In praise of.. the easy hot lunch

Pre packaged microwave meal

pack of prawns (or seafood sticks in these budget conscious times), tin of mushy peas, condiment to suit - I like soy sauce but Worcs sauce also works.

Last friday's homemade chickpea and random veg curry leftovers bunged in the microwave.

Currently have a mild sweat on. Lush.

Cheese and ham omelette

Beans or scrambled eggs (or both) on toast, easy, cheap and relatively good for you, I think 🙂

Just had vegan sausage sandwich, frying the (very tasty) bangers in a little bit of veg oil and putting in seeded bread with red sauce, mustard and rocket salad.

I do love a hot lunch.

It's possible that I might have a problem...

Are you a student?

The only other rule apart from 'one appliance or pan only' is that a pre-packaged microwave meal doesn't count.

The only other rule apart from that is that last night's dinner reheated doesn't count either.

Fried egg on toast, loads of real butter, soft yolk, a bit of salt and pepper.  Natch, this being STW my eggs were laid this morning by my own ex battery rescue hens and the toast is artisan sourdough. Technically, the use of a toaster and frying pan breaks your somewhat arbitrary (and frankly unreasonable) 'rules'. If you are taking a hard line then dry frying the toast in the pan first or even downgrading the whole shebang to an egg banjo is compliant and still acceptable. I urge you though to soften your draconian stance on appliances and utensils. There is no place for fundamentalist puritanism at lunch time!

Ahh, a student staple:

Four slices of toast (white obvs), four fried eggs, one tin o beans, cover the lot with grated Red Leicester.

There is no place for fundamentalist puritanism at lunch time!

You need to get that a bit snappier if you're going to stick it on a placard.

However, I'm nothing if not a benign dictator who listens to the needs of his oiks people, so I'll grant the use of a second appliance or pan.

If I don't bring leftovers in (got some lovely spicy lentil rice today) then some couscous, veg stock and a selection of veg makes a very easy, quick & tasty lunch (only needs some boiling water and a bit of chopping)

Leftovers for the win today though 🙂

You need to get that a bit snappier if you’re going to stick it on a placard

'What do we want'? 'Toasters AND pans'! 'when do we want them? 'About 12:30 to 1pm. Ish'.

You even need to ask? You're never more than a hundred yards away from one...

I've actually just had one of Mrs Binners absolutely bloody delicious homemade sausage rolls (this isn't a euphemism) 🙂

In the spirit of the famous toasted sandwich thread that I started but Binners keeps getting the the credit for (not that I’m bitter), I thought we could have a “easy, tasty, hot lunch” thread.

In my defence I thought I was just getting the credit for my toastie maker recommendation (Salter) and my assertion that the best toastie is corned beef, onion, cheddar and Worcester sauce

Soup. Tomato or chicken.

Fresh lobster, in to boiling kettle...

Bulk cooked soup out of the freezer. I regularly use up random old veg to make a big pot and freeze in portions. Best if I've got stock from a roast.

Jacket potato FTW.

With a cheese toastie for dunking

The only other rule apart from the only other rules, is that 'buying a hot lunch' doesn't count.

In my defence I thought I was just getting the credit for my toastie maker recommendation (Salter) and my assertion that the best toastie is corned beef, onion, cheddar and Worcester sauce

Yeah, whatever

Cheese and ham omelette

+1

I still have half the meat and chips from last night's visit to the kebab shop. That is for this evening's meal with some nice salad.

i used to take a pack of Kippers. and do em in the microwave.

or 3 biled eggs, done inside a sock and dangled into the big hot water urn we had in the canteen.

The only other rule apart from that is that last night’s dinner reheated doesn’t count either.

Well that's just rude 🙁

I'll have you know that my veggie bean burrito was very pleasant thanks very much

i used to take a pack of Kippers. and do em in the microwave.

I bet you were popular? 😀

Bacon sandwich.

'3 biled eggs'. Blimey.

theres a book called love your lunchbox if you are looking for inspiration.  All really good stuff if you can bothered prepping the night before and can all be consumed in a typical office "kitchen" with nothing more than a kettle or microwave for heating. (not all are hot).

It’s possible that I might have a problem…

Too difficult to choose?

‘3 biled eggs’. Blimey.

That's obviously a typo.

It should say "billed."

Toasty of sorts made on the top of the Aga. No pan needed just bacoglide.

2 1/2 mins per side

Use whatever is in the fridge. Boom

3 biled eggs

Emperor penguin eggs poached in snow leopard bile with a side of sautéed ocelot spleens?

‘3 biled eggs’. Blimey.

That’s obviously a typo.

It should say “billed.”

