Whether you work from home or in the office, you know that some days are just busy. You don’t have time to go out to lunch or make something complicated. The compromise? These easy lunch recipes.
25+ Easy Lunch Recipes Perfect for Busy Days
1. Baked Egg and Potato
Apparently, this recipe is a doctor’s favorite lunch – and it’s easy to see why. It’s easy, delicious and healthy.
It all starts with a “crust” of smashed potatoes. Add it to a pie or cake pan, and start adding your toppings: spinach, tomatoes and peppers.
Then, pour beaten eggs over the potato mixture and sprinkle some cheddar cheese on top.
Bake, slice and enjoy.
2. Pesto and Prosciutto Sandwich
Here’s a super simple lunch that feels (and tastes) gourmet. Start with a fresh baguette and top with pesto, slices of prosciutto, arugula, sliced tomatoes and – the best part – fresh buffalo mozzarella.
Add some more pesto for good measure, slice and serve.
It doesn’t get much easier than that! Make sure you use real buffalo mozzarella – the kind that’s full of cream inside.
3. Veggie-Packed Taquitos
These vegetarian taquitos are healthy and loaded with flavor. The filling is a tasty mix of red onion, tomato, corn, jalapeno, garlic, black beans, grated tofu, salsa, vegan yogurt and seasoning.
Cook until simmering, and then fill each small corn tortilla with the filling. Roll, bake and serve.
If you don’t care about this being vegan, you could use shredded chicken instead of tofu and regular yogurt.
4. Pesto Caprese Sandwiches
Easy lunch recipes like these will easily become staples in your diet. Start by hollowing out one side of a large baguette.
Layer on slices of mozzarella and tomatoes. Top with olive oil, salt, minced garlic, fresh oregano and slices of prosciutto. Add more mozzarella and olive oil.
Bake until melted and top with pesto. Finish the sandwich by adding the other side of the bread. Slice and serve.
5. One-Pot Spring Noodle Soup
One-pot soups are so versatile and make lunch prep so simple. To a single pot, add your noodles, shredded carrots, broccoli florets, green onion, cilantro, soy sauce, garlic, ginger, chili oil and vegetable broth.
Cover and simmer. Finish with some sesame seeds and you’re ready to eat.
Related: 23 Low Carb Lunch Ideas You Can Meal Prep
6. White Bean and Pesto Bake
A dump-and-bake casserole that’s absolutely delicious and easy to prepare. In a baking dish, add rice, vegetables, cannellini beans, pesto and cherry tomatoes. Stir to combine, and then add some veggie broth that’s already been pre-heated.
Cover and bake. Then, add some panko crumbs, bake again until browned, and enjoy!
7. Smashed Chickpeas Wrap
These wraps take no time to make, and they’re perfect for those busy days when you have little time to prep.
Just open a can (or jar) of chickpeas and drain. Smash with buffalo sauce and ranch dressing. Then, add red onion, celery, onion powder and garlic powder.
Mix to combine. Add a spoonful or two to the center of your wrap and top with feta cheese and lettuce.
8. Garlic Bread Pizza Toastie
Here’s a lunch that’s great for a rainy, lazy weekend afternoon. Crispy, buttery garlic toast stuffed with tomato sauce, mozzarella and pepperoni slices. It doesn’t get much more decadent than that.
I recommend using thicker slices of white bread and being generous with the butter.
Want your sandwich to be extra-crispy? Cook it in an air fryer.
9. Tortilla Quiche Bake
Looking for healthy, easy lunch recipes? This bake will easily become one of your favorites. Forget having to make a complicated crust. Use a tortilla to make your quiche
Add your eggs and some cottage cheese for protein. Top with tomatoes, peppers, spinach and cheese. Bake until melted and bubbly.
10. Spicy Tuna Sushi Balls
These sushi balls take no time to make, so they’re perfect for a busy day at work or at home. To make them, just mix together a can of tuna with mayo, sriracha and sesame oil.
Use a small bowl and some plastic wrap to help you create your rice balls with sushi rice. Create a little bowl with the rice and fill it with a dollop of the tuna mix and a few chunks of avocado. Top with some more rice and use the plastic wrap to help you make a ball.
Top with a few drizzles of spicy mayo, green onions and some sesame seeds.
11. Tunacado Sandwich
A tasty tuna sandwich that’s quick and easy to make. Mayo and mustard add tons of flavor to your canned tuna, to which you’ll add some spicy jalapeno slices, cilantro and red onion.
Mix well to combine, and toast your bread.
To assemble, add pesto, mustard, sliced avocado, sliced tomato and your tuna mix.
12. Protein-Rich Mac and Cheese
Want an easy lunch recipe that’s packed with protein? Try this dish. This Pinner uses individual serving containers of mac and cheese, but you can use boxed, homemade or whatever you want.
