Lunch Recipes & Ideas

If you made a commitment to bring your lunch to work or school more often, the first step to success is mastering the art of meal prep. By cooking a big batch of food all at once and portioning it out for the week ahead, you won’t be tempted to order takeout once noon rolls around. Not sure where to start? Try these easy chicken and rice bowls. This recipe makes six servings and comes together in 30 minutes. Does it get any better than that? Start by cooking the rice on the stovetop.

When I transitioned to working from an office to mostly working at home, I thought my weekday lunches would instantly improve — I’d be able to make something nice out of my own kitchen every day, right? Not quite. Regardless of the environment you work in, lunch is a challenge. There are far too many things vying for your attention at noon Monday through Friday, which makes enjoying the midday meal not exactly easy.

Here at Kitchn, we’ve been talking a lot about the idea of the six-minute lunch. The logic is simple, of course: No one has time to spare in the mornings (because mornings are hard!), and lunch is sometimes the last thing we’re thinking about as we’re wasting precious seconds (okay, minutes) hunting down our keys. But we all deserve more than a handful of pretzels between afternoon meetings.

In a perfect world, we’d all pack healthy, filling, satisfying meals for the office every day. But that’s easier said than done. Maybe you spent the weekend taking care of chores and didn’t have any time for meal planning. Or maybe (hopefully!) you had way too much fun this weekend and didn’t do any chores, let alone think about what you were going to eat for lunch. The good news is that on the days when you have to buy your lunch, you don’t have to break the bank.

Regardless of whether you love a smoothie bowl or think that this tasty trend should end Think of this as a grain bowl meets fruit salad, with enough whole grains and fresh fruit to keep you full until lunch and a punchy vinaigrette gilding the whole thing. Not only are these bowls easier to eat than a smoothie bowl, they can also be prepared in advance, making them easier to take on the go or to eat at your desk.

Are you on team snack board yet? These budget-friendly dinners are a great tool to have on hand for a simple, stress-free meal at home shamelessly made of nothing but snacks. Building them isn’t hard, and there aren’t any rules, but there are a few mistakes to avoid to ensure success. Here’s what to always keep in mind when you’re assembling a snack board of your own. Once again, snack boards are supposed to be stress-free.

Here’s what we love about instant ramen: You add hot water and, boom, you’re done. It’s a hot and satisfying meal that takes as long as waiting for the water to boil. But sometimes you want to mix it up; with some choice picks, one or two ingredients added to the bowl is enough to make your fast meal of noodles and broth feel a little fancy. From a swirl of peanut butter to the requisite egg on top, here are 1o simple hacks to help you upgrade instant ramen.

If what you crave is serious comfort with a kick, a pat of butter and a sprinkle of chile flakes will take you there. Think of the comfort you get from plain buttered noodles — it’s even better when savory broth and a bit of spice is involved. The richness from the butter complements and balances the spice from the chile flakes for an instant ramen experience that’s just a little more luxurious. Prepare the instant ramen according to the instructions on the package.

With bagged broccoli slaw and a spoonful of red curry paste, you’re two ingredients away from totally transforming instant ramen into a veggie-packed noodle soup with a warm curry flavor. Bagged broccoli slaw has proved its worth time and again with salads and stir-fries, and this quick noodle soup is yet another way to put it to work. Contrasting with the chewy noodles, thin strips of broccoli, carrots, and cabbage bring a fresh, crunchy bite to the soup.

When you want to up the ante and turn this instant noodle soup from snack to satisfying meal, look to baked tofu cubes. With crisp outsides and a tender center, baked tofu cubes are a satisfying way to add texture and a boost of protein to a cup of ramen. Consider this your reason to stock the fridge with a batch or two of make-ahead baked tofu. Get a recipe: How To Make Baked Tofu for Salads, Sandwiches & Snacks Prepare the instant ramen according to the instructions on the package.

We already know that the combination of noodles and peanut sauce is a winning one, so don’t skip on bringing that magic to ramen soup. Sounds odd at first, but the resulting rich and nutty broth will have you thinking otherwise. Stirred into a pot of just-cooked ramen, peanut butter easily softens from the heat of the stovetop. It offers a little boost of protein, but, best of all, it brings flavor and body to the broth.

Just like that, your simple bowl of ramen goes from hearty snack to a satisfying meal — and all it takes is an egg. When you’re craving a filling bowl of noodle soup that can hold its weight as a meal, protein is what you want to get the job done. An egg is the easiest way to make it happen. Go for a fried or poached egg, and let the runny yolk add a silky coating to the noodles and richness to the broth. Prepare the instant ramen according to the package instructions.

Sometimes all you need is a single ingredient to give instant ramen a bold upgrade. Reach for kimchi to bring an intensely funky, spicy twist to a simple bowl of noodle soup and never go back to kimchi-free ramen again. Consider this just one of many ways to put that jar of kimchi in the fridge to work. The salty ramen broth balances the pungent flavor of the kimchi, while the fermented cabbage adds more texture to the soup. Get ready for a nose-clearing ramen soup experience!

