Favorite weeknight recipes with lunch leftovers

[Anonymous]

Salmon cakes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Two individuals, one a full grown man and one a presumably male teen athlete who needs big meals and you make a single grocery store roasted chicken last for two dinners plus leftovers? Buy a second chicken and double the amount you're making.

We are moving into colder weather so focus on soups and filling pastas or healthy-ish casseroles. I make a very hearty beef barley soup that my family will eat for days. The barley soaks up the remaining broth while it's in the fridge so it ends up being more pasta than soup for lunches the next few days but no one cares since it's warm and filling. Big batches of taco meat are a good call, and you can use turkey instead of beef if you don't want as much red meat. Chili with beans and ground meat is another option.

I also keep on hand deli turkey, cheese, crackers and plenty of cut vegetables with hummus. My teen athlete can put together a filling lunch or snack.

This stood out to me too. They need more protein, especially a teen athlete. One grocery chicken (they're usually on the smaller 2ish lb side) is not enough for 2 dinners and a lunch.

I have a 12, 13, and 6 yr old. Older two are athletes, plus DH and me. A roasted chicken lasts us one dinner leftovers for 3 lunches

[Anonymous]

My teen son could eat burrito bowls basically every day so if you have cooked rice, beans, shredded chicken or pork, shredded cheese and a seasoning mix or hot sauce, he’d love that. An easy way to cook and shred meat it to throw it in a crock pot with some broth or other liquid and maybe some garlic and salt. Then use your stand mixer with a paddle attachment on low and it shreds it for you. Keep it packaged in fridge in some of the liquid so it won’t dry out.

Another dish that is quick and makes great leftovers is a strata or breakfast casserole. It’s very adaptable but here’s my recipe for one pain:
7-8 bread slices ripped into cubes
6-7 eggs, beaten with maybe 1/2 cup of milk and salt and pepper and minced garlic
Half pound of Italian or breakfast sausage.
A bunch of shredded cheddar cheese or mozarella — maybe 1/4 to 1/2 pound.
Bake for about 20-30 minutes at 350.

It’s really tasty warm or cold and you can make it half vegetarian by just putting the sausage on one size or you could use fake sausage like soyrizo.

Quiche also packs well. I’d throw in an apple and maybe yogurt or protein bar with something like that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Two individuals, one a full grown man and one a presumably male teen athlete who needs big meals and you make a single grocery store roasted chicken last for two dinners plus leftovers? Buy a second chicken and double the amount you're making.

We are moving into colder weather so focus on soups and filling pastas or healthy-ish casseroles. I make a very hearty beef barley soup that my family will eat for days. The barley soaks up the remaining broth while it's in the fridge so it ends up being more pasta than soup for lunches the next few days but no one cares since it's warm and filling. Big batches of taco meat are a good call, and you can use turkey instead of beef if you don't want as much red meat. Chili with beans and ground meat is another option.

I also keep on hand deli turkey, cheese, crackers and plenty of cut vegetables with hummus. My teen athlete can put together a filling lunch or snack.

This stood out to me too. They need more protein, especially a teen athlete. One grocery chicken (they're usually on the smaller 2ish lb side) is not enough for 2 dinners and a lunch.

OP sounds like chicken leg lady who made 10 chicken legs for her family of six and was surprised that they were hungry an hour later.

NP. I thought of her too! She’s back!

No, it's not her, but a clone. Chicken leg lady came back and took advice from the peanut gallery and started increasing her portion sizes and the makeup of her meals to handle dad and teens nutritional needs. My favorite line from that was that she should not be planning meals for a family of middle aged dieting mothers, but for a man and growing teens. She took it to heart and started adding more grains and vegetables (for filler) and larger portion sizes. The meals she was asking about towards the end of that thread were much better for her family.

This reads more like chicken leg lady at the start of the thread, rather than the end of the thread.

[Anonymous]

Quesadillas are quick and easy.

They can also be tailored to each person (beans, spinach, onion, cheese) vs (chicken, cheese, scallions, cumin, salsa).

[Anonymous]

This is more of a lunch focus.
A good thermos is key, and preheating it with hot water as well is important.

