A French Toast Casserole perhaps?
Adam Homeyer says
I don’t have much room in my freezer to freeze them on a pan. Will they stick together if I freeze them in a Ziplock? Any suggestions?
Tara @ Unsophisticook says
Hi Adam! I actually haven’t frozen them any other way. I think I’d just layer them with some wax paper between to ensure they don’t stick together, and you should be able to reuse the wax paper several times.
Jo Flemings says
I was trying to figure out how the shape making thingy was constructed and all because it looked like you could get two out it from that brand of bread. Thanks for the reply!!!
Jo Flemings says
Can I ask you why you did not cut two out of each pair of this size slices of bread?
Tara @ Unsophisticook says
I think perhaps they look larger in the photos than they actually are, Jo. They’re approximately the same size as a store bought Uncrustable, only square.
Ale says
Hi,
With all the crusts, put all in the cake pan and toast. This will be delicious with hummus and others…
Tara @ Unsophisticook says
That’s a fantastic suggestion. Thanks for sharing, Ale!
Heather says
Has anyone tried this with bananas vs. the jelly? My son will not eat jelly and loves peanut butter and banana.
Tara @ Unsophisticook says
I haven’t tried that, Heather, but I don’t see why it wouldn’t work. Just make sure to seal the bananas inside the peanut butter, and you’ll be good!
Susan says
Any thing other than peanut butter to use to help seal? My son is allergic. In Kindie he took jam, or butter, or just cheese.
Love this idea of freezing and thawing till lunch time.
Yvonne says
Susan, My son is allergic to peanuts also so I plan on trying this with sunbutter. Should work just fine, I would think :)
Hunter says
Hi!
I love your guide! However, how do I prevent freezer burn and such? After the initial two hours of freezing, the bottoms of my sandwhiches have become drenched with water. :'( Any help is greatly appreciated!
Best,
Hunter
Tara @ Unsophisticook says
Hi Hunter! I’m not sure where the extra water is coming from. Perhaps try freezing them on a cooling rack set over a baking sheet instead and see if that helps.
Amanda Collier says
I love this, but would feel compelled to make bread pudding with the scraps. What did y’all do with yours?
Maryellen says
I don’t like throwing them out either! The dogs always watch me because we do PB only and they always think the crust is for them, but I just saw this idea and love it.
Maryellen says
http://www.momables.com/cinnamon-sticks-recipe/
Tara @ Unsophisticook says
Cute idea — thanks for sharing!
Catherine March says
make bread crumbs
kymmid says
I actually found mine, at DOLLAR TREE!! I had been looking for it months at WM and could never find it. I knew I had seen one hanging randomly.I just happened to walk past it at Dollar Tree and then I realized that was where i had seen it! lol
Kentucky Lady 717 says
I have never seen this at Walmart….I would love to have one….
I do have one I purchase from PAMPERED CHEF….but I find it too hard to clean after each use……so I do not use it very much…..
kymmid says
Dollar Tree in my area has them, hanging randomly in the food area!! I also put mine into baggies then into a larger bag, so we can grab n go to pack a lunch, My Ziploc is a slider bag too, so no one leaves it open!
Kristen says
I actually have this and have NEVER used it! I cannot wait to give it a try! Mu kids love these but I am way too cheap to buy them!!
Kristi says
Here’s the sad part… I had the wonderbread contraption that you have pictured above, but did not know that it was capable of that. I thought it just cut the edges off and that was it’s only purpose. I’ve had that thing for months, if not a couple of years, and just now bought the pampered chef cut n’ seal. I wish I would’ve saw this post about a month ago before I ordered the pampered chef product. :(
Tara @ Unsophisticook says
Oh, what a bummer! :(
Erika says
Thank you so much for explaining this! Any time saving lunch making ideas for school days are great.
Jessica says
Hey there! Thanks so much for this wonderful idea! I would like to know if you have ever frozen honey instead of jam? If so how did it turn out?
Tara @ Unsophisticook says
Hi Jessica! I have, and it works okay, but sometimes the honey leaks when it thaws. It doesn’t taste bad, but it can be messy. The easiest way around it is to just mix the honey and PB together, and spread that mixture on the bread, then freeze.
