Hello LilyOnTheLam.com Readers:
This is the 3rd and final installment of the "Friday Fifteen" series, where I give 15 ideas for take to work lunches. These fifteen ideas include: (1) Five recommendations for make ahead and freeze meals, (2) Five recommendations for quick to assemble meals and (3) Five recommendations for pre-packaged frozen entrees.
You can read the first two installments of the "Friday Fifteen Series" here:
First Friday Fifteen
Second Friday Fifteen: Minnesota Edition
A) Five Recommendations for Make Ahead and Freeze Meals
As this is the "Soup Edition," the recommendations for make ahead and freeze meals are all soup recipes.
A1) Healthier Version of the Olive Garden's Zuppa Toscana Soup
I love hearty, stick to your ribs type soups. When I first tried the Olive Garden's Zuppa Toscana soup many years ago, I knew two things - 1) this is great soup and 2) I could make a much healthier version of this. It is a cream based soup with sausage, kale and white potatoes. It is hearty, but more caloric than it needs to be.
There are many copycat recipes of the Zuppa Toscana soup online. I use a recipe like this one from Food.com. However, I make the following healthy swaps:
- I use hot Italian turkey sausage versus pork sausage.
- I use evaporated skim milk instead of cream.
- I replace the potatoes with either cauliflower or sweet potatoes.
- I double the amount of kale in the recipe.
I like to make a large pot of this soup and freeze individual servings. Sometimes when I am reheating I add more kale, swiss chard or even spinach for a more fresh taste.
A2) Chicken Stew with a Biscuit Topper
I love chicken pot pie (see my earlier blog post "A Tale of Four Pot Pies" comparing different pot pies). However freezing a chicken pot pie and then reheating quickly in an office microwave does not produce the tastiest results. So instead I like to make ahead and freeze a chicken stew. Then I reheat the stew in the microwave until bubbling hot. I then take a biscuit - either homemade, store bought or a baked refrigerator dough- heat it for about 10 seconds in the microwave and then put the biscuit on top of the chicken stew. All the flavors of chicken pot pie easily microwaveable.
Here are some chicken stew recipes to consider making ahead for your office lunches:
A more broth-based chicken stew from The Food Network website
10 Chicken Stew Recipes from MyRecipes.Com
A3) Slow Cooker Chicken Enchilada Soup
I love my slow cooker. Living in Florida, I like being able to make meals without heating up the whole kitchen. I love spicy soups. Try making slow cooker chicken enchilada soup and topping it with additional tortilla chips or julienned tortillas. A squirt of fresh lime juice right before eating, adds an extra punch of flavor.
Try this recipe from SkinnyTaste.com
A4) Tom Yum Goong Soup
I was in India in December and January. Unfortunately, I developed a bad case of bronchitis. I felt like a caravan of semi trucks had run over me on an hourly basis. All I wanted to do was lay in my hotel bed and eat spicy Thai soup. I think a vegetarian recipe of this soup makes for better freezing, but I have included a carnivore version as well.
Tom Yum Goong Soup Recipe from The Food Network
Vegetarian version of Tom Yum Goong Soup Recipe from AllRecipes.com
A5) Turkey Chili
One of my go to dishes is a ground turkey breast chili with a variety of beans. I purchased a stuffed cornbread pan from Williams Sonoma. It looks like a square mini muffin pan, but there are spikes in the middle of each square. You can stick a cube of pepper jack cheese or jalapeños or whatever you'd like and then you pour the cornbread batter over it. The result is a cube of cornbread with a hot filled center. A bowl of turkey chili and a pepper jack stuffed cornbread square muffin would make a great take to work lunch!
30 Minute Turkey Chili Recipe from the Food Network
B) Five Recommendations for Quick To Assemble Meals
If you don't have time to whip up a big pot of soup in advance, here are five ideas for quick to assemble meals.
B1) Lily's Bean and Cheese Roll Ups
You can take the components of this dish to work and assemble it in a few minutes. Take a whole wheat or spinach tortilla. Place a couple spoonfuls of your favorite beans (I recommend black turtle beans or red kidney beans), mash with a fork and spread the bean mixture across the entire tortilla. Sprinkle cumin on top of the beans and then add shredded cheese on top. Microwave for 30 - 60 seconds until beans are warmed through and cheese is melted. Add a spoonful of salsa. Without burning your fingers, carefully roll the tortilla. You can eat it as a roll up or cut it into pieces first.
