19 Lunch Ideas for When You Just Can’t Eat Another Sandwich

We’re not going to knock a sandwich; some of our best friends are sandwiches. But sometimes you just need something else, to break the monotony of the lunch al desko. We’ve got all the ideas. Whether it’s a quick-and-easy, whip it up kind of thing for those work from home days, or a batch-cook on the weekends and fill the thermos situation, these recipes will deliver a satisfying, decidedly non-sandwichy meal for midday. But don’t take it from us — you know these have been packed in lunchboxes for generations, so they stand the test of time.

We start off with a twofer. Not only does this soup come together in a flash, but it makes great leftovers, too. Tortellini has that wonderful quality of being light but filling, and paired with spinach, tomato and garlic, it has that health-giving feeling that we love in a soup.

Here’s the genius of the mason jar salad: You assemble the jars, then when you’re ready to eat, just shake to combine and pour out into a bowl. (In a pinch, you can eat them right out of the jars, too. They’re layered in just the right combination to preserve the more delicate ingredients from going soggy, so Thursday’s jar will taste just as fresh as Monday’s.

This is another favorite with kids everywhere. Pasta salad is easy to make, easy to pack (no reheat necessary) and easy to like. No wonder it’s also a favorite for anyone who has to pack those lunches day after day.

There’s no need to haul out the slow cooker, nor source (and wash) all those little tomatillos. Ree’s version relies heavily on jars, but in combination so that it’s as delicious as if you did everything from scratch. Pack your radishes and cilantro in a separate container from your thermos, then assemble when you’re ready to eat.

Dense bean salads get their names from just how nutrient-dense they are. Another plus: They’re designed to keep well for days. The fresh herbs keep delivering that brightness all the way to the last bite, even if the last bite is several days later.

We won’t lie — these are a project. But with a kid to help, they’re fun to make. And since these don’t use raw fish, you can make them on the weekend and eat them through the week — if they last that long. Egg salad, tuna and umeboshi fillings all have their own unique qualities, and we imagine you’ll come to crave all three.

You’ll be hailed as a hero if you pack a lunchbox with this homemade version of that freezer-case classic. Go with pizza dough from the grocery store or your favorite pizzeria to make this prep one of assembly. Send some marinara in a thermos for dipping if your eater likes it really saucy.

The only quicker path to minestrone besides this recipe is to open a can. But this recipe combines fresh and canned ingredients plus a smart hack — soy sauce for instant long-simmering umami flavor — for a homemade taste. It’s quick enough to put together if you’re home for lunch, and leftovers pack well, too.

Ask any kid: The only thing better than baked ziti on Sunday is a thermos of it on Monday. The sauciness of the whole endeavor keeps it moist and gooey even after a reheat. Add in a little fruit course and you can almost pretend it’s an Italian midday feast.

Texture lovers will swoon for this salad that has that unique quality of everything being just about the same size, but with varying flavors and feels in the mouth. Grilling the corn gives a nice char to the profile, but frozen grilled corn is a hack that cuts down on the prep time, if you want to go that route. The lime dressing is zesty and refreshing.

Fajitas join the mason jar club, here in salad that’s delicious on its own or stuffing a tortilla. And it starts out as a sheet pan meal, where everything cooks together at the same time, from chicken to peppers and onions to sweet potato. And some salad greens convert it to a complete meal in a jar.

We’ve got no bells and whistles here. This is just a simple chili that, like all chilis, improves in flavor on days 2 and 3, so that a thermosful (or a reheated bowl at home) will satisfy even more than when you cook it. If you like your chili with toppings, go ahead and layer grated cheese and sour cream at the top of your thermos — or pack a separate container with those toppings to assemble at go-time.

Yes, these are billed as breakfast conveniences, but if you love eggs and breakfast sausage (waves hands in the air), you’ll need no convincing to pack this for lunch. Also rolled in there are refried beans and enchilada sauce, completing its Tex-Mex-inspired profile. Cook once, fill your freezer, and reap the benefits when the craving strikes.

Mac and cheese is another packable favorite. Just choose one that doesn’t depend on breadcrumbs on top, but that has otherwise a variety of textures and a good gooey-to-crunch ratio that comes from the browned topping. Like this one.

The Cobb salad, it turns out, makes an excellent candidate for the mason jar treatment. We can’t get enough of that combination of crisp Romaine with plenty of rich add-ins, like bacon and blue cheese. Avocado adds plenty of good fats, and hard-boiled egg plus ham ensures a nice midday hit of protein.

When you’ve done beef chili and chili verde, but your household can’t get enough chili, white chicken chili is the logical next step. It’s almost akin to a soup but has those southwestern notes that hit home with chili lovers. Best of all, this is a full meal in a bowl, but cook time is super fast, due to going with rotisserie chicken rather than starting from raw.

Sometimes a fun presentation is enough to disguise those elements that were lunchbox MVPs all along. Here, we have three different wraps, based on mushroom, spinach or turkey, zhuzhed up with some ranch dressing and a cross-cut to give them a real eye-catching appeal. On the side is a snake fashioned from fruit; we promise that fruit has never disappeared this fast. And finally, some chocolate-covered pretzels need no explanation.

Quinoa makes an excellent lunchbox inclusion, as you get the satisfaction of a grain salad but with tons of protein. Think of this one as a starting-point recipe, since it’s supremely flexible. Chopped prunes instead of raisins, fresh mint or cilantro instead of parsley (or throw them all in there), tomato in place of cucumber, rice vinegar instead of balsamic. Or sure, some beans for even more protein and fiber.