Packed Lunch for work

Pink.

Hi Emptypockets,

You aren't being a pain!

There's an earlier thread with some ideas that should help so I've added your thread to it to keep the suggestions together.

This thread may help with your husband's lunches:

Lunch for work

Pink

EmptyPockets

Thanks Pink! I had a good feeling my thread would be added to another that I hadn't come across, so it's all good, and the ideas here are fab :T

mum of 4, I've just added your cous cous sugestions to our meal plan for this week :A Thank you

EmptyPockets

Also, I love the ideas you all have for filling pitta breads, BUT: does anyone have any tips for actually opening the darn things up, without ripping holes in the sides, or worse, ending up with just pitta 'pieces'? LOL! I used to love doing pittas with tuna mayo and salad, or chicken, but got so sick of the battle when trying to open 'em, and in the end stopped buying them!

Boodle

I find popping a pitta in the toaster for a minute helps as it puffs out so is easier to split. Still a bit faffy tho, I prefer flour tortillas to make wraps as its easier.

Hubby has just started taking pasta salads,potato salads, rice salads and couscous to work to stop boredom of his ham or peanut butter and jam sandwiches.

I like to have flatbread with a couple of dips - usually mango chutney, lime pickle and an onion raita. Yum!

BeenieCat

Hi,

I'm so sick of the same old tuna or ham sandwiches i take into work everyday, with the cheap packet of crisps... and it's becoming more frequent that i'll not make any at all if i know i have some change in my purse, meaning i'd need to go out for lunch which costs £1.95 each time.

I try not to do that too often though.

Has anyone got any good ideas for cold pasta dishes i could make with basic, cheap ingredients? Preferably something i could make up on a Sunday night and make it last a few days?

I've also read on here about freezing sandwiches, but i am quite particular about bread being fresh (unless it's for toast and then i don't care if i've cut the green off LOL) _pale_

recovering_spendaholic

How about curried rice salad - just a bit of boiled rice mixed with chopped spring (or regular) onion, a chopped apple, handful of sutanas and a handful of salted nuts, dressed with mayo (I use Hellmanns extra light) mixed with a tbs of mango chutney and a bit of lemon juice. It's lovely! You can add chopped chicken if you want too.

Or pasta and tuna salad - just cold pasta mixed with tuna, mayo or salad cream, some tinned sweetcorn and chopped salad stuff.

Do you have a microwave at work? IF you do then you could take leftovers and heat them up.

hieveryone

I take cous cous to work with me, just put it in a tupperware (or bowl) and cover in boiling water, cover for 3-4 mins and stir, delicious! The Ainsley Harriot ones are fabby and on offer at the moment in Asda 2 for £1. Each packet has 2 servings so 4 days out of it for £1. I take some salad and a yogurt in too.

hamstercheeks_2

melt some butter in a pan
add some chopped leeks
cut up some chopped ham
add that to the melted butter and heat for a few mins
add 2 cloves crushed garlic
some chopped courgetts and peppers
add some salt and pepper
once veggies are soft turn off heat
boil up n cook pasta
once done drain pasta in collander and run under cold tap
return pasta to pan and then add other ingredients to the pasta
heat and add double cream
nice hot or cold
totally home made and cheap

BeenieCat

We don't have a microwave at work, all we have is a kettle

Good idea on the cous cous, i have some packets of that in the cupboard but i always thought of it as something you have on the side of something else, not sure why!

I didn't know if cold pasta would work well with salad cream and tuna so i'll definitely do that as i always have those in.

The curried rice salad idea is a nice one and ingredients for that are cheap enough.

hamstercheeks - your recipe sounds lovely, thanks! Although i'm not too sure how realistic it would be for me to make this as i would need to buy most of that stuff in and i need to not spend at all this month if humanly possible

I've got so much stuff in my cupboards that i'm sure i could make a good few meals out of it without going to the shops, but when i look at it i can't seem to see it!

mymatebob

£1.95 for lunch is pretty good - however.

Do you have access to a microwave? - no you dont sorry you beat me to it
If so you can make a load of things from soup to chilli and beyond.

But if not.....

Pitta bread and humus (home made of course)
Pasta with sweetcorn, peppers and tomatoes
Nachos and salsa - again home made