Then, she adds a packet of tuna. She also cooks some spinach on the side to add some healthy greens to her meal.
Quick, simple and relatively healthy.
13. Cottage Cheese and Spinach Bake
Another simple and healthy recipe for your lunch rotation. Start with a layer of spinach, add a few eggs and top with cottage cheese. Sprinkle on some seasonings, mix, top with cheese and bake.
You’re left with a cheesy, protein-rich meal that everyone will love.
14. Easy Chickpea Fritters
These fritters take no time to make and can be served in so many different ways. The ingredients are simple: chickpeas, flour, Parmesan cheese, parsley, cumin, garlic powder, salt, pepper and water.
Mash and mix well to combine. Then, use a jar lid to create medallion-sized fritters. Add them to your pan with olive oil and cook.
Serve with your favorite dipping sauce.
Related: 24 Healthy Bento Box Lunch Ideas for Adults
15. Cajun Chicken and Avocado Wrap Delight
This is one of our favorite easy lunch recipes. Seasoned chicken tenders cooked in an air fryer and combined with mashed avocado, spinach, shredded cheese and tomato inside of a wrap. Yum!
16. Green Goddess Sandwich
A quick and simple lunch you can make with just a few ingredients: sourdough bread, hummus, avocado, pesto, turkey, cucumber, lettuce and arugula.
Feel free to add any other toppings you want to the mix.
17. Turkey and Arugula Sandwiches
Turkey and arugula sandwiches are delish and fun to make. You’ll start by cutting up thick sourdough bread into sandwich slices. You’ll then toast it, put on avocado and then pesto on top.
From here, add your turkey, black and red pepper flakes, thin slices of tomatoes and arugula.
18. BLT Pasta Salad
Start by cooking half-a-cup of pasta (protein works best) and boneless chicken tenderloins. You’ll then need:
- Bacon bits
- Chopped cherry tomatoes
- Lettuce or spinach
- Reduced-fat cheese of your liking
For the sauce, you’ll need light mayo, plain Greek yogurt and ranch seasoning. You’ll add your ingredients into a Ziploc bag and toss until it’s evenly coated.
19. Ciabatta Sandwiches
Ciabatta bread makes making sandwiches simple. You’ll cut the bread in half, use avocado or pesto as a spread and then add the following ingredients on top:
- Mozzarella cheese
- Tomatoes
- Arugula
- Turkey
- Balsamic glaze
20. Quick Buffalo Chicken Salad
Buffalo chicken salad is one of the easy lunch recipes that starts with mixing the following ingredients into a mixing bowl:
- Cooked, shredded chicken
- Celery
- Red onions
- Green peppers
- Greek yogurt
- Light mayo
- Buffalo ranch
- Pepper
Mix until the ingredients are well combined. Fold in some blue cheese crumbles or use feta if you like, and then serve with cucumbers and tortilla chips.
21. Chicken Pesto Caprese Sandwiches
Slice your sandwich bread in half, which is likely a ciabatta bread or other type of thick bread that you prefer. Slather on a layer of pesto on the bread before adding the following:
- Tomato
- Mozzarella cheese slices
- Chicken
- Cheese on the chicken
You can then serve as-is if the chicken is cooked, or heat up the sandwich in the oven if you want to serve it hot.
22. Pesto Orzo Salad
A pesto orzo salad like this is very healthy and filled with good-for-you ingredients. Toss the following in a mixing bowl before serving:
- Cooked orzo
- Red onions
- Mozzarella chunks
- Tomatoes
- Spinach
- Pesto
Toss together well before serving.
23. Lazy Girl Lunch
Simple, cheesy and a twist on many of the wrap recipes on this list. Lazy Girl Lunch requires:
- A wrap of your choosing, such as a flour tortilla
- Pesto sauce spread on top of the wrap
- Add slices of tomatoes on top
- Top with mozzarella cheese
- Bake
Cut your tortilla in half and serve.
24. Quick Snack Board
Pull out a snack tray and place it on the table. Add the following ingredients on the tray for a quick snack board that is sure to hit the spot:
- Apples
- Carrots
- Cashews
- Cheese and chicken
- Grapes
- Strawberries
- Peanut butter
- Peppers
You can add any dip that you like on the side, but the author uses cream cheese and everything seasoning.
Related: 20 High-Protein Lunches Under 400 Calories
25. Chopped California Turkey Wrap
Add an almond sauce to your tortilla and add:
- Turkey
- Lettuce
- Tomato
- Seasoning
- Bacon bits
Use a fork to mash the avocado in the middle. Wrap your wrap, cut in half and serve.
26. Quick and Easy Lunch Wrap
Wraps are always simple to assemble. You’ll need a flour tortilla that you spread mustard or your favorite spread on top of. Add your lettuce, tomato, salt and then turkey. Roll up into a wrap, cut in half and enjoy.
You can swap out the turkey for any meat you like.
