This whole premise has been so intriguing to me that I’ve continued researching it and looking for even more great ideas to share. And I have so much respect for those of you that strive to bring your lunch from home every day, or to pack a nice lunch for your spouse. It is a great way to save money, but I know I’d give in to temptation a LOT.

First, here are some great ideas and links that were shared in the comments of the original Adult Brown Bag Lunch Ideas post.

• Barb at My Daily Round said: “My husband likes to take fruit salad – apples, oranges, blueberries and walnuts with honey drizzled over top. During the winter he’ll grab a can of soup, usually Beef and Barley or Italian wedding soup. When we’ve gone through our current stash of Progresso, his favorite, I’ll start making homemade soup for him.” (How delicious does that fruit salad sound? YUM!)
• Rebecca suggested bento lunches and provided these great links with lots of background information. Just Bento – Bento Basics, Lunch in a Box – Bento FAQ, and Lunch in a Box – Need for speed: A Mommy’s lunch manifesto. Before clicking any of those links, be forewarned that you may lose an hour or two of your day just clicking through all the great recipes and ideas.
• I love Elizabeth’s idea for lunch time fried rice. “I would make fried rice for dinner with brown rice, scrambled eggs, chopped carrots, onion, cabbage, ginger, and soy sauce. The leftovers were great to take to work the next day.”
• Heather is smart and plans leftovers in advance just for those brown bag lunches. Here are some recipes that she likes to have extras of – Pepperoni Pizza Puffs, Mexican Couscous Dinner, Aloha Chicken Fingers, Margarita Chicken Salad, and Beef Empanadas.
• Brenda’s husband frequently enjoys a homemade taco salad. I’d eat this up for lunch too. Taco salad is a huge favorite of mine! She says, “I put lettuce in a large gladware & then in separate baggies pack shredded cheddar cheese, tortilla chips, taco meat, salsa or catalina salad dressing & sometimes tomatoes. He adds on the toppings when he’s ready to eat.”



• I love the recipes Natalie shares on The Sweets Life. Here are just a few of the recipes she recommends for a brown bag lunch – Tuna and White Bean Salad, Chinese Chicken Salad and Lemon Bulgur Salad with Asparagus, Walnuts, and Goat Cheese.
• Gretchen shared this wonderful link about what Tammy packs in her husband’s lunches, from Tammy’s Recipes.
• Poor Taste Magazine included a link to my Ham & Cheese Pockets in their own post on adult lunchbox ideas. You can definitely find lots more inspiration there.

Here are some other links I’ve come across that are just too good not to share.

• Serious Eats has a category dedicated to the Sack Lunch and seriously all of the recipes sound great!
• The LA Times has a great story on 10 Back-to-school lunchbox ideas (for kids and adults).
• The mint.com blog has some great ideas for turning last night’s dinner into today’s lunch.

I’ll stop there for now. I’m feeling a little overwhelmed with all the inspiration! Hopefully you’re feeling inspired too and have found some great new-to-you options to spice up those brown bag lunches. If you have more to share, feel free to keep sharing in the comments.

However, I’ve made it more times than I can count. It’s actually one of my favorite recipes to tinker around with because I always feel like it turns out just half a step away from perfection. The challenge comes in finding that perfect combination of ingredients, spices and proportions. Easier said than done though!

So, I’ll be the first to admit I don’t think this recipe is perfection. But it is the closest I’ve come to recreating that meal I had long ago. Plus, it’s just darn tasty! The texture is smooth and creamy without being too dry or too runny, which is key for me. The spices I have listed are just an approximation as I’m a dump and taste kind of girl. But definitely adjust to taste for your family’s preferences.

Red Beans and Rice with Sausage

• 1 T. oil
• 1 lb. smoked sausage, quartered lengthwise and sliced
• 1 onion, finely diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 T. chili powder
• 2 t. cumin
• 1 t. oregano
• 1/2 t. crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/8 t. cayenne pepper
• 4 c. fully cooked red beans (from dry or canned)
• 2 c. beef stock
• 2 T. flour + 3 T. water
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 4 c. cooked white or brown rice

1. Heat oil in a large sauce pan or stock pot. Add sausage, onion and garlic. Cook for 5-8 minutes, until onion tender and sausage is starting to brown. Stir in seasonings and cook for an additional minute, until very fragrant.

