I almost always pack a lunch for work but that does not mean I pack a boring PBJ sandwich and chips, oh no I get creative with it. Here are my favorite 5 things to pack for lunch:
1) Leftovers - Above all else I like to take extras from the previous nights dinner for lunch. I almost always make dinners planning on having left overs for lunch. This holds especially true for dishes like stir fry where making one portion can be difficult.
2) Turkey, Brie, and Pesto Sandwich - The wholefoods in Palo Alto got me hooked on this sandwich and its become a staple around my house hold. We make this sandwich with Thanksgiving left overs typically but I've expanded this to be a regular staple of my brown bag lunch
3) Tuna fish sandwich - Don't worry, I get creative with this one. In the past I have all sorts of varieties of tuna fish that I make. I have a version where I substitute lemon olive oil (or just lemon juice and olive oil) for the mayo giving it a lighter feel. Or I made tuna fish today with a jalapeno, cilantro, and lime juice to give a Mexican feel to my sandwich. I've made tuna fish with a balsamic mayo and sun dried tomatoes. As you can see the possibilities are limitless, so try anything. One useful hint, adding toasted almonds makes almost all tuna fish salads better with the addition of a new textural element.
4) Roast beef, cheddar and BBQ sandwich - What began out of necessity has become one of my favorite sandwiches. I usually have cheddar and BBQ sauce on hand, so the only thing I need for this sandwich is roast beef. Super simple and easy but really satisfying.
5) Prosciutto, sundried tomatoes and mozzarella - As you can never go wrong with prosciutto, I had to include one of the variations of prosciutto sandwiches that I make. After finding a grocery store that will cut you up as much or little prosciutto as you want, I have been adding prosciutto to my regular deli meat purchases. Prosciutto needs to used in small doses but can be excellent as another accent meat on a turkey sandwich or stand aloe with some veggies like sun-dried tomatoes or roasted red peppers.
