Recipes
Trader Joe's Middle Eastern Kebab Bowl
This bowl started as one of those easy Trader Joe's dinners that I threw together with ingredients I already had on hand. The frozen Middle Eastern-style kebabs do most of the heavy lifting, and with some rice, cucumber salad, warm naan, and tzatziki, it turns into a filling meal that feels like it took much more effort than it did.
Sun-Dried Tomato Garlic Fettuccine
I made this for lunch one day when I wanted pasta but wasn't in the mood for a heavy cream sauce. The combination of butter, garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, chicken broth, cream cheese, and Parmesan creates a light coating that clings to the noodles rather than pooling at the bottom of the bowl.
Ranch Chicken Quinoa Bowl
This Ranch Chicken Quinoa Bowl starts with fluffy quinoa cooked in chicken broth, then gets topped with juicy pan-seared chicken, fresh vegetables, parmesan, sunflower seeds, and a drizzle of ranch. It has a nice balance of fresh, creamy, crunchy, and savory flavors in every bite.
Smoky BBQ Chicken Naan Pizzas
I love making these when I'm craving BBQ chicken pizza but don't feel like dealing with pizza dough. Using naan as the base keeps things easy, and the individual naan rounds make great personal-sized pizzas.
Mediterranean Grain Bowl With Chicken
This Mediterranean Chicken Protein Bowl is a fresh, flavorful, and filling meal that works just as well for a quick lunch as it does for weekly meal prep.
Garlic Butter Shrimp Quinoa Bowl with Yum Yum Sauce
I've been on a bit of a yum yum sauce kick lately, and this bowl has become one of my favorite ways to use it. It combines buttery garlic shrimp, fluffy quinoa cooked in chicken broth, crisp vegetables, and creamy avocado for a lunch or dinner that feels fresh but still filling.
Yum Yum Chicken with Grilled Corn and Avocado Salad
I have been finding excuses to put my Grilled Corn and Avocado Salad on everything lately. Tacos, bowls, and now this chicken dish. The warm sliced chicken paired with the cool corn salad and creamy yum yum sauce is one of my favorite combinations for lunch.
Sun-Dried Tomato Chicken Flatbreads
I have been trying to think of creative ways to use up the ingredients I already have on hand. These flatbreads consist of staples I pretty much always keep stocked: sun-dried tomatoes, feta, chicken, lettuce, hummus, onion, and naan. It's a different way to combine these ingredients outside of a typical salad or bowl. It comes together quickly and is both filling and healthy.
Yum Yum Shrimp Street Tacos
I have been on such a street taco kick lately because they feel easy enough for a quick lunch or dinner, but still feel like you made something good. These tacos started because I already had leftover grilled corn and avocado salad in the fridge and realized it worked ridiculously well over shrimp with yum yum sauce.
Grilled Chicken Mediterranean Salad
I go through phases where all I want for lunch is something fresh and crunchy, especially once the weather starts getting warm. This grilled chicken Mediterranean salad has been one of my favorites lately because it feels filling without being heavy, and it takes almost no effort to throw together during the week.
Hot Honey Chipotle Chicken Bowls
Chipotle had this hot honey chicken for a limited time and I immediately knew I was going to miss it once it disappeared from the menu. I kept thinking about the sweet heat combo, so I ended up marinating some chicken thighs at home and turning it into these rice bowls for lunch prep during the week.
Creamy Rigatoni with Italian Sausage & Asparagus
I dreamt up this dish one day because I was craving pasta, but wanted to work some vegetables in too. Luckily for me, there was also a sale on Italian sausages, so it felt like it was meant to be. Since making it the first time, it's been added to my regular rotation.
Copycat Panera Fuji Apple Chicken Salad
I have a soft spot for the Panera Fuji Apple Chicken Salad. It is one of those lunches I used to grab constantly because it felt fresh but still filling. After making it at home a few times, I realized it tastes nearly identical for a fraction of the price, and now I make it whenever I want something easy that still feels a little elevated for lunch.
Weeknight Smoky Ground Beef Tacos
This recipe is one of my favorite ways to use the Smoky Ground Beef Taco Filling. Once I already have the meat made, these tacos come together really fast and end up being one of those easy weeknight dinners that I never really get tired of.
Easy Falafel Lunch Bowl
I’ve been making some version of this falafel bowl a lot lately because it checks all the boxes I want during the workweek. It’s quick, filling, fresh, and requires very little effort beyond some chopping and throwing the falafel into the air fryer.
Basil-Kissed Cavatappi Pasta Salad with Sundried Tomatoes & Kale
This pasta salad is a vibrant medley of Mediterranean-inspired flavors that feels just as fancy as it does comforting. Perfect for lunch, a picnic, or an easy weeknight side dish!
Trader Joe’s Squiggly Noodle Miso Crunch Salad
I kept seeing people combine these two Trader Joe’s staples and it felt almost too easy to count as a recipe. But it works. You end up with a cold noodle salad that has texture, crunch, and a dressing that actually coats everything.
Easy Falafel Pita with Fries & Feta
I make this falafel pita on repeat because it is super easy, and feels like something I could get from a nearby restaurant. It uses pre-made, fully-cooked, falafel, which is exactly why it works so well on a busy day.
Classic Stuffed Bell Peppers
These classic stuffed bell peppers are simple, hearty, and full of everyday ingredients that you probably already have on hand. The combination of ground beef, rice, tomatoes, and cheddar cheese makes this a dependable, satisfying meal that works just as well for a weeknight dinner as it does for a small gathering.
Hot Honey Chicken Salad Sliders
These Hot Honey Chicken Salad Sliders are the kind of lunch that makes you look forward to leftovers. We’re talking juicy shredded rotisserie chicken in a creamy, tangy hot honey-mustard dressing, piled onto soft Hawaiian rolls with peppery arugula and zippy pickles.