2. Pour in red beans and beef stock. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer. Simmer as little as 15 minutes, just to heat through and combine flavors or let simmer all day for fully developed flavor.

3. Before serving, remove about a cup worth of beans with a slotted spoon. Mash and return to the pot. Bring back to a boil. Stir together the flour and water until smooth. Slowly pour into the pot while stirring constantly. Boil for about 5 minutes, until thickened enough to cover the back of a spoon. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve over cooked rice.

On another note, please keep those Adult Brown Bag Lunch Ideas coming! I’m planning to round-up all the ideas over the weekend and I’d love to have lots of ideas to share with everyone that is looking for them.

However, I can’t imagine the temptation faced when working outside of the home. Knowing myself, I would absolutely be running out to grab a fast food lunch (or Chinese take-out) at least a few days a week. So I definitely understand this email I received from a reader the other day.

Stephanie says:

I have seen many blogs including yours talk about school lunch options, but I haven’t seen many for adults.  I get bored with taking my lunch so I end up buying something which is not very frugal of me.  So I would love to see a series about brown bag lunches for adults.  Or if you know any food bloggers who have already done something, can you please point me in the right direction?

Here are a few ideas that I know I’d enjoy taking in a brown bag:

Homemade Portillos Chopped Salad would make a great lunch, but I’d definitely leave the dressing on the side and toss just before eating.

Assuming refrigerator access, Cherry Pecan Chicken Salad would make an awesome lunch served by itself, with crackers or as a sandwich.

Sure they’re a breakfast time favorite, but Bacon and Cheese Muffins often make a welcome appearance on our lunch table. Since they’re so portable, they’d definitely be a great brown bag option.

Stuffed Breadsticks taste just a good at room temperature as they do right out of the oven, making them an ideal brown bag option.

I’ve always been a fan of lunches that center around soup in a thermos. Mini Meatball & Arugula Soup would definitely take that childhood favorite to an adult level.

Now it’s your turn! I know I’d love your input and ideas and I’m sure Stephanie would as well. What are some good brown bag lunch ideas for adults? Tips, ideas, recipes and links are all appreciated! I’ll pull all of your suggestions together and do a round-up post of them later this week. Thanks in advance!

But I will definitely miss summer this year. The coming of fall brings two things I am not looking forward to – the kids going back to school and an end to the abundance of wonderful fresh fruits. Apples and pears have their place, but they just don’t compare to all the berries, melons, peaches and plums we indulge in all summer long.

So I’ve been trying to make sure we get our fill of all our summertime fruit favorites while we still. Fruit in one form or another accompanies virtually every meal, and sometimes snacks too. Add in a new fruit-based dessert every few days and I’d say we’re well on our way to almost getting tired of some of these favorites.

Although my husband and I typically prefer a streusel-type topping with our fruit desserts, this cobbler was a hit all around. The kids were crazy about gooey, cake-like middle and bottom sections while my husband and I loved the crispy top. Combine that with a mouthful of fruit in each bite and you definitely have a winner! A warm slice of cobbler topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream turns out to be the perfect way to end a late-summer day.

Peach & Blueberry Cobbler

• 1/2 c. butter
• 3/4 c. flour
• 1 c. sugar
• 1/2 t. salt
• 2 t. baking powder
• 3/4 c. milk
• 1/2 t. vanilla or almond extract
• 3 – 4 peaches, cubed (peeled or unpeeled)
• 1 – 1 1/2 c. blueberries
• 1/4 c. sugar
• 1 T. flour
• 1/2 t. cinnamon

1. Place butter in a 13 x 9 casserole dish and melt in a 350 degree oven (about 5-8 minutes).

2. While the butter melts, combine 3/4 c. flour, 1 c. sugar, 1/2 t. salt and 2 t. baking powder. Pour in the milk and vanilla and stir just until combined.

