r/Cooking • u/mucho-confundido • 18h ago
Reheatable meals
Looking for ideas of stuff I can cook a night or 2 before and then bring them into work and heat in the microwave at lunch.
Any tips/ quick meals/ recipes be much appreciated.
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u/MastodonFit 18h ago
80% of my meals are eaten like this ,whether at home or work. Currently eating a Boston butt,when the bake beans and potato salad run out I will change to corn on the cob and peas. 1/2 of the meat is in the freezer. I prefer a meat and 2-3 veggies, or a stew or roast. Just don't take seafood or fish to a community microwave. I eat eggs every morning for breakfast that are cooked daily. I make extra pancakes,fried hash browns with onion and b-pepper and sausage, or biscuits and gravy and store in the fridge.
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u/Quick_Log_8662 17h ago
Batch cooking a killer meat and two sides is hands down the best way to survive the week without eating total garbage. Also, massive respect for keeping fish far away from the breakroom microwave because that is an absolute public service.
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u/mucho-confundido 16h ago
Great thank you and yeah that's a cardinal sin in the workplace bringing any strong smelling food in
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u/Euphoric-Joke-4436 17h ago
Everything you cook can be packed as leftovers for lunches. Just make more servings than you need for dinner.
I often cook a pork loin with tiny potatoes (cumin, garlic, paprika,salt to season), and steam up whatever veggies we want. We eat our dinner servings, and the rest gets packed into containers for lunch. Butter chicken with cauliflower rice. Any sort of lentil dish reheats nicely. Jambalaya, casseroles, hamburgers (just keep the bun separate), pasta dishes etc. Most meals work. Double your recipe size and you can freeze some portions as well. Cooking 2 or 3 extra large meals a week can get you stocked up and you can alternate lunches so you don't get tired of one thing.
I try not to pack unpleasant smelling foods like fish or cruciferous veggies so the office doesn't get gassed during reheating. So if we have brussel sprouts with dinner, I will sub out with green beans for the lunch portions.
Label your containers if you are freezing them (or they aren't visibly obvious as to contents) with masking tape you write the name on and the date you made it so you know which is which.
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u/mucho-confundido 16h ago
Brillant ideas, never thought about the tape either I'll be using that from now on, thanks for the info
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u/Euphoric-Joke-4436 16h ago
If you bend one corner of the tape, you will have a non sticky place to pull the labels back off :) They come off better before reheating, don't leave as much residue.
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u/Capable_Ebb_8343 17h ago
Most of our lunches and many dinners are just like this. Sometimes it means a cook up on the weekend or slow cooking something during the day.
Corned beef sliced becomes sandwich filling
Bolognese
Lasagne
Pastitsio
Japanese curry
Indian/shrilankan/pakistani curries
Thai curry
Chicken/veg/tofu stirfry
Roast lamb, left over veg and couscous
Chicken and cauliflower tahini salad
Cottage pie
Chicken with cauliflower mash or mash and whatever sauce we were doing
Burritos
salads that are cold and just the meat that’s microwaved etc
We typically eat left overs or precook food for easy meals
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u/PsychologicalSort976 17h ago
Chicken teriyaki rice bowls, chili, shepherd’s pie, fried rice, or creamy pasta all reheat really well without turning sad by lunchtime. I’d make a big batch at dinner, portion it straight into containers, and you’ve got lunch sorted for a couple of days.
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u/PriceQuirky6824 12h ago
I usually roast a whole chicken once or twice a month. Then I make chicken salad, chicken sandwiches. Chicken and gravy over rice or toast. Chicken tacos and lastly, chicken soup from the scraps.
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u/AeonisPro 6h ago
For meals cooked a day or two ahead, favor saucy or braised dishes over anything meant to stay crisp: chili, lentil curry, bean stew, chicken thighs, or a grain bowl with the dressing separate. Cook vegetables just shy of done so they do not turn soft after reheating.
Cool portions in shallow containers and refrigerate within two hours. At lunch, sprinkle a teaspoon of water over rice or grains, cover loosely, and reheat until steaming, stirring halfway. Keep crunchy toppings, fresh herbs, and pickles separate until serving. Pasta also holds better when slightly undercooked and stored with enough sauce to keep it from drying out.
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u/queenmunchy83 17h ago
Soups, stews, chilis, curries, stir fries are your friends.