Lunch Recipes

I tinkered a bit with what I found in other recipes and this is the result. I think I like my results. I stirred in a small handful of tamari-flavored pumpkin seeds just before serving (couldn't find plain ones) and sprinkled a bit of paprika on top to make it look nice.

This is an easy to prepare beet salad that goes great with any barbeque or summer picnic.

This black-eyed peas and rice recipe with ham, bell peppers, and smoky paprika makes a hearty, flavorsome meal.

Curtido is a salad made out of cabbage and served with El Salvadoran pupusas. Stuff cooked pupusas with the curtido for a delicious treat!

Freezer slaw is a great make-ahead slaw that stays crisp! This is my husband's mom's recipe that's been in the family for years. I shred the cabbage and other vegetables in the food processor.

I love this spicy soup recipe because it uses fresh, sweet red bell peppers, as opposed to roasted red peppers. It's full of other fresh vegetables and thyme, too, and it freezes exceptionally well. Rice is used as the thickening agent, rather than cream. If you don't like a lot of spice, reduce the amount of cayenne and red pepper flakes.

This healthy chicken salad recipe is made with a mixture of Greek yogurt and cottage cheese instead of regular mayonnaise, resulting in a healthier version that's still creamy and delicious but higher in protein. Apples and dried cranberries add a sweet-tart flavor, while chopped pecans provide textural interest in every bite. Serve it on crackers, on a croissant, in a pita, or grab a fork and just dig in!

This vegan black bean and sweet potato salad is a great side dish using fresh ingredients. There are never leftovers!

This easy, filling meal uses lots of fresh vegetables, and some frozen or canned to make it easy. Ground turkey breast can be added for meat lovers. Serve over wild rice with shredded cheddar cheese, or with tortilla chips.

This healthier version of Sloppy Joes includes more veggies and real garlic. Be sure to serve on whole wheat buns!

These pressure cooker black beans are delicious eaten alone or added to other recipes. It's a great recipe for beans.

This carrot salad is quick and easy to make with just five ingredients. My grandma made it all the time, and I loved it. Now I make it to honor her, and it's almost as good.

You can whip up this potato salad in just 25 minutes. It requires no leftovers.

This is a great cabbage slaw for tacos. The local taco truck serves their chicken tacos with cabbage, cilantro, and lime. This is my attempt to recreate their taco toppings.

Crab pasta salad tossed with a creamy, seasoned sauce and served chilled.

Stewed okra and tomatoes makes a great side dish. Two types of canned tomatoes give the dish texture, while garlic and cayenne pepper make each bite explode with flavor. Serve over rice.

This crunchy jicama salad is crisp and refreshing. It goes really well with any Mexican or Asian dish.

This raw beetroot recipe is yummy and nutritious because the nutrition isn't cooked out of the beets. I was looking for a way to use raw beets and found a recipe online. I changed it a bit to use ingredients that I grow and use. Everyone who has tried it liked it. Serve it cold for lunch on a bed of lettuce with boiled eggs on the side.

This applesauce is easy to prep and make in a slow cooker. My kids and I came up with this recipe one fall weekend and we love it!

This grilled corn salad made with roasted corn, garden-fresh vegetables, and cilantro makes the perfect side dish for any BBQ or hot summer day.

This recipe for crockpot ham and beans is perfect for those blustery days when you don't really have time to cook, but want a hearty meal for the family. It's a basic meal in your slow cooker that everyone will enjoy!

This tofu salad is made with marinated tofu, snow peas, ginger, and garlic.

Spread this chickpea sandwich filling on crusty whole grain rolls or pita bread and serve with lettuce and tomato.

This warm potato salad has loads of creamy dressing made with mayo, Parmesan, Dijon mustard, vinegar, cayenne pepper, and paprika for a bit of a kick!

This sopa de fideos recipe is my version of the tomato noodle soup they give you in Mexican restaurants before the meal. This can easily be made at home with just a few simple ingredients.

These slow cooker black-eyed peas are flavored with jalapeño pepper, cumin, ham, and bacon for a spicy side dish. Perfect for potluck dinners and barbecues!

This simple ceviche recipe uses shrimp, tomatoes, cucumber, and onion. It gets a kick from jalapeños and a burst of freshness from lemon juice. My Mexican husband loves it and every time I make it for a crowd, it's a hit! Serve with tortilla chips for scooping.

This easy onigiri recipe is also fun to make! These rice balls are a staple of Japanese lunchboxes (bento). You can put almost anything in these rice balls; try substituting grilled salmon, pickled plums, beef, pork, turkey, or tuna with mayonnaise.

Cooking corn in the husk in the microwave is easy. This is one of my favorite ways to fix corn on the cob, even when I have several to fix. Without the water from boiling, the corn stays nice and sweet. I hope this helps just one young cook learn how long to cook corn in the microwave.