You are Officer Crabtree and I claim my 50 Francs

Old fashioned eggy bread/french toast always reminds me of when I used to walk home from school for lunch.

Oh and great thread Binners, thanks for starting it.

2 rashers of bacon in to frying pan, leftover mashed potatoes in to same pan to soak up the salty goodness. Out on to a plate. 2 eggs in to same pan to fry. Split the lot between 2 plain wraps with plenty of brown sauce and wrap up burrito style. Back in to the pan, 1 min on each side to toast the wrap.
Less than 10 mins to make. Less than 5 mins to eat both.
One benefit of WHF is access to more than just a microwave and kettle in the office.

theres a book called love your lunchbox

Perhaps not one to Google on the work computer 😳

Oh and great thread Binners, thanks for starting it.

I googled "hot lunch" for some ideas and was quite surprised.

The only other rule apart from ‘one appliance or pan only’ is that a pre-packaged microwave meal doesn’t count.

The only other rule apart from that is that last night’s dinner reheated doesn’t count either.

what if they're the same thing?

IHN
Full Member

Oh and great thread Binners, thanks for starting it.

What if they're the same thing?

To kick us off, I’m currently enjoying Indian Bean Surprise – one tin of baked beans, tablespoon-ish of curry powder, half a teaspoon of chilli powder, mix it all in a bowl, microwave until hot, done.

Ha, Once fried up some mince and chucked in a tin of baked beans and some Worchester sauce, served with rice. Knowing my wife would turn up her nose if she knew how rudimentary the preparation was I called it "African bean stew" and claimed it was a family recipe (we're not African or of African descent). She thoroughly enjoyed it 🙂

Today, Span-ish omelette: leftover potatoes, three eggs from our hens, green pepper, grated cheese. One pan, 5 minutes.
Going to try shakshuka tomorrow. Currently eating at least 15 eggs a week, should probably get my cholesterol checked.

Span-ish omelette

Brilliant hyphenation 🙂

Today's lunch -  Throw wrap in toaster, add hummus, falafel, cherry tomatoes and cucumber

Takes about 2 mins, garlic breath for 6hrs. Result.

Fish Finger Sandwich with loads of butter on extra thick white bread. All of it purchased from a supermarket, we'll have none of this artisan nonsense in Sunderland.

Fish Fingers can be substituted for Fishless Fingers for vegans if you're into that sort of thing.

add hummus, falafel, cherry tomatoes and cucumber

In the toaster???

Fish Finger Sandwich with loads of butter on extra thick white bread. All of it purchased from a supermarket, we’ll have none of this artisan nonsense in Sunderland.

FTW

mama creamy tom yum noodles - yes there is more goodness in teh packet than the noodles but my god - they are tasty!

Go to local oriental supermarket.
Pick up pack of ramen that only has enough English written on it to allow you to cook it as intended, in your flavour of choice.

I’ve had some lush ones… (edit, including the ones @vanhalen mentions 😊)

Toasty of sorts made on the top of the Aga.

Aga?! A blummin Aga!?

I can see a lot of warehouse operatives agreeing with you there.

🙄 Wfh types... 😂

microwave until hot

oh good god no.....
one's heats gently in the pan, which is allowed

the best toastie is corned beef, onion, cheddar and Worcester sauce

Yes!

As for this thread, if you can't include cunning ways of using up leftovers that's most of my hot lunches excluded.

Pick up pack of ramen that only has enough English written on it to allow you to cook it as intended, in your flavour of choice.

Always some of these in the cupboard. Normally "hot" in both ways. Most have sone kind of oil sachet that make them work so well. Mmmm... fat...

Stir fry - asian style veg and chopped up mini sausages with some sauce
Stir fry aka skillet aka puttipanna - last night's leftover veg with either leftover meat or more mini sausages, chopped and fried up with barbecue sauce and cheese
Refried beans with cheese and hot sauce on top
Beans and cheese/mini sausages (yeah I like mini sausages)
Sausages/fish fingers and some veg

Lunch today,

Frozen chips in the air fryer, couple of buttered slices of Warby's finest: the 15-minute chip butty.

Surely it’s a one pan full english (other regional variations are available)

[img] [/img]

what ever ive stuffed into my food flask before leaving the house ....... doesnt always end well 😀

@kayak23

😘. Tbf they're good worth the huge running costs maybe not

As for this thread, if you can’t include cunning ways of using up leftovers that’s most of my hot lunches excluded.

Cunning ways of using up leftovers counts. Just reheating a previous meal doesn't.

I have two options:

Bosh baked beans (make a big batch) - https://www.bosh.tv/recipes/bbq-beans-on-toast
or sweet potato fritters (batch again) - https://realfood.tesco.com/recipes/marcs-winning-sweet-potato-fritters.html

Frozen chips in the air fryer, couple of buttered slices of Warby’s finest: the 15-minute chip butty.

I'm going into a carbo-daze just thinking about it.

Surely it’s a one pan full english

I sometimes have a cooked breakfast for lunch. Always feels slightly wrong though.

Wholemeal/granary bread, toasted, tuna (in SW), a little mayo to make stacking easier, sliced avo, strong cheddar & Red Fox Red Leicester melted in the grill, wholegrain mustard and a little mayo on the other slice

Wholemeal/granary bread, toasted, tuna (in SW), a little mayo to make stacking easier, sliced avo, strong cheddar & Red Fox Red Leicester melted in the grill, wholegrain mustard and a little mayo on the other slice

Then deep-fried?

I sometimes have a cooked breakfast for lunch. Always feels slightly wrong though.

I think lunchtime is the perfect time to have a cooked breakfast. Having one at breakfast time makes me a bit queasy.

I think lunchtime is the perfect time to have a cooked breakfast. Having one at breakfast time makes me a bit queasy.

Fair enough. I'm the other way round.

I tend to use three pans though, so mine would not be eligible for this thread anyway.

Omelette in a roll/wrap with butter

Any leftovers from yesterday in an omelette (is that allowed?)

Many on toast options, partial to fancy tinned sardines

Many sarnie options, partial to bacon and runny egg

Cunning ways of using up leftovers counts. Just reheating a previous meal doesn’t.

Bubble and squeak with a fried egg on top

Actually most leftovers with a fried egg on top

Tinned tuna, kidney beans (or any other pulse) chopped left over veg. Onion, mushroom, pepper, tomato, whatever. Add chillis fresh or jar and fry. Add cheese to melt. Place in wrap, dry fry wrap with all ingredients in / on. Eat, delicious. Go heavy on chillis.

Oh yes, huevos rancheros

To kick us off, I’m currently enjoying Indian Bean Surprise – one tin of baked beans, tablespoon-ish of curry powder, half a teaspoon of chilli powder, mix it all in a bowl, microwave until hot, done.

I have to admit, Indian Bean Surprise is having an, in retrospect entirely unsurprising, effect.

*parp*

Well, I had same as @kayak23 for my late/quick lunch today. Not a whole set of shelves full though........tasty but always make me drowsy afterwards.

Does last night's leftovers count?

A very creamy Leek, Squash, Fennel and Hazelnut gratin. Heated up in the microwave.

Chorizo. Chop into chunks and fry. Remove when browned. Chopped onion in to brown in the oil out of the chorizo. Tin of chickpeas in complete with 'juice'. Cooked chorizo back in. Simmer for 10 minutes or so until most of the liquid has gone. Salt. Pepper.

Fish-Finger massive, where are you sourcing them? I prefer the ones in batter as opposed to orange breadcrumbs. Can't find them anywhere.

Does last night’s leftovers count?

A very creamy Leek, Squash, Fennel and Hazelnut gratin. Heated up in the microwave.

Sheesh...

Cunning ways of using up leftovers counts. Just reheating a previous meal doesn’t.

Dirty pizza: Wrap/tortilla smeared with tomato paste & sriracha sauce, grated cheese and whatever random stuff you want on top. Today was a torn up slice of ham I found in the fridge, some dried herbs plus a swish of olive oil cos I'm classy. 5 minutes in an oven so the cheese melts. Sometimes I put a fried egg on it too.

Cunning ways of using up leftovers counts

I used to quite like stirfrying leftover lasagna and eating it in a butty. But thinking about it - that was usually for breakfast.

Fish-Finger massive

Youngs or Birdseye from Tesco normally if going 'posh'. Or Iceland if we're passing one. Not averse to using Tesco Finest cod bites either

Shakshuka

huevos rancheros

Yes velocity Inverness does a mean huevos ranchers.....

In Africa I used to for lunch eat.... Curry super noodles /tin of tuna / significant amount of cheese melted in.

I hardly eat lunch(or breakfast), more a one meal type. But if i do it will be microwave pasta, usually macaroni/cheese type thing..

Surely it’s a one pan full english

probable thread win

I guess I do sausage first, then breads, then bacon, then eggs. Sometimes piling things on top of the sausage to free up valuable pan space.

Question. I've never onepanned a breakfast with beans or mushrooms in.

How does one handle the beans and mushrooms in this concoction?

I'm also suspicious of the remarkably clean toast in that picture. I sense a foodstuff not fried with the rest.