3. In a second bowl, toss the peach cubes, blueberries, 1/4 c. sugar, 1 T. flour and 1/2 t. cinnamon together.

4. Once butter is melted, remove casserole dish from oven. Pour batter into casserole dish. Pour fruit mixture on top. Return to 350 degree oven and bake for about 45 minutes, until golden brown and crisp on top.

This post is being linked to:

• Tasty Tuesday at Balancing Beauty and Bedlam
• Tempt My Tummy Tuesday at Blessed With Grace

When I first began my foray into cooking as a young bride of 20, a Mexican Lasagna variation was my go to meal. I actually thought it was my own creation. (I’ve since learned it is truly very rare for any meal to be an entirely new creation. But I was young and naive and proud of myself for making something that wasn’t served when I was growing up.) I would stack all the ingredients in a round casserole dish and call it a tortilla pie.

Since then, I’ve changed certain ingredients or methods, but at the core, I still use that same recipe I’ve been using for 13 (seriously? how is that even possible?) years now. The recipe I’m sharing with you is for the Mexican Lasagna I make most often. I’ll include some of our favorite variations at the end.

Mexican Lasagna

• 1 lb. ground beef
• 1/2 onion, diced
• 1 T. chili powder
• 1 t. cumin
• 1 t. garlic powder
• 1 t. salt
• 1/4 c. water
• 1 16 oz. container Ricotta or cottage cheese
• 1 egg
• 1 can black beans (roughly 1 1/2 c. cooked beans, if using dry)
• 1 jar salsa
• 6 – 8 flour tortillas, cut in half
• 1 1/2 c. shredded Mexican blend or cheddar cheese

1. Combine the ground beef and onion in a skillet and cook until browned. Drain. Stir in seasonings and 1/4 c. water. Bring water to a boil and simmer for 2-3 minutes. Cool.

2. In a small bowl, stir together the ricotta or cottage cheese with the egg.

3. Pour some salsa in a 13 x 9 casserole dish. Layer some of the tortillas on top. Spread on a thin layer of the ricotta or cottage cheese mixture. Sprinkle some of the meat on top, then some of the beans followed by another thin layer of salsa. Repeat layering until done, ending with the salsa. Sprinkle the shredded cheese on top, cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Remove foil and continue cooking an additional 5 minutes, until cheese is fully melted.

Please excuse the cut up orange plastic plate. The kids get upset if I don’t use pictures from their servings every so often.

Now for some variations we love:

• Omit the ricotta/cottage cheese and egg. Swap out the black beans for refried beans. Spread on tortillas when you would the ricotta mixture.
• Use corn tortillas or even tortilla chips in place of the flour tortillas.
• Omit the ricotta/cottage cheese and egg. Sprinkle each layer with additional shredded cheese.
• Use taco sauce in place of the salsa.
• Add a layer of corn.
• Substitute the meat, beans and salsa with a batch of Mexican Chicken & Black Bean Filling.

Is Mexican Lasagna a standard in your house too?

One of my favorite chain restaurants is Chili’s. It’s been a few years since we’ve been to one, but it sounds so good! Plus, I have been craving ribs like crazy, and their ribs are mighty tasty.

So you can imagine my excitement when I received this offer in my email inbox – FREE chips and queso dip at Chili’s just for signing up for their email club. I am all over that!

Hopefully we’ll be enjoying our free chips and queso next weekend. And I hope you get to enjoy them soon too!

If it were just my daughter and me, we’d eat a lot of salads with chick peas (her current favorite food). If it were just my husband and me, we’d punt and just grab whatever was on hand. But for some reason, the three of us eating lunch together makes me feel like I need to plan an actual meal of sorts. Maybe that will change after a few weeks though.

In addition to the three of us eating at home, lunches for school is also a concern. Most days, the 3 kids at school will be eating one of the school’s hot lunch options (or their third option of tossed salad with beans, yogurt  and whole wheat rolls – love that!) But if this year proves to be anything like last, there will still be many days when they opt to bring lunch from home. That is just fine with me. So having a few options in the freezer that can be tossed in lunch boxes to thaw by lunch time sounds like a great plan to me, especially given how worried I already am about the hectic mornings ahead after the baby is born.