Lettie says
I found my cut n seal at big lots for $1.25 instead of the $1.97 that Walmart charges. :-)
ezfamily4 says
Found the exact sealer at the dollar store this week….thx for the tips on sealing and freezing:-)
Kentuckylady717 says
Did I read this right, a tablespoon of jelly to one sandwich !! That does seem like a lot of jelly….so I think I would use less….I have the pampered chef maker…haven’t tried it yet…..so will do this today….
A lot of good tips on here what to do with all the left over crusts …I was wondering what to do with it too….
Tara @ Unsophisticook says
Well, I was estimating, but ultimately it’s up to you as to how much you want to use. These sealers do make larger sandwiches than the Pampered Chef sealer/cutter.
janet r says
HeyHey!!!! I found these wonder bread cutters and the Dollar Tree here in Columbus……I’ve never seen them that cheap before and there were tons of them!!!
Tamara says
I’m in charge of the menu for our VBS. The theme is medieval times so my idea was a meat pie (a crimped, crustless ham sandwich). I’m so glad I found you. The only thing I could find to crimp bread was from Pampered Chef for $10. You said they made small sandwiches. So I’m going to try this great sounding device. Now I just have to find one. Wish me luck!
Katy Cain says
Perfect! I will totally do this from now on. The price for the store bought ones is just outrageous for only four. Thanks!
Paula says
Deborah, Great idea w/ the peanut butter lid. It does work really well. I do want to run out and get the Wonder sealer, but my foot is in an orthopedic boot due to a bad sprain and I can’t drive! This should hold me til I can get a ride. :)
Robbie says
Went to Walmart but could not find the decruster/sealer but did find it on AMazon but was $6 but I am guessing it is worth it, already ordered it a should get it today.
Mary says
I was wondering how long these can last in a freezer before they might start going bad. I don’t want to make too many and they get freezer burn or go stale!
Tara @ Unsophisticook says
Honestly, they don’t last that long around here, Mary, but I’d say if they’re carefully wrapped you could store them for three months or possibly more.
Tata says
You can use leftover crust as bread crumbs for fish pie, or any pie , I using breadcrumbs with some parsley instead of shortcrust pastry or mash on top of both my fish pie and chicken pie, does the trick.
Emily Zoellner says
Question : What is flash freezing? I am finding different answers when I google it. I found the Wonder Bread Cutter today at Walmart! Cuts great too! Once I understand how to freeze them, I am going to be a sandwich making machine ;)
Tara @ Unsophisticook says
Flash freezing just means to lay them out flat on a tray and freeze them for a couple of hours so they’re solid and will hold their shape before you transfer them all to a Ziploc bag for longer term storage.
Anne M Hughes says
I am in love… But first I must find the cutter/crimper device thingy! Thank You!
Anita Mordue says
Oh my goodness – thank you for sharing! This would be great to do for runners, the kiddos sports teams, volunteers etc.
You rock!
Rosemarie says
That is a great idea but I would rather do some veggie sandwich or something better than pb&j.
thank you great idea, I am going to use this when I travel. Less Messy
Bryn says
Does the bread get soggy once thawed?
Tara @ Unsophisticook says
We haven’t had any problems with the bread getting soggy once thawed. If you follow the instructions for spreading the peanut butter on both sides and not overfilling them, you shouldn’t have any issues.
Jennifer says
Thanks for the tip, both of my children dislike bread crust. I love your idea to make a bunch and toss them in the freezer. It’s a great idea for summer when we’re going here and there, and it will be great during the school year too.
I found the exact same “Sanwich Seal’R N’ Decruster” you mentioned in the jam/peanut butter aisle at Walmart for $1.96. I went there just to get that and ended up finding a bunch of Lego Friends on clearance for 50% off (and I have never found them on sale before today). I have you to thank for that too.
Tara @ Unsophisticook says
Oh, those Lego Friends are so cute — great find!
