I second the pasta salad suggestion. I recently made this recipe. It was a big hit and kept well for a fast meal later.

Do you have a grill? Grill kabobs with veggies and marinated meat. They still taste great cold, or the small chunks of food also reheat very quickly. Large cherry tomatoes, onions, zucchini, eggplant, and mushrooms are all great. Simmer your marinade on the stove while they grill and you have a nice sauce to keep it all juicy.

For really hot, sizzling days I like to serve gazpacho and tabbouleh or a quinoa salad. My favorite has black beans and tomatoes. I always add avocado; the lime juice helps it from turning that unappetizing brown.

Or... poach boneless, skinless chicken breasts early in the morning when the kitchen is cooler, then chill them in a marinade of olive oil, lime juice and spices. Serve on a bed of greens with french bread and you're done.

Hope this helps.

yes, I love limes... how could you tell?

While I've never had the swing shift, I have had years of lunch-packing to prepare me for the perfect reheat/eat cold meal. I came up with this kale and quinoa pilaf, which is healthy and delicious at any temperature. Continuing the healthy theme, these red lentil walnut burgers can be made ahead and frozen, and reheat beautifully in the toaster in the time it takes to get your fixings ready. Quiche is always good at any time of day or night, as is summery tomato paella.

You can poach fish in the same manner as the chicken breasts suggested by @burrda2000, though you may want to reheat.

Those wraps people used to make with meat, cheese, and greens in a tortilla (the ones traditionally cut into pinwheel slices) refrigerate well, look pretty, and don't require reheating.

If you have beans, rice, and ground/shredded meat prepared and refrigerated, making tacos or burritos is a cinch.

You can also often put together just the fancy stuff that goes in hot pasta (sauteed chicken, meatballs, veg, what-have-you), refrigerate that, and then reheat it in the same pan with the cooked pasta and sauce.

Great timing on this question I am having the same problem, (I work 8-5, he works 2-11 so I am usually ready to crawl into bed when he gets home). We eat vegetarian though so poached chicken and fish are off the list.
We've been eating a lot of things that I consider 'picnic' food. Potato, fruit, pasta and bean salads, baked beans, (even tofu pups the other day). Falafel and tacos work well for us too. Variations on the traditional 'pasta salad' that include lentils, or couscous.
If you guys are kinda adventurous, I've been thinking about making my own sushi lately you can make several rolls at one time and they don't need to be reheated.

Au gratins reheat well. If you eat meat, grilled lamb is wonderful as you don't overcook it to begin with, and a gentle reheat doesn't make it tough.

Always have fresh washed salad greens in the crisper and make fresh croutons for crunch. Leftover grilled meat can go cold on this.

If you have trouble rolling sushi, a sushi bowl is quick and easy, rice on the bottom, rest on top, sprinkle with the sauce.

Boiled shrimp is wonderful cold.

put your bean of choice in any of the above. you can cook a big pot and keep them in the fridge throughout the week or in the freezer for longer. freeze them in individual portions or just break off a hunk and run it under warm water to thaw.

My favorite cold summer salad is a conglomerate of several salad recipes I've had over the years. I have no measurements, I just season to taste.

Cooked farro
cucumbers
cherry or little tomatoes
sliced olives
artichoke hearts
grilled, or roasted chicken cut or torn up
salt and pepper
a vinagrette of sorts, just olive oil and balsamic vinegar mixed together.

Mix it all up and it keeps for days in the fridge, if it lasts that long.

i'm a BIG fan of this recipe: http://www.thekitchn.com/thekitchn/side-dish/recipe-broccoli-and-feta-pasta-salad-022620

Along the taco lines, we streamline that process by making chicken in the crockpot when we want chicken tacos. I put in chicken breasts with a container of salsa from Trader Joes or other fresh salsa at the store. Cook on low all day and it's ready to be shredded for tacos any time. We also make "quick carnitas". When I have time, I slice into thin strips one pork tenderloin along with one onion also thinly sliced. Store in fridge until read to eat. Then sear the pork and onions in a hot skillet until browned. Add 1 can of fire roasted tomatoes, a little chili powder, salt and pepper and simmer for 10 minutes. Perfect filling for corn tortillas. You can add some black beans on the side if you wish or cut up an avocado too.