Annie’s lentil soup drained slightly, with rice.
Mac n cheese bites ( Trader Joe’s)
Leftover pasta
Ramen soup with chicken/carrots/celery added
Spaghetti or other pasta in pesto sauce. We like Kirkland brand pesto

My 11yo takes hot food 3-4x a week and all of the above take turns.
She has a lunchbox with a large compartment where I put there thermos and a fork. Then underneath I do fruit/veggies and a dessert.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Two individuals, one a full grown man and one a presumably male teen athlete who needs big meals and you make a single grocery store roasted chicken last for two dinners plus leftovers? Buy a second chicken and double the amount you're making.

We are moving into colder weather so focus on soups and filling pastas or healthy-ish casseroles. I make a very hearty beef barley soup that my family will eat for days. The barley soaks up the remaining broth while it's in the fridge so it ends up being more pasta than soup for lunches the next few days but no one cares since it's warm and filling. Big batches of taco meat are a good call, and you can use turkey instead of beef if you don't want as much red meat. Chili with beans and ground meat is another option.

I also keep on hand deli turkey, cheese, crackers and plenty of cut vegetables with hummus. My teen athlete can put together a filling lunch or snack.

This stood out to me too. They need more protein, especially a teen athlete. One grocery chicken (they're usually on the smaller 2ish lb side) is not enough for 2 dinners and a lunch.

I have a 12, 13, and 6 yr old. Older two are athletes, plus DH and me. A roasted chicken lasts us one dinner leftovers for 3 lunches

Ok? So that works out to about 5 oz per serving max (assuming a larger Costco chicken) whereas most people budget 8oz a person per adult.5 oz is Oliver Twist level meager for your older athletic kids plus two adults. Do you pound pasta or something? Are you tiny people? My 6'5 DH and our similarly aged tall and thin kids would tear through one chicken and I don't think we're alone.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Two individuals, one a full grown man and one a presumably male teen athlete who needs big meals and you make a single grocery store roasted chicken last for two dinners plus leftovers? Buy a second chicken and double the amount you're making.

We are moving into colder weather so focus on soups and filling pastas or healthy-ish casseroles. I make a very hearty beef barley soup that my family will eat for days. The barley soaks up the remaining broth while it's in the fridge so it ends up being more pasta than soup for lunches the next few days but no one cares since it's warm and filling. Big batches of taco meat are a good call, and you can use turkey instead of beef if you don't want as much red meat. Chili with beans and ground meat is another option.

I also keep on hand deli turkey, cheese, crackers and plenty of cut vegetables with hummus. My teen athlete can put together a filling lunch or snack.

This stood out to me too. They need more protein, especially a teen athlete. One grocery chicken (they're usually on the smaller 2ish lb side) is not enough for 2 dinners and a lunch.

I have a 12, 13, and 6 yr old. Older two are athletes, plus DH and me. A roasted chicken lasts us one dinner leftovers for 3 lunches

That must be one plump rotisserie chicken, nothing like the scrawny ones I see.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Two individuals, one a full grown man and one a presumably male teen athlete who needs big meals and you make a single grocery store roasted chicken last for two dinners plus leftovers? Buy a second chicken and double the amount you're making.

We are moving into colder weather so focus on soups and filling pastas or healthy-ish casseroles. I make a very hearty beef barley soup that my family will eat for days. The barley soaks up the remaining broth while it's in the fridge so it ends up being more pasta than soup for lunches the next few days but no one cares since it's warm and filling. Big batches of taco meat are a good call, and you can use turkey instead of beef if you don't want as much red meat. Chili with beans and ground meat is another option.

I also keep on hand deli turkey, cheese, crackers and plenty of cut vegetables with hummus. My teen athlete can put together a filling lunch or snack.

This stood out to me too. They need more protein, especially a teen athlete. One grocery chicken (they're usually on the smaller 2ish lb side) is not enough for 2 dinners and a lunch.

I have a 12, 13, and 6 yr old. Older two are athletes, plus DH and me. A roasted chicken lasts us one dinner leftovers for 3 lunches

SHUT it. Contribute to the thread or leave.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Quesadillas are quick and easy.