B2) Baked Sweet Potato
A very simple but tasty lunch meal is baking a sweet potato in the microwave, then slicing it in half. I like to spray the sweet potato with the olive oil flavor of "I Can't Believe It's Not Butter." Then I sprinkle fresh ground smoked sea salt, fresh ground nutmeg and cayenne pepper on the potato. The combination of smoky, salty, sweet and hot accentuates the richness of the sweet potato.
B3) Easy Pita Pockets
My local Greek restaurant has a catering menu where you can purchase gyro meat and chicken. I like having these great spiced meats in the house for quick Greek salads or filling for pita pockets. Grab a pita, throw in some meat, layer sliced red onions and cucumbers and top with tzatziki sauce. You can also quickly assemble this at work. A fast and easy lunch.
B4) Picnic Lunch
When I first moved to Florida, I had the same lunch every day for almost a month. Our local grocery store, Publix, had a delicious tarragon chicken salad. I would take a Hawaiian sweet bread roll, split it in half and stuff it with the tarragon chicken salad. A side of watermelon cubes was my accompaniment. This is a nice summertime style lunch to take to work. If you're looking to up the heartiness quotient, I recommend taking some apple slices, spreading peanut butter on them and sprinkle with chopped honey roasted peanuts.
B5) Meatball Sub
With a bag of frozen pre-made meatballs, a can or jar of marinara sauce, a baguette and a slice of provolone cheese - you have a very easy to assemble meatball sub. Sprinkle some dried oregano and crushed red peppers to spice it up.
C) Five Internet Recommendations for Pre-Packaged Frozen Entrees
C1) Mayan Harvest Bake
One of the top internet recommendations for pre-packaged frozen entrees is Kashi's Mayan Harvest Bake. Let me know if you agree with the internet critics in the comments section!
C2) Beef Pot Roast
It is definitely not as good as the pot roast I make in my slow cooker, but for 210 calories Lean Cuisine's Beef Pot Roast is a decent and low calorie lunch option!
C3) Mini Cheeseburger Sliders
If you cannot break away from the office to hit a local fast food restaurant, try Weight Watchers' Smart Ones Mini Cheeseburgers. Just watch that you don't overcook these as they go from edible burger to inedible rocks. These are no way the best mini cheeseburgers you could eat, but it takes the edge off a cheeseburger craving for 200 calories.
C4) Got a Toaster Oven? Try this pizza!
If your workplace has a toaster oven, grab a California Pizza Kitchen frozen pizza. I like taking their Sicilian pizza, topping with julienned red and green bell pepper and red onion, then shredding a piece of string cheese over the fresh vegetables and bake per the package directions. I feel like I'm having a great pizza without going overboard on the calories.
Last but not least ... the last recommendation in the third and final installment of the Friday Fifteen series ...
C5) Butternut Squash Ravioli
The Lean Cuisine Spa Cuisine Classic Butternut Squash Ravioli entree is a mix of vegetables and butternut squash ravioli that has nice flavor without being too heavy. I like to extend frozen pasta dishes by adding extra vegetables. For this entree, I like to toss it with a mixture of steamed asparagus, green beans, red bell pepper, artichoke hearts and red onion. I like to sprinkle a little bit of nutmeg over the ravioli. It makes a great lunch.
I hope you have enjoyed the Friday Fifteen Ideas for Take To Work Lunches Series. Please feel free to leave a comment with your favorite take to work lunch idea - whether make ahead, quick to assemble or pre-packaged freezer meal!
Google Affiliate Ad:
Disclaimer: To increase revenue for Lily On The Lam, I am adding Google Affiliate Ads. However, I am able to select the ad featured for this section. I either pick items I already own and can recommend or items that I would be personally interested in and that correspond with the theme of my blog post.
I chose this ad because if all else fails, order a case of Bumble Bee Tuna Salad Meals to Go and save time on meal planning!