Sofrito is the base for most Puerto Rican dishes, and this one is better than store-bought (it's difficult to find in the stores in the western United States). Sofrito can be added to beans, rice, soups, and stews; you name it.

A refreshing vegetable salad using all different kinds of vegetables. You can use whatever you like, but the tomatoes and cucumbers make it taste great. It is very much like an Israeli salad. The homemade dressing is very good for any green salad.

This bean salad is loaded with beans and vegetables in a delicious tangy dressing. Perfect for parties and picnics. It's so easy to make and very tasty — I can't get enough of it. Thanks for the recipe, Momma D!

Last night's leftovers become lunch-time magic with this TikTok-inspired Salmon Bowl created by Emily Mariko. A quick trip in the microwave reheats the salmon and rice (you'll love the accompanying ice cube trick), then it's all about the toppings! Soy sauce, sriracha and Kewpie mayonnaise get mixed in for a perfectly spicy sauce. Pair it with umami-rich nori and kimchi, and you've got an epic lunch.

The recipe for these moist, delicious brownies has been in my family for as long as I can remember. It is a winner with everyone and is a great bake sale item. At a recent sale, one man came back twice and then sent his son for more!

You don't need to worry about how many calories are in pasta salad with this delicious recipe that calls for fat-free Italian dressing, your choice of veggies, and some freshly ground pepper. Sound good?

I was looking for a different way to serve fruit at a party, and it just popped into my head: why not make fruit skewers?

I have been making these for years! It's a recipe my grandma used to make us when we were kids. This seems like it wouldn't taste any good, but it is AMAZING!

Baked apple chips are easy to make, loaded with fiber, and have the crunchy satisfaction of potato chips with a fraction of the fat and calories.

This recipe for octodogs makes the cutest little octodog guys. They will be a hit at any kids party, fun get-together, or in a child's lunchbox!

This is an easy pop tart recipe. I didn't think anything could be better than a toasted store-bought pastry tart in the morning — until I made these. Very, very easy to make! Kids (and adults) love them!

This is an old-fashioned comfort food recipe.

These baked sweet potato sticks are best eaten at room temperature.

This easy apple and avocado salad is perfect for a hot day. You wouldn't think a mixture of apples, avocados, blue cheese, and tangerine dressing would go together, but it's wonderful!

This is a favorite vegetarian sandwich spread made with tofu. It makes a great sandwich filling, or you can eat it with crackers.

Tabbouleh is a wonderfully fresh Middle Eastern salad made with bulgur, lots of fresh parsley, and lemon juice. It tastes great, and is easy (and best) to make ahead for a crowd-pleasing salad. This recipe is the real deal!

This spinach and blackberry salad is an excellent brunch salad and very easy to throw together. It tastes great without a dressing, but some people like a bacon dressing or a nice balsamic vinegar.

This empanada recipe makes tender pork turnovers. The filling can be used for almost anything else, such as taco filling; can be frozen, baked or unbaked. The pork and the empanada dough can be made ahead of time.

These blueberry and chia seed muffins are perfect for the lunch box, the breakfast/brunch table, or the coffee room at work. They're so moist and bursting with blueberries!

Learn how to make your own apricot fruit leather with this recipe. It's a great way to use extra apricots, especially when your tree gives a bumper crop. Apricots are very nutritious and this makes a great snack. The leather will keep for a long time in an airtight container.

I came up with this simple pimento cheese recipe for a party one day. It's a quick and yummy alternative to anything you'll find in a store.

These whole wheat muffins made with pumpkin and applesauce are perfect for those times when you have half a can of pumpkin left over. They taste great right from the oven but are even better the next day if they last that long! Kids love them, and it's a good way to sneak fruits, veggies, and fiber into their diets.

This is a 'most often requested' recipe - friends and family deliberately let bananas get brown so I'll make them! Great for lunch boxes too.

This turkey cranberry wrap is the perfect finger food!

This sandwich mixes the goodness of bagels with the crunch of dill pickles. I came up with this sandwich for my son who loves bagels and cream cheese but I felt his favorite needed something extra to really make it a lunch. This is kid-tested good, and you can alter the veggies according to what your child likes.

When the kids need a break from sandwiches, why not send them with a hot hot dog to warm their bellies before going out to play? This recipe explains how to keep the hot dogs warm.

Crisp, fresh broccoli and cheese tortellini with a creamy dressing are the basis of this salad. Raisins, sunflower seeds and red onion dress it up. This recipe is most requested at potlucks.

So easy to make, these bite-sized snack wraps filled with turkey, cream cheese, and veggies are a great way to fill up an appetizer tray — and your hungry guests' bellies.

Make your own fruit leather out of apples and pears, and enjoy it as a snack any time.

I worked at a sandwich shop that made these vegetable sandwiches stuffed with cucumbers, sprouts, tomatoes, and avocadoes. They were a veggie's dream!

This dressing is the closest thing I could come to perfection. Enjoy it on salads and baked potatoes or use it as a dip for vegetables.