Deborah says
I have been making these for years for my kids. I just use the lid for the peanut butter to cut and seal. You do have to press the edges by hand to get a good seal. They are slightly smaller than the store bought uncrustables, but my kids love them. I am cutting down on sugar for the whole family, so I make them with low sugar jelly and natural peanut butter. They taste great! I did at one point buy one of these sandwich makers, but if I can’t locate it easily — the peanut butter lid is always handy!
Tara @ Unsophisticook says
Good tip — thanks, Deborah!
Andrea says
Oh true, I guess it would be tricky! I only have one! But you would have to defrost it quick wouldn’t you?!
Tara @ Unsophisticook says
Yeah, but they defrost in 15 seconds and all but my youngest know how to work the microwave now. (thank goodness!)
Andrea says
Aha! Well taught! lol :)
Andrea says
Why would you want to freeze sandwiches anyway? They take mere moments to make? Great idea with the gadget but don’t get the freezing of the sarnies!!
Tara @ Unsophisticook says
I’m not sure about everyone else, but I have five kids that are always coming and going during the summer. I can’t stop what I’m doing to make a sandwich every time one of them is ready for lunch, so it’s much easier for me to make a bunch at the beginning of the week so they can grab them out of the freezer.
Robbie says
I would use the crust in my sausage & egg casserole that everyone loves. That would help with Breakfast & Lunch! Wahoo!
Did anyone figure up what the average cost of making these yourself would come out to be?
Heather says
Darn it! I am super excited to try this and I have been looking all over at every store I go to. No luck finding this. All I have been able to find is the shape maker like dinosaurs….Not to worry, I am not giving up on my quest! I am determined to make my own uncrustables!:)
jlong says
I make ours with a wide mouth cup and just make sure to pinch the edges together..works like a charm :)
marly says
What a great idea! I’m all for kids taking their own lunches vs. school lunches and having these handy sure would help there.
marguarita says
Great ideas. I plan on getting two of these asap. Giving one to my son who just moved out on his own who always begged me to buy the store ones. This way he can make up a whole bunch and freeze for later. The other one is for me because I like them too. Thanks for sharing !
curlyhair05 says
Thanks for the idea. I just went grocery shopping and found one at Safeway for $2.99 which I thought was okay since the nearest Walmart is 30 minutes away. My kids love these, but I hate the price for the ready made ones.
Domestic Diva says
Love this, Tara! Thanks for the how-to. Definitely going to try these when school starts back.
lisa says
Awesome idea Stephanie!! I bought mine 2 years back at my food store also, the cutters that are metal edged work better. Making mine today.
mama says
What a simple and great idea! I have a son allergic to peanuts, so we can’t buy Uncrustables. But now we can make them with sunflower butter and jelly! I have the Pampered Chef cut and seal too, but it wastes too much bread. I will also try it with cream cheese and jelly to see how that works out. Thank you!
Mandy says
I have had one of those I picked up at Walmart a few years ago. It works great.
JANET RIDER says
I love love my Wonder sandwich maker. I think I found mine (also randomly hanging in an aisle) at Kroger…maybe 2.99? Well worth it. Can even make grilled cheese with them or like we used to make while camping…pizza pockets!! Not sure how well they would turn out but worth a try!! But fun! Take your crusts (which have a little pb and jelly in them), break them up and coat with eggs and bake like a casserole…then put a little syrup on them like french toast. I’ve seen in Family FUn Mag to bake or grill your pbj’s and cut in strips and dip in syrup….same concept, yes?
colleen says
Awesome idea, and will allow me to get creative! I have 2 children with peanut allergies, and my others are not big fans,so I don’t purchase uncrustables. Funny thing is only my baby doesnt like the crust, all my other children eat it! 3 of my children love and are able to have Nutella. Will have to see what I can come up with!
Tara @ Unsophisticook says
Mmm, maybe Nutella and mashed bananas?
Nikki says
Great idea. I’m going to try this too!
stephanie says
I’m thinking this would be great to make a big bag and take them to a new mom (who has other children as well). Then she can pull them out for a super easy lunch while tending to her newborn. I’m due w/ my 3rd in a few weeks and will definitely be making a bunch for my house before the big day. I’m sure I’ll be eating them too (not just the kiddos)as I don’t ever eat well the first few weeks after my babies are born. Thanks for the great post!
