topic Re: Lunch suggestions needed in Kitchen

Lunch suggestions needed

Coco Butter Bean — Wed, 25 Jun 2014 17:40:05 GMT

We have a mountain cabin and frequently have weekend guests in the summer. I'm comfortable with breakfasts and grilling is easy for dinners, but I am always stumped with lunch. I would welcome any and all suggestions for easy -- even make ahead -- options. Thanks in advance!

Re: Lunch suggestions needed

soonersis — Wed, 25 Jun 2014 17:55:48 GMT

I've been making egg salad once a week now that the weather is warmer. It's easy to make and I always have eggs in the fridge. I usually just serve it on lettuce as I don't eat bread, but if you do it makes great sandwiches.

Re: Lunch suggestions needed

JeanLouiseFinch — Wed, 25 Jun 2014 18:02:26 GMT

I'd keep it really simple so you can relax and enjoy the time with your guests, concentrating more on breakfast and dinner. And really, when you're on a more relaxed schedule, if you've had a good breakfast, oftentimes people aren't very hungry again for lunch in just few hours. Get some assorted deli meats, cheeses, and sandwich fixin's. Have some kind of chips and assorted fresh fruit available. Call it a day. If you want to make something ahead, maybe some chili or light soup - gazpacho, chicken tortilla soup, french onion soup. A bowl of good soup and some crusty rolls is a fine lunch.

Re: Lunch suggestions needed

JeanLouiseFinch — Wed, 25 Jun 2014 18:05:09 GMT

On 6/25/2014 soonersis said:
I've been making egg salad once a week now that the weather is warmer. It's easy to make and I always have eggs in the fridge. I usually just serve it on lettuce as I don't eat bread, but if you do it makes great sandwiches.

Have you ever eaten at a Jimmy John's sandwich place? They have something called an "unwich". It's the sandwich ingredients served on big lettuce leaves. I'm trying to watch my bread, too (at least cutting down). I recently found some big lettuce leaves at the supermarket so I've been doing that at home. It can get a little messy, but it works!

Re: Lunch suggestions needed

ennui1 — Wed, 25 Jun 2014 18:06:30 GMT

On 6/25/2014 JeanLouiseFinch said:
I'd keep it really simple so you can relax and enjoy the time with your guests, concentrating more on breakfast and dinner. And really, when you're on a more relaxed schedule, if you've had a good breakfast, oftentimes people aren't very hungry again for lunch in just few hours. Get some assorted deli meats, cheeses, and sandwich fixin's. Have some kind of chips and assorted fresh fruit available. Call it a day.

OMG, you read my mind!

Chips, hummus, avocados, too. Gazpacho.

Re: Lunch suggestions needed

Magny — Wed, 25 Jun 2014 18:08:32 GMT

How about putting out sliced cheeses, meats, egg or tuna salad, sliced tomatoes, onions, pickles, lettuce, a variety of breads, and let them make their own lunches. Or maybe a great big tossed salad with sliced eggs, cheese, tomatoes, olives, etc.

Re: Lunch suggestions needed

Triciawizard — Wed, 25 Jun 2014 18:10:26 GMT

I hope that these ideas are helpful:

Thinly sliced Black Pepper Ham on French Bread or Sourdough with a chopped basil-mayonnaise mixture. I prefer Hellmann's Olive Oil Mayo.

Sliced turkey sandwich with a mild salsa-mayo mixture. Cut-up veggies on the side or small salad.

Sliced turkey sandwich on French bread which has been spread with cream cheese-chives mixture and then layered with whole cranberry sauce. (Can be messy to eat.)

Italian-style subs: hearty sub roll with ham, salami, Capicola ham, sweet pickles or pickled sweet peppers. lettuce, and tomato - dressed with Italian dressing and oregano. Mayo optional.

Chicken-Waldorf Salad on a bed of organic leaf lettuce with a biscuit.

Hot chicken salad with cheese on a Kaiser roll. Keep foil-wrapped sandwiches warm in low-temp oven until guests arrive. Works with tuna salad too. Tiny salad or cup of soup on the side. For a hot day, make a chlled Gazpacho (tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, etc.) soup. For a rainy or cool day, any hot soup.

Tuna salad mixed with French dressing served in a hollowed out large tomato on top of a small salad. Bread sticks or roll on the side.

"Impossible" Bisquick Quiche with a small salad.

Skillet Quesadillas with chicken, sauteed onions, spices, fresh cilantro, and cheese. Warm both sides of flour tortilla in a nonstick skillet before assembling. ndividually wrap filled quesadillas in foil packets and keep warm in oven. Serve with salsa and sour cream. Cut-up fruit with a cookie for dessert.

Grilled burgers with a small salad.

Long slices of melon (remove rind and seeds of course) wrapped in a fancy strip of ham. Selection of fancy cheeses with crackers. Small salad on the side.