Using the same dough I did to make the Chicken & Broccoli Rolls, I threw together 2 dozen easy lunch options. I actually made 1 dozen ham & cheese and 1 dozen just cheese, or “grilled cheese pockets” as I called them for the kids. We’ve since sampled them and decided that we definitely prefer the ham and cheese pockets because the ham adds just enough extra flavor and texture. Although personally, I could happily eat all of those grilled cheese pockets myself. I mean, it’s cheese and bread. What could possibly be wrong with those two together? (I’m also the only one in the house who could eat a straight-up cheese sandwich, so maybe that explains it a little.)

Ham & Cheese Pockets

For the dough:

• 1 T. (or 1 packet) yeast
• 1 c. warm water, divided
• 1 t. sugar
• 1/4 c. melted butter, cooled to room temperature
• 2 1/2 – 3 c. flour
• 1 1/2 t. salt

1. In a mixing bowl, dissolve the yeast in 1/4 warm water. Stir in the sugar and let sit to proof for 5 minutes. Pour in the melted and cooled butter and the remaining warm water.

2. Add 2 c. flour and the salt. Mix for two minutes. Work in as much remaining flour as needed to make a dough that is smooth but not sticky. Knead on a floured surface or continue beating for about 10 minutes. Add a bit more flour if the dough starts to get sticky while kneading.

3. Place dough in a lightly oiled bowl and cover. Let rise for 1 hour. Punch down dough, cover and let rise for at least another 30 minutes.

For the filling:

• 1/2 lb. sliced deli ham
• 1/2 lb. cheddar cheese, sliced (we prefer sharp cheddar)

To assemble:

• 3 T. butter or margarine, melted (optional)
• 1 t. coarse salt (optional)

1. Divide dough into 12 evenly sized balls. Roll out into a circle about 6 inches in diameter. Place some ham and cheese on one half of the dough. Fold the remaining half over the top. Pinch closed and then seal with the tines of a fork. Repeat until done.

2. If desired, brush melted butter over each pocket and sprinkle lightly with coarse salt.

3. Bake at 375 degrees for 12-18 minutes, until lightly golden brown.

To freeze, cool completely and place as many as will fit into gallon-sized plastic freezer bags. To reheat, warm in the oven or microwave. Or, simply eat once thawed, as you would in a brown-bag lunch.

Definitely play around with these to your tastes. Omit the meat for just the grilled cheese pockets. Replace the ham with turkey or pepperoni. Use a different cheese. There are definitely tons of options!

So, you know I’m very particular when it comes to a pizza sauce. I’ve been making my own sauce for a few years now and I’ve played around with it plenty. I don’t measure anything (unless I have to in order to share the recipe) and I mix up the textures quite a bit, but the underlying taste is always the same, and we all love it around here!

Since I was freezing half a batch of pizza dough when we had pizzas on Saturday night, I decided to double the pizza sauce to freeze as well. I was quite proud of the common sense I used there. (For some reason, pregnancy and common sense don’t always go hand-in-hand for me.)

Homemade Pizza Sauce

• 1 15 oz. can diced or petite-diced tomatoes
• 1 6 oz. can tomato paste
• 1 1/2 T. olive oil
• 2 – 3 t. Italian seasoning
• 1 1/4 t. salt
• 1 t. garlic powder
• 1 t. sugar
• 1/2 t. black pepper
• 1/8 t. crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 T. water, optional

1. Combine all of the ingredients in a small bowl and stir until well mixed. Only add the water if the sauce is too thick for your liking. Cover and refrigerate until using.

This recipe is for a chunky-style pizza sauce. That’s really my preference, although you won’t find it served at too many places. But I grew up loving my Chicago-style pizza at Gino’s East, so that chunky sauce has my heart. If you’re not a fan of chunky sauce, you can replace the diced tomatoes with an 8 oz. jar of tomato sauce plus about 1/4 c. of water, or you can just process the diced tomatoes in a food processor or blender until they are smooth.

Anyone else prefer the sauce on a pizza, particularly a chunky sauce, to the rest of the toppings?