This is the 3rd and final installment of the "Friday Fifteen" series, where I give 15 ideas for take to work lunches. These fifteen ideas include: (1) Five recommendations for make ahead and freeze meals, (2) Five recommendations for quick to assemble meals and (3) Five recommendations for pre-packaged frozen entrees.
You can read the first two installments of the "Friday Fifteen Series" here:
First Friday Fifteen
Second Friday Fifteen: Minnesota Edition
A) Five Recommendations for Make Ahead and Freeze Meals
As this is the "Soup Edition," the recommendations for make ahead and freeze meals are all soup recipes.
A1) Healthier Version of the Olive Garden's Zuppa Toscana Soup
I love hearty, stick to your ribs type soups. When I first tried the Olive Garden's Zuppa Toscana soup many years ago, I knew two things - 1) this is great soup and 2) I could make a much healthier version of this. It is a cream based soup with sausage, kale and white potatoes. It is hearty, but more caloric than it needs to be.
There are many copycat recipes of the Zuppa Toscana soup online. I use a recipe like this one from Food.com. However, I make the following healthy swaps:
- I use hot Italian turkey sausage versus pork sausage.
- I use evaporated skim milk instead of cream.
- I replace the potatoes with either cauliflower or sweet potatoes.
- I double the amount of kale in the recipe.
I like to make a large pot of this soup and freeze individual servings. Sometimes when I am reheating I add more kale, swiss chard or even spinach for a more fresh taste.
A2) Chicken Stew with a Biscuit Topper
I love chicken pot pie (see my earlier blog post "A Tale of Four Pot Pies" comparing different pot pies). However freezing a chicken pot pie and then reheating quickly in an office microwave does not produce the tastiest results. So instead I like to make ahead and freeze a chicken stew. Then I reheat the stew in the microwave until bubbling hot. I then take a biscuit - either homemade, store bought or a baked refrigerator dough- heat it for about 10 seconds in the microwave and then put the biscuit on top of the chicken stew. All the flavors of chicken pot pie easily microwaveable.
Here are some chicken stew recipes to consider making ahead for your office lunches:
A more broth-based chicken stew from The Food Network website
10 Chicken Stew Recipes from MyRecipes.Com
A3) Slow Cooker Chicken Enchilada Soup
I love my slow cooker. Living in Florida, I like being able to make meals without heating up the whole kitchen. I love spicy soups. Try making slow cooker chicken enchilada soup and topping it with additional tortilla chips or julienned tortillas. A squirt of fresh lime juice right before eating, adds an extra punch of flavor.
Try this recipe from SkinnyTaste.com
A4) Tom Yum Goong Soup
I was in India in December and January. Unfortunately, I developed a bad case of bronchitis. I felt like a caravan of semi trucks had run over me on an hourly basis. All I wanted to do was lay in my hotel bed and eat spicy Thai soup. I think a vegetarian recipe of this soup makes for better freezing, but I have included a carnivore version as well.
Tom Yum Goong Soup Recipe from The Food Network
Vegetarian version of Tom Yum Goong Soup Recipe from AllRecipes.com
A5) Turkey Chili
One of my go to dishes is a ground turkey breast chili with a variety of beans. I purchased a stuffed cornbread pan from Williams Sonoma. It looks like a square mini muffin pan, but there are spikes in the middle of each square. You can stick a cube of pepper jack cheese or jalapeños or whatever you'd like and then you pour the cornbread batter over it. The result is a cube of cornbread with a hot filled center. A bowl of turkey chili and a pepper jack stuffed cornbread square muffin would make a great take to work lunch!
30 Minute Turkey Chili Recipe from the Food Network
B) Five Recommendations for Quick To Assemble Meals
If you don't have time to whip up a big pot of soup in advance, here are five ideas for quick to assemble meals.
B1) Lily's Bean and Cheese Roll Ups
You can take the components of this dish to work and assemble it in a few minutes. Take a whole wheat or spinach tortilla. Place a couple spoonfuls of your favorite beans (I recommend black turtle beans or red kidney beans), mash with a fork and spread the bean mixture across the entire tortilla. Sprinkle cumin on top of the beans and then add shredded cheese on top. Microwave for 30 - 60 seconds until beans are warmed through and cheese is melted. Add a spoonful of salsa. Without burning your fingers, carefully roll the tortilla. You can eat it as a roll up or cut it into pieces first.
