I have some easy lunch ideas here that you can draw inspiration from. I make all of our lunches & try to keep it fun. There's a fast dinner idea too that'll save you big bucks versus going out!

Quick Pies

You’ll need a roll of refrigerator crescent dough and any of the following:

• Sweet: apples*, berries, peaches, pears*, pudding (*If using raw, cook in microwave until soft 1st)
• Savory: Chicken, pasta, ham and cheese, mac n cheese, hamburger and cheese, etc

Press together the edges of 2 triangles of dough to form a square. Carefully press each square into a muffin pan, letting the corners poke out. Spoon in your mixture of choice into the dough & fold over edges. Bake at the temperature directed on roll package until the tops are brown. I used cherries & sprinkled the tops with rainbow sparkling sugar before baking.

White Bean Dip

You’ll need any white beans, olive oil, lemon juice, and spices

So cheap and healthy! You can use canned beans or dry. If using dry, cook them first, preferably in a crock pot. I let my dry beans soak in water overnight, then dump the water & cook on low for 6 hours. Then place beans (canned or cooked) in a food processor. Add a couple splashes olive oil, 2 tbsp lemon juice, seasoning*, then pulse until creamy. * For seasoning, I’ve seen ranch dip mix used, but salt & pepper would have been fine. I added some dill in this batch. Maybe some cayenne would have been nice too! Serve with chips warm or cold.

Easy Orange Chicken (baked, not fried)

You’ll need chicken, orange sauce, flour, and cooked rice

Cut the chicken into bite-size pieces. In a large bowl, place your chicken chunks and flour, stir to coat pieces in flour. Lay floured pieces on a baking sheet & bake at 400 until cooked through. Toss cooked chunks again in the orange sauce & serve with rice.

“Gourmet” Chicken salad

Last week I paid $8 a pound for this. It was delicious & fast, but now I’m making it for myself for cheaper!

You’ll need cooked chopped chicken, mayo, and grapes. Optional: poppy seed, chives, nuts

I chopped the grapes in half, but the expensive deli version left them whole. Add mayo last, just enough to hold it all together.

Breakfast / Lunch Mini Pizzas

You’ll need refrigerator biscuit dough, sauce, cheese, and toppings

Another way to use leftovers, wow your kids, or pull off a lunch when you’re out of bread, lol
Roll the dough flat; add your sauce, cheese and toppings. Here were a few of my creations:

• BBQ sauce, chopped chicken
• Basil pesto, sausage, scrambled eggs
• Ketchup & pepperoni (hey, I was out of red sauce!)

• Cheese sauce, sausage