Tara @ Unsophisticook says
That’s a fantastic idea, Stephanie! I would have been sooooo thankful if someone had handed me a few bags of these those first few days. Very thoughtful!
Pamela Maciejewski says
This is a freaking awesome idea – my kids love uncrustables and i hardly ever buy them cause of the cost so if i can find this at my walmart i am definitely going to try this and load my freezer up with them
Cheryl S says
Great idea! But the link is showing the price at $5.93; wonder if yours was clearance priced
Tara @ Unsophisticook says
Yeah, they are priced higher online for some reason, Cheryl. Track them down in a store near you for the best price. Like I mentioned, they were just hanging randomly in one of the grocery aisles at my store.
Julia Forshee says
Your tutorial is excellent. I love it as an idea for last minute summer picnics. My kids also love using their favorite shape cookie cutters!! I like it so much I reposted it on allthingswithpurpose.com
karen says
save the crust for cornbread dressing.
Nikki says
How do you make croutons from the crust? Please tell me its something easy!
Courtney Scott says
Cut into cube-ish pieces and toss with a little bit if oil mixed with seasoning. I usually use salt, pepper, garlic powder, sage. Toss the cubes in the oil and dry out in the oven. About 300 degrees until they are dried, usually about 25 minutes.
Nikki says
Big THANK YOU Courtney Scott, I’m for sure going to try this soon!
Nikki says
This is easy enough for me to try! My husband would loves these in his lunch! Thanks.
Ruth James says
I save all my bread for my turkey bread and sage stuffing and I do not even make uncrustable sandwiches!
Mary S says
Make bread pudding.
Theresa Hutson says
that’s exactly what I do—all different kinds of breads give a great flavor!
Sommer@ASpicyPerspective says
What fun! I need one of those.
Christine @ OatmealBowl says
i was just going to say i have the pampered chef one and am not real happy. this looks perfect. and i love squares. gonna hit up my walmart for this awesome purchase. thanks!
Courtney Scott says
Awesome!
Make Homemade breadcrumbs with the crusts!Put the crusts in a freezer bag and pop them in the freezer. Add to it as you have crusts, stale read or rolls until the bag is full. Tear into pieces and toast in oven until dried out then into the food processer. I also make homemade croutons using a similar method.
Kim Morlino says
Courtney, that’s an awesome idea! I use breadcrumbs a lot and hadn’t thought of doing that! Thanks for the suggestion!
Brandi says
We use the Pampered Chef Cut n Seal to do the same thing. My kids won’t eat Uncrustables b/c they are so soggy by the time they eat them so I just make them sandwiches every morning w/ the Cut N Sea. We save the crust to feed to the ducks at the neighborhood pond.
Lorna Appleby says
Eeeep! Please don’t feed ducks and geese bread!
Feeding ducks makes them non-migratory and means they’ll always be dependant on humans and if/when the humans stop feeding them, they, sadly, starve. Fortunately for the ducks, they’re so cute this rarely happens.. but unfortunately, it does happen.
Bread is about the worst thing you can feed them. Its pure empty calories that stuffs them up so they don’t eat, and it gives them no nutrition. For an “easy” food to give ducks, Cheerios is actually your best bet. (But they’re like french fries to humans so in moderation!) You can actually get wild duck / goose food at places like Petsmart. I’ve seen it in the “Super Grocery” stores like Real Canadian Superstore, but availability in your part of the world may vary!
Tara @ Unsophisticook says
Wow, you learn something new every day. Thanks for sharing, Lorna!
laura says
I love this..my kds love uncrustables.but the price sucks..imgonna try this out..thanks
Alison says
Use the crust to make crouton!
Aggie says
I am with you on not wanting to pay for uncrustables. I love this, they really do come in handy for quick lunches – such a great idea!
Miss @ Miss in the Kitchen says
Tara, that is so cool. My kids (even my older boys) would love this!