They can also be tailored to each person (beans, spinach, onion, cheese) vs (chicken, cheese, scallions, cumin, salsa).

Quesadillas is a great idea. I used to make them for camp and the kids would just eat them cold at camp maybe with salsa or guac. Great idea for the teen. You can actually just make him a few "foldover" kinds like a giant melted soft taco and then use all the ingredients at dinner for other things.

[Anonymous]

-Tortellini is one of my kids’ favorite leftovers to take for lunch. I buy the plain cheese tortellini and make my own pesto sauce and add some frozen peas. They love it warm in a thermos the next day. You could also do this with ravioli and sauce of choice.

-Arabic rice and meat. Brown some ground beef and a diced onion, season well with salt and Arabic seven spice. Mix with cooked rice. Add toasted pine nuts or slivered/sliced almonds on top

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is more of a lunch focus.
A good thermos is key, and preheating it with hot water as well is important.

Annie’s lentil soup drained slightly, with rice.
Mac n cheese bites ( Trader Joe’s)
Leftover pasta
Ramen soup with chicken/carrots/celery added
Spaghetti or other pasta in pesto sauce. We like Kirkland brand pesto

My 11yo takes hot food 3-4x a week and all of the above take turns.
She has a lunchbox with a large compartment where I put there thermos and a fork. Then underneath I do fruit/veggies and a dessert.

Do the noodles in the ramen soak up all the broth and get soggy? One of my kids keeps asking for ramen in her lunch and I tell her it won’t work. Maybe I’m wrong?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Two individuals, one a full grown man and one a presumably male teen athlete who needs big meals and you make a single grocery store roasted chicken last for two dinners plus leftovers? Buy a second chicken and double the amount you're making.

We are moving into colder weather so focus on soups and filling pastas or healthy-ish casseroles. I make a very hearty beef barley soup that my family will eat for days. The barley soaks up the remaining broth while it's in the fridge so it ends up being more pasta than soup for lunches the next few days but no one cares since it's warm and filling. Big batches of taco meat are a good call, and you can use turkey instead of beef if you don't want as much red meat. Chili with beans and ground meat is another option.

I also keep on hand deli turkey, cheese, crackers and plenty of cut vegetables with hummus. My teen athlete can put together a filling lunch or snack.

This stood out to me too. They need more protein, especially a teen athlete. One grocery chicken (they're usually on the smaller 2ish lb side) is not enough for 2 dinners and a lunch.

OP sounds like chicken leg lady who made 10 chicken legs for her family of six and was surprised that they were hungry an hour later.

NP. I thought of her too! She’s back!

No, it's not her, but a clone. Chicken leg lady came back and took advice from the peanut gallery and started increasing her portion sizes and the makeup of her meals to handle dad and teens nutritional needs. My favorite line from that was that she should not be planning meals for a family of middle aged dieting mothers, but for a man and growing teens. She took it to heart and started adding more grains and vegetables (for filler) and larger portion sizes. The meals she was asking about towards the end of that thread were much better for her family.

This reads more like chicken leg lady at the start of the thread, rather than the end of the thread.

Truly one of my favorite DCUM threads. I think the best part was that people started out ripping into her, but ultimately, everyone was cheering her on and we THINK she started feeding her family a sufficient amount of food!

[Anonymous]

I mean, so much you can cook, potatoes, mince, veggies, pasta. TBH, I don't' understand the question here. Do you not make large dinners and hence lunch would be dinner leftovers?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is more of a lunch focus.
A good thermos is key, and preheating it with hot water as well is important.

Annie’s lentil soup drained slightly, with rice.
Mac n cheese bites ( Trader Joe’s)
Leftover pasta
Ramen soup with chicken/carrots/celery added
Spaghetti or other pasta in pesto sauce. We like Kirkland brand pesto

My 11yo takes hot food 3-4x a week and all of the above take turns.
She has a lunchbox with a large compartment where I put there thermos and a fork. Then underneath I do fruit/veggies and a dessert.

Do the noodles in the ramen soak up all the broth and get soggy? One of my kids keeps asking for ramen in her lunch and I tell her it won’t work. Maybe I’m wrong?

I’m not sure tbh. My kid eats it all so i don’t know.