"I have the same routine somewhere between noon and 2 p.m. each weekday. During a break in my calendar, I step away from my laptop, open the fridge, and wonder what I can quickly throw together for lunch. Usually it’s not creative or necessarily nutritious, so I’m always interested in quick lunch options beyond last night’s leftovers.
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To help me—and fellow work-from-home parents—we pulled together lunch recipes with ingredients you may already have on hand or can add to your next grocery list. Salads, soups, wraps, kid-friendly options, and some creative takes on old classics round out this list of easy lunch recipes to make when working from home.
Soups, Salads & Bowls
1. Tortellini Caesar Salad
Sub in store-bought croutons, and this salad only has six ingredients. Cook the tortellini ahead of time and it can be thrown together in minutes.
2. BLT Pasta Salad
A fresh take on the BLT sandwich, this salad subs noodles for bread. Use store-bought ranch or make your own with this yummy recipe.
3. Quinoa & Black Bean Salad
Quinoa may just be the superfood we need to get us through a long work from home day. Add hearty black beans, tasty avocados, and more and this is recipe is a keeper.
4. Veggie-Packed Instant Pot Tomato Soup
Packed with good-for-you veggies like carrots, bell peppers, tomatoes, and zucchini, you can meal prep this soup on the weekend and eat it all week—or freeze for later. Sub coconut milk to make this a dairy-free recipe. Note: you’ll need an Instant Pot and immersion blender for this one.
5. Creamy Broccoli & White Bean Soup
As you probably assumed by its name, this soup gets it’s texture and flavor from one head of broccoli and cannellini beans. Plus, it can be stored in the fridge for three days or in the freezer for a month.
6. Tuscan Tuna Salad
This recipe features two pantry staples: tuna and white beans. Add in peppery arugula and crunchy veggies like radishes for a delicious and protein-packed salad.
7. Thai Chicken Salad
Salads are always a great go-to when it comes to lunches to make while working from home, but they don’t have to be boring. Make the prep for this delicious recipe easy by cooking and refrigerating chicken ahead of time or shredding a store-bought rotisserie chicken.
8. Mediterranean Chickpea Salad
Made with another pantry staple, chickpeas, the time-consuming part of this recipe is marinating the chickpeas and chopping the fresh veggies. But, it still comes together in 20 minutes.
9. Buffalo Chicken Quinoa Bowl
Buffalo chicken gets an upgrade with this hearty quinoa bowl. The recipe makes four servings, so you can meal prep for multiple days.
10. Egg Roll Bowl Recipe
Such a great go-to, this recipe has everything you want in a meal: protein, veggies, and some carbs to get you through the rest of the day if you put it on top of a bed of rice. The best part is you can make a batch at the beginning of the week and heat it up each day.
11. Instant Pot Zuppa Toscana
If a trip to Olive Garden is incomplete without a bowl of their delicious Zuppa Toscana, make it at home! Trust us, it will be the highlight of your day and better than OG.
Wraps & Sandwiches
12. Viral Cottage Cheese Flatbread
When things go viral online, we can pretty much bet they’re popular for a reason. Thus is the case of the celebrated flatbread made out of cottage cheese. The best part is that you can top it with any of your favorites for a delicious, high protein meal.
13. Vegan Burrito
A perfect use for the can of black beans sitting in your pantry. This easy-to-assemble burrito includes corn, lettuce, tomatoes, and avocado.
14. Antipasto Mozzarella Sandwich with Lemony-Basil Pesto
Another Italian-inspired option, you can make this gourmet with homemade pesto, burrata cheese, meats, and veggies. Or use the recipe to inspire a sandwich with ingredients you have at home. Note: you’ll probably want a hearty bread like ciabatta to hold the heavier ingredients and sauce.
15. Chicken Ranch Wrap
Ranch fans will love this five-ingredient chicken wrap. Enjoy it cold or warm it up on a grill pan to warm the chicken and melt the cheese and you’ll find a new personal favorite of lunches to make while working from home.
16. Turkey, Cranberry, Brie and Pear Sandwiches
For those of us who crave the flavors of Thanksgiving throughout the entire year, this sandwich is an answered prayer. Plus, the additional flavors of brie, pear, and more make this a mouthwatering option every time.
17. Air Fryer Grilled Cheese
Sure, the grilled cheese we make for the kids could do the trick—they’re pretty delicious if we’re being honest! But this recipe takes it up a notch and is one you’ll enjoy even more.
18. PF Chang’s Lettuce Wraps
A PF Chang’s copycat recipe? For lunch? We’re sold! Plus, it’s a lighter version with delicious butter lettuce.
Hot Lunches
19. Easy Rice & Bean Quesadillas
Once your rice is cooked, these quesadillas come together in three minutes. They’re perfect for parents—and kids—for lunches or easy dinners.
20. Pigs in a Blanket
These fun take on hot dogs are perfect for lunch—or as an after-school snack for hungry kiddos.
21. Mexican Street Corn Mac & Cheese
It’s corn! (2022 flashback, anyone?) And mac & cheese—a delicious combo kids will like, too. Plus, it’s a recipe you can make all in one pot.
22. Baked Beef Taquitos
If you’ve yet to add taquitos to your weekly rotation of lunches to make while working from home, you’re going to want to immediately. They are super easy to make and always curb a savory craving without leaving you feeling too full to finish your day.
23. Air Fryer Chicken Tenders
Chicken tenders aren’t just reserved for the littles anymore! This recipe is super easy and will leave you satisfied when paired with your favorite dipping sauce. Pair it with a classic side like a salad (or on top of one!), cottage cheese, or fresh fruit.
24. Crock Pot Chicken Pot Pie
This is one of the best options of lunches to make while working from home because you can make it for dinner one night and have leftovers the rest of the week. Plus, it’s hearty enough to get you to dinner time.
25. Crispy Tofu with Zucchini Noodles
No one said lunch has to be boring! Whether you’re a tofu pro or you’ve never experimented before, this recipe is sure to win you over. Of all of the lunches to make while working from home, this may be one of the most exciting.
26. Fried Sloppy Joe Rolls
Every now and then we just need something delicious. These Sloppy Joe rolls are as exciting as they are tasty. Try them the next time you simply need to mix things up. Don’t be surprised if the whole family wants you to share, though!
Snack-Style Lunches
27. DIY Pizza Lunchables
Make school lunch and work lunch prep easy by making one more lunchable for yourself. These pizza lunchables that only use six ingredients.
28. Caprese Bento Box
Speaking of lunchables, take the concept and make it oh-so sophisticated by adding an Italian twist. This Caprese box includes favorites like mozzarella cheese, pesto, cherry tomatoes, and more.
29. Cilantro Lime Pesto Toast
While toast sounds more like a quick breakfast than a lunch option, when it’s as hearty as this recipe, it makes a great light lunch. Pair it with some other favorites like grapes or string cheese for a unique option.
30. Pepperoni Pizza Muffins
Muffins aren’t just reserved for mornings anymore. This is especially true when you find a delicious, savory recipe like this one that plays on the flavors of pepperoni pizza.
Kathy Sisson, Senior Editor
A mom of two, Kathy is passionately committed to sharing the honest, helpful—and often humorous—stories of motherhood, as she navigates her own everyday adventures of work, marriage, and parenting. She honed her creative and strategic skills at advertising agencies in Detroit and Chicago, before pivoting from marketing to editorial. Now instead of telling brand stories, she’s sharing her own, with articles published across popular parenting sites—including hundreds of stories on The Everymom.
Brett Nicole Hayden, Assistant Editor
As the Assistant Editor, Brett works with the editors of The Everymom on the content creation process by updating stories, sourcing images and graphics, and pitching and contributing her own articles. Her favorite topics to write about are culture, relationships, and living. She’s also The Everymom’s resident baby names and family movies expert!