Re: Lunch suggestions needed

goodstuff — Wed, 25 Jun 2014 18:20:43 GMT

Salads and sandwiches are classic, easy summer lunch options. You can make things like chicken salad, perhaps with toasted nuts and fruit in it, ahead of time and serve when needed. You can always put out an array of deli meats, cheeses, spreads, and pickles and let folks make their own sandwiches. Or provide a bowl of lettuce and chef salad toppings like ham, julienned chicken, cheese, cherry tomatoes, and hard-boiled egg wedges and let people compose their own chef salad. Crusty bread or assorted crackers on the side.

The simpler, the better.

Re: Lunch suggestions needed

Coco Butter Bean — Wed, 25 Jun 2014 18:22:37 GMT

Thanks so much to all that have replied! You are truly helpful and I am making notes. Triciawizard -- I wish you could be my personal lunch chef!!

Re: Lunch suggestions needed

Ladybug724 — Wed, 25 Jun 2014 18:26:44 GMT

When we go camping we bring a jar of peanut butter and some jam/jelly for lunch. You could put that on some thick crusty bread. Or sometimes we do hot dogs for lunch, with some kind of chips. If you have a place to plug in a crock pot you could make sloppy joes or mac & cheese, and you could make this ahead of time.

Re: Lunch suggestions needed

Sooner — Wed, 25 Jun 2014 18:31:33 GMT

Freeze ahead a good lasagna (even a spinach veggie one!) or the old standby King Ranch Casserole (either the low fat version or the regular one), put in a disposable pan and take those along to heat up.

Although King Ranch casserole is an old war horse of the casserole world, they are really good and simple comfort food. Serve some hotter salsa or peppers on the side for those who like the heat! These freeze great and are easy to serve too.

Re: Lunch suggestions needed

RainyDayGal — Wed, 25 Jun 2014 18:34:29 GMT

Salads you've made ahead of time (potato, pasta, macaroni), cold sandwiches, chips, sliced fruit, veggie tray. Keep it simple. A lot people don't want heavy or hot lunches in the summer. You might even consider getting a pre-roasted chicken (if it's available) for one day and then have the other cold salads and fruit available.

Re: Lunch suggestions needed

jackthebear — Wed, 25 Jun 2014 18:43:47 GMT

quiches, make your own either crustless or classic, Coscto has amazing ones too. Can cook ahead and serve @ room temp.

Big salad with the extras on the side so guest can make their own to their liking

Re: Lunch suggestions needed

JustJules — Wed, 25 Jun 2014 20:36:22 GMT

Depends on how much bother you want to go to, but I believe the simpler the better. I would either prepare some ham/turkey/chicken wraps... or better yet, just get a bunch of cold cuts... ham, turkey, roast beef, salami... an assortment of cheese, lettuce, tomato, pickles, avocado, condiments, and perhaps a couple types of bread, then let your guests make what they want. Serve a platter of some fresh fruit, grapes, berries, melon, apples. Then for the indulgence, offer an assortment of some chips. They can pick or choose what they want and it would more than satisfy anyone between breakfast and dinner.

Re: Lunch suggestions needed

Lynneuk — Wed, 25 Jun 2014 22:07:57 GMT

When we are on vacation we usually have a big breakfast, maybe egg and bacon or blueberry pancakes or something like that. We eat about 10am then we have dinner about 5 or 6pm.

We never seem to need lunch. If we get peckish we may have a handful of nuts or maybe get an ice cream cone if we are out sightseeing. Works for us

Re: Lunch suggestions needed

Harpa — Wed, 25 Jun 2014 22:13:16 GMT

On 6/25/2014 soonersis said:
I've been making egg salad once a week now that the weather is warmer. It's easy to make and I always have eggs in the fridge. I usually just serve it on lettuce as I don't eat bread, but if you do it makes great sandwiches.

Also my suggestion. Also, tuna, or the cold cuts. Something where you don't have to fuss too much.

Re: Lunch suggestions needed

luvdoodles — Wed, 25 Jun 2014 23:44:54 GMT

If you serve a big breakfast they probably won't be hungry for lunch around noon. Also it depends on what time you make dinner. I would pick up some finger rolls and offer chicken or egg salad and some fruit salad on the side. Sliced mozzarella and tomatoes on the side with balsamic vinegar would be nice also.

Re: Lunch suggestions needed

Sooner — Thu, 26 Jun 2014 17:28:05 GMT

We eat three meals a day. Hubby is hungry at 12 to 1 p.m. no matter WHAT or when he ate before that. I think a lot of people are that way.

Re: Lunch suggestions needed

Tigriss — Sat, 28 Jun 2014 18:27:36 GMT

fresh salads, chicken salad, egg salad, sausages and peppers on buns, stews, soups and sandwiches, sandwich platters/wraps, light pasta salads, fish is always super quick and easy, so is shrimp and fruit/veggie platters with dips, savory dips and make ahead casseroles with salad.

Re: Lunch suggestions needed

Tigriss — Sat, 28 Jun 2014 18:38:45 GMT

I also like shrimp salad and french bread or tomato salad with crispy bread chips. Fresh and great. There are also tomato sandwiches...yummy! and the BLT. I like a good, plain tomato sandwich with mayo, salt, pepper, and great bread!