lunch recipes - Stuff Parents Need

As a work-at-home parent, I get to save money each day by eating my lunch at home. My girls are also usually home at lunch, too. And we live just a 5 minute bike ride from my husband’s work, so most days he is also home. We are so lucky to get to have that time together!

But that also means that I need to actually prepare lunch every day, and I run out of lunch ideas FAST. To help me get out of a rut, I put together a list of 16 great lunch ideas. A few of them I already use and love myself, and the rest of them are on my list to try out in the upcoming weeks.

If you work from home, or if you like to bring your lunch into the office and need to think outside of the frozen meal or the simple sandwich, here’s a great list of recipes to try!

Pasta Recipes that Mix and Match: Easy, Kid-Friendly by Stuff Parents Need
Lemon Garlic Tuna Burgers by Can You Stay for Dinner?
Italian Walnut Salad by Amy J Bennett
Toddler Thai: Noodles in Peanut Sauce with Chicken by Vanderbilt Wife
Mediterranean Tuna Salad by Glued to My Crafts
Mini BBQ Chicken Pizza by Second Chance to Dream
Turkey and Avocado Panini by Marly’s This & That
Apple Gorgonzala Salad with Home-made Italian Vinaigrette by Marly’s This & That
Pico de Gallo Chicken Sandwich by All She Cooks
Chicken Gyros by Cooking on the Front Burner
Gluten Free Coconut Chicken by JaMonkey
Buffalo Chicken Quesadillas by Love Bakes Good Cakes
Chicken Cordon Bleu Sliders by A Family Feast
Green Goddess Pasta Salad by Call Me PMC
Bacon Chicken Ranch Taquitos by What’s Cooking Love?
Loaded BBQ TVP Sloppy Joe by Watching What I Eat

Want to see the entire 31 Days of Unforgettable Recipes series? Just click the banner below to see the full list!

This post brought to you by Michelina’s. All opinions are 100% mine.

I’m currently on the hunt for lunch ideas that come together very fast so that I don’t have to spend 30-45 minutes of my work day preparing food. But I don’t want to eat peanut butter & jelly all the time, nor do I want to eat frozen entrees. There are a lot of good frozen options out there, but I know I would get bored.

Michelina’s actually has a solution for those of us who want great taste, something that feels and tastes homemade, AND something lightning fast. The company, along with several bloggers, have created recipes that use Michelina’s entrees and take them to a whole new level, all with just a few moments extra of prep time. It is called Make It Your Michelina’s. That sounds like the best of both worlds to me!

I’ve looked over all the yummy possibilities, and I selected my top 8 ideas to share with you. Since I need to be especially quick in the kitchen 2 days each week (when my youngest is away and I can REALLY work), 8 recipes would take care of a month of working lunch ideas for me!

Lettuce Wraps using Chicken Fried Rice

Gourmet Italian Fare using Cheese Manicotti (shared from ItsOverflowing.com)

Chicken Paremesan Bites using Michelina’s Pop’n Chicken

Cheeseburger Wheel Pasta using Wheels & Cheese (shared from BabyGizmo.com)

Michelina’s Gyro using Michelina’s Ziti Parmesano

Bacon and Tomato Pasta Love using Tuscan Inspired Garlic Chicken (shared from Honeybearlane.com)

Chipotle Chick and Rice Burrito using Chipotle Chicken & Rice (shared from The Gunnysack.com)

Chicken and Broccoli Pasta using Penne with White Chicken (shared from BabySavers.com)

Everything looks great, doesn’t it??? You can also Follow Michelina’s on Facebook or Follow Michelina’s on Twitter to get more inspired ideas that will take your frozen meals to a whole new level, all without requiring more than a few extra minutes from the chef!

16 Lunch Ideas to Inspire You

8 Ways to Go Gourmet in a Few Minutes: Make It Your Michelina’s