Potato and green bean salad with dijon vinaigrette is delicious warm or cold. I love Orangette's carrot salad recipe. Oh, and vegetable cream cheese (cucumbers, radishes, scallions, shredded carrots) on a bagel makes a delicious dinner.

If you cook up a batch of baked chicken or fry up a kielbasa or two, cold salads can fill in the rest.

I've also had many a dinner with nothing but good french bread and butter and vegetables like radishes with salt.

Good luck!

I have the same situation, I work evenings, my partner works day. I do most of the cooking and usually cook the protein and prep the rest of the meal for both of us. Pizza works great. I'll carmelize onions and cook some sausage, put it on naan or flatbread, cook one for me, wrap the other in foil and stick it in the fridge for my partner. Casseroles are great Things like chicken enchiladas hold very well from one meal to the next and are even better heated up. I make lots of meatballs and freeze them and they are great heated up and can be put on pizzas, made into sandwiches, added to soups or pasta. Some things I'll leave in a hot oven and are warm when the 2nd shift gets home (like oven fries). It forces you to be very organized and creative.

I have two go-to summer salads: one is a salad nicoise and the other is a lentil salad: brown (or puy) lentils, black olives, strips of roasted red pepper, feta cheese and avocado in a vinaigrette.

The basic salad (lentils, olives, red pepper and vinaigrette) keeps for several days and you can add the more perishable items, like the cheese and avocados, just before serving.

I love the ideas so far, and second the pita/tortillas with fillings idea, and tacos.

Another idea is parboiling whole potatos in advance, and then baking them for about 20 minutes when you're ready to eat. You could serve them with chilli that you make in advance and various other toppings- sour cream, cheese, even stews, salad, leftoverscasseroles, hommus, guacamole...

my favorite summer dish is cold sesame noodles with peanut butter sauce. you can add fresh toppings like shredded cucumbers and carrots, bean sprouts and the peanut butter sauce is just PB, soy sauce and a dash of vinegar. serve cold. it's amazing!

"poach boneless, skinless chicken breasts early in the morning when the kitchen is cooler, then chill them in a marinade of olive oil, lime juice and spices"

You are awesome.

I am totally bookmarking this post, and will use it to make dishes for two expectant moms who are due this summer. I'm sure they'll get tired of frozen lasagna.

Using a crock pot even in the summer can be a good option- heats up your kitchen less than the oven. I've made yummy eggplant olivey tomatoey sauce /tapanade /rattatouie/ things that can be served room temp or warm.

Put a whole chicken seasoned with a bit of salt and pepper, in a slow cooker. I do this about once or twice a month in the summer and use it for EVERYTHING! Top a salad, turn it into chicken soft tacos, chicken salad etc. Plus, it is way tastier than poaching

My partner and I also often have differing work hours so anything I can make ahead for him is super helpful. Lots of inspiration here for cold salads :)

Food I make when I intend to have leftovers:
pasta, fried rice, pizzas (make them, just don't cook his one), potato salad (hearty, with plenty of ingredients), quiche, baked stuffed potatoes.

Many of these can be eaten warm or cold.

I too am in the same boat and I really like the idea of using a slow cooker... any ideas on things (or references) to make for vegetarian meals?

Love the idea of potato salad with dijon. I like casual tapas. In one container you can keep chopped veggies. Another container of hummus or babaganoush. One with chopped cheeses and fruits. Add dressing and pita bread and you've got plenty to nosh on. It feels like you're eating more, too.

I love bean and grain salads. Couscous and chickpeas, tossed together with some veggies (red onion, carrots, garlic, peppers, tomatoes... etc) and a bit of oil, vinegar, spices (and I always add grainy mustard because I'm an addict!). Dinner sandwiches are great too; egg salad and radishes, anchovies and avocados (it's so good!), grilled veggies and goat cheese...

Now I'm hungry!