When dinner turns into lunch...

Hi All,

Not sure if I'm posting this in the right spot...if I'm not apologies and redirection welcome :)

My DH has recently changed careers (from Army to Police Force) and due to this we have had to really tighten the purse strings and be a bit more creative especially in the kitchen and with groceries.

DH is now taking his lunch each day (rather than eating in the mess etc) and I have been trying to make nightly meals that he and DS (3 days a week at Pre-School) can take for lunches the next day.

I'm trying to go by meal plans and when DH saw me writing up this weeks (to do the grocery shopping tomorrow) he almost groaned...Guess he is sick slow cooked corn beef and veggies on Thursday night :lol:

So my question to you all is...more of a request really... Is there anything you make for dinner that tends to be good for lunches the next day (or frozen for say the next week?) Doesn't matter if it needs to be refrigerated or heated up as both of these things are fine for both DH & DS.

Thanks in advance - Especially from DH :p

A mild curry chicken and rice, beef goulash, mince over potatoes, shepherds pie,lasagna. Hope these help

Just about anything really...stews, soups, pastas...

When you do meats like chicken breasts or steaks, try marinating an extra one, cooking it and putting it in his box with some salad and a fresh roll instead of a dinner-type meal.

Cooking some extra pasta and making a simple pasta salad from it is a good alternative - some sliced cold meats, sundried tomatoes and the oil from them, fresh parsley and it is super tasty.

We're vegetarian but maybe you can adapt these

- nachos/burritos: tin of 4 bean mix, tin/fresh corn off the cob, rice, tin/fresh tomatoes, onion, garlic, corn chips/tortillas. Put beans + corn in one pot, cook. Rice in another pot, cook. Cook garlic + onion then add diced tomatoes, cook until liquid is gone.

DF says it's great reheated. Don't hold me to it, I haven't tried it. Lol

- Pasta bake: cook pasta, chop and cook veggies, make cheese sauce. Combine pasta and veg in a baking tin, pour cheese sauce over the top, add some grated cheese, bake until cheese has melted.

- roast veggies

- pasta with veg in a garlic cream sauce



Hopefully that makes sense, I'm on my phone.

I'll come back if I think of anymore. :)

Totally anything. DH has been doing this for about 10 years. And there is no meal that I have ever cooked that doesn't taste good reheated from frozen.

Just a tip from someone who spent a long time in the cops. Sometimes meals that don't need to be heated are easier - not only to eat on the run cos your backside is hanging out but there's nothing worse than heating your dinner and getting an urgent job and having to run away and leave it until hours later....so not good the second time.

Ask him what the others at the station take.