This is just one more reason to keep a knob of fresh ginger in the kitchen at all times. A few slices of fresh ginger are an instant upgrade, bringing a fresh and zippy flavor boost. Just a small amount of ginger makes a big difference when added to quick cup of ramen. Let it simmer a few minutes until the broth picks up the ginger’s flavor. Stick with rounds for a lighter aroma with less spice, or if you like more zing, add in minced or grated ginger.

Inspired by our favorite Thai soup, canned coconut milk ups the ante on instant ramen with a rich, luxurious broth. Yes, coconut milk is great for its sweet, nutty flavor, but the real power behind this pantry staple comes from the fat. Stirred into simmering ramen, coconut milk takes the broth to another level with its extra-rich flavor. It’s a simple addition that makes ramen indulgent.

Instant ramen is all about simple comfort, and deserves a like-minded topping to match. Top off the bowl with American cheese and watch how it melts into the soup to form a creamy broth. It’s simple comfort food that invokes the nostalgia of childhood grilled cheese sandwiches. The best thing about American cheese is its meltability. Layered over the noodles in a hot bowl of ramen, it almost instantly succumbs to the heat of the broth, and softens into the noodles for a creamy twist.

If what you crave is crunch, look to the pantry for a container of crispy fried onions. We’re bringing the classic casserole topping to ramen with equally savory results. Crispy fried onions bring a welcome contrast to the tender bite of the noodles. As they soften into the broth, the onion flavor creates another layer of savory richness. Prepare the instant ramen according to the package instructions. Pour into a bowl and top with up to 1/4 cup of crispy fried onions.

Don’t let your desk lunch get you down. Here are five pantry items to keep on hand to have a better lunch at work. Save the kosher or fine salt for cooking and baking. Instead, keep a packet of something that feels a little more special, like Maldon, fleur de sel Whether you chow down on soups, salads, pasta, or rice bowls, a pinch of a fragrant spice blend can do wonders for your lunch.

Some weekends fly by so quickly that Monday hits and you realize you didn’t do a thing to prepare for the week ahead. Thankfully Monday is a perfect day to jump-start the rest of the week by making dinner and packing yourself a few workday lunches at the same time. Here are five quick ways to turn Monday’s dinner into lunch for the rest of the week. Double one or two components from dinner and turn those into lunch for the week.

Let us begin with a cautionary tale from Ester Bloom, aka Aunt Acid, internet-age advice columnist at The Daily Dot. At my last office job, there was a woman who vocally disapproved of other people’s lunch choices. Let’s call her Betsy. The office was a small non-profit. None of us made much money, so lots of staff members brought food and ate either at their desks or together in the kitchen. Our food choices were thus public, and subject to Betsy’s scorn.

There are a few frozen food hacks that can improve your lunch. Freezing a water bottle to serve as both an ice pack and cool refreshment is one, and freezing soups, yogurts, and even smoothies so they don’t slosh around is another — but what about foods you can pack completely frozen that will thaw to eat by lunchtime? Here are 10 frozen foods you can pack for lunches without thawing.

Every school year starts optimistically. Sure, it’s hard to wake up earlier, but if you’re anything like me, the start of a new routine is energizing. I return to meal planning, relish fixed hours to get work done, and even devote myself to beautiful packed lunches — for the kids and myself — that will make us all thrilled to eat well, even in the middle of a busy day.

In my home, meal planning goes beyond dinner. Just as important as making the week run like a smooth, well-oiled machine, is lunch prep. Unlike dinner, I tackle my midday meal by preparing a whole week’s worth of lunches in one fell swoop. These are the five ways I make it happen, and how you can do it too. Admittedly this seems so obvious and should go without saying, but it’s easy to forget when we’re in a mad dash to pack lunch.

Whether you slow-cooked a pork shoulder or roasted a chicken on Sunday or you simply picked up rotisserie chicken on your weekly shopping trip, shredded pork and chicken are smart tools to have around. When weekday lunches all too often feel uninspiring and stale, both versatile proteins spice up the norm. Combine them with a few additional ingredients to make lunch something you actually look forward to. Here are 10 ideas to get you started.

Peanut butter and jelly is a comforting classic that hardly needs improving. Instead, these one-ingredient twists turn a lunch-box staple into something fun and unexpected. Are you read to liven up lunchtime? These are the single-ingredient upgrades that go beyond the simple swaps of jam and nut butter, or the extra drizzle of honey. These are the unexpected ingredients that add a crunch factor to your lunch and sneak in a pop of flavor.

Don’t let Caesar salad be the meal you reserve for restaurants and dinner at home. It’s fast to prepare and only has a few ingredients, which means it has the potential to become a completely blissful lunch. But it all comes down to how you pack it. Before you even get to the ingredients, consider the container they’re packed in. When it comes to salad, we believe the very best option is a large, wide container. (Sorry, Mason jars.

Frittatas are one of the most versatile dishes. Suitable from breakfast through dinner, they can be made right before mealtime or well in advance. They’re delicious hot or cold and also the ideal canvas for all those end-of-week veggies. While a fluffy frittata isn’t terribly difficult to pull together, there are a couple missteps that could prevent this one-pan meal from reaching its potential. Here’s what you need to know to make sure that isn’t the case.