B2) Baked Sweet Potato
A very simple but tasty lunch meal is baking a sweet potato in the microwave, then slicing it in half. I like to spray the sweet potato with the olive oil flavor of "I Can't Believe It's Not Butter." Then I sprinkle fresh ground smoked sea salt, fresh ground nutmeg and cayenne pepper on the potato. The combination of smoky, salty, sweet and hot accentuates the richness of the sweet potato.
B3) Easy Pita Pockets
My local Greek restaurant has a catering menu where you can purchase gyro meat and chicken. I like having these great spiced meats in the house for quick Greek salads or filling for pita pockets. Grab a pita, throw in some meat, layer sliced red onions and cucumbers and top with tzatziki sauce. You can also quickly assemble this at work. A fast and easy lunch.
B4) Picnic Lunch
When I first moved to Florida, I had the same lunch every day for almost a month. Our local grocery store, Publix, had a delicious tarragon chicken salad. I would take a Hawaiian sweet bread roll, split it in half and stuff it with the tarragon chicken salad. A side of watermelon cubes was my accompaniment. This is a nice summertime style lunch to take to work. If you're looking to up the heartiness quotient, I recommend taking some apple slices, spreading peanut butter on them and sprinkle with chopped honey roasted peanuts.
B5) Meatball Sub
With a bag of frozen pre-made meatballs, a can or jar of marinara sauce, a baguette and a slice of provolone cheese - you have a very easy to assemble meatball sub. Sprinkle some dried oregano and crushed red peppers to spice it up.
C) Five Internet Recommendations for Pre-Packaged Frozen Entrees
C1) Mayan Harvest Bake
One of the top internet recommendations for pre-packaged frozen entrees is Kashi's Mayan Harvest Bake. Let me know if you agree with the internet critics in the comments section!
C2) Beef Pot Roast
It is definitely not as good as the pot roast I make in my slow cooker, but for 210 calories Lean Cuisine's Beef Pot Roast is a decent and low calorie lunch option!
C3) Mini Cheeseburger Sliders
If you cannot break away from the office to hit a local fast food restaurant, try Weight Watchers' Smart Ones Mini Cheeseburgers. Just watch that you don't overcook these as they go from edible burger to inedible rocks. These are no way the best mini cheeseburgers you could eat, but it takes the edge off a cheeseburger craving for 200 calories.
C4) Got a Toaster Oven? Try this pizza!
If your workplace has a toaster oven, grab a California Pizza Kitchen frozen pizza. I like taking their Sicilian pizza, topping with julienned red and green bell pepper and red onion, then shredding a piece of string cheese over the fresh vegetables and bake per the package directions. I feel like I'm having a great pizza without going overboard on the calories.
Last but not least ... the last recommendation in the third and final installment of the Friday Fifteen series ...
C5) Butternut Squash Ravioli
The Lean Cuisine Spa Cuisine Classic Butternut Squash Ravioli entree is a mix of vegetables and butternut squash ravioli that has nice flavor without being too heavy. I like to extend frozen pasta dishes by adding extra vegetables. For this entree, I like to toss it with a mixture of steamed asparagus, green beans, red bell pepper, artichoke hearts and red onion. I like to sprinkle a little bit of nutmeg over the ravioli. It makes a great lunch.
I hope you have enjoyed the Friday Fifteen Ideas for Take To Work Lunches Series. Please feel free to leave a comment with your favorite take to work lunch idea - whether make ahead, quick to assemble or pre-packaged freezer meal!
Google Affiliate Ad:
Disclaimer: To increase revenue for Lily On The Lam, I am adding Google Affiliate Ads. However, I am able to select the ad featured for this section. I either pick items I already own and can recommend or items that I would be personally interested in and that correspond with the theme of my blog post.
I chose this ad because if all else fails, order a case of Bumble Bee Tuna Salad Meals to Go and save time on meal planning!
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