Make Ahead Lunch Recipes

Coming up with dinner ideas is hard enough. But having to think about breakfasts and lunches too?! These make ahead lunch ideas will take the worry out of the midday meal.

Make Ahead Lunch Ideas:

There’s something so comforting about tomato soup. Pair this Instant Pot Tomato Soup with a grilled cheese or enjoy it on its own.

These Hot Roast Beef or Ham Sandwiches are great for large group gatherings or for bringing with you when you go camping.

Hot Honey Chicken Sandwiches are easy to make in the slow cooker and have a sweet heat that you’ll love.

To try some other hot sandwiches, we recommend one of our Make Ahead Sliders recipes:

• Turkey Sliders
• Monte Cristo Sliders
• Pizza Sliders
• Ham and Cheese Sliders

Tater Tot Pizza Casserole is a favourite for kids.

Do you remember making English muffin pizzas when you were growing up? These mini pizzas are perfect for school lunches.

Buffalo Chicken on Buns has all the flavours of the dip in a sandwich.

Our Hearty Sausage and Zucchini Soup is packed with flavour. It is one of my all-time faves!

This Instant Pot Asian Noodle Soup pairs well with a salad or raw veggies.

Some other soup recipes you’ll want to try:

• Pinto Tortilla Soup
• Sweet Potato Soup
• Cheesy Cauliflower Soup
• Pesto Minestrone

We all know soup is a lunchtime staple. We have many, many more soups and if you’re as crazy about soup as we are, you’ll want to check out our Giant List of Freezer to Crock Pot Soup Recipes.

Shrimp Stir Fry Packs make a fast and easy meal. They are nice and light. Lunch is ready in minutes.

The Asian Rice Bowl makes a nice light, vegetarian lunch as well.

The Thai Chili Chicken Lettuce Wraps are as pretty as they are tasty! This restaurant-quality recipe is one of our favourites and makes a great lunch option and it cooks up fast. We also have the Moo Shu Beef Lettuce Wraps if that is more to your liking and can be made in the instant pot!

Turkey Sloppy Joes are a lighter option and great for lunch. Here are some other Sloppy Joes recipes that you can try:

• BBQ Chicken Sloppy Joes
• Taco Sloppy Joes
• Classic Sloppy Joes and they are so, so good!
• We even have a Tater Tot Sloppy Joes Casserole that is a great option for lunch.

Here are more of our lunch ideas that you can check out right now and they can all be made ahead and frozen!

• Mini Chicken Pot Pies
• Chicken Taquitos
• Buffalo Chicken Quesadillas – if you like it spicy, these are for you
• Spinach Artichoke Quesadillas – you’ll think you died and went to heaven when you have these
• Sausage and Gnocchi Skillet
• Country Sausage & Hash Brown Casserole
• Crispy Chicken Wings
• Meatball Subs
• Homemade Mac and Cheese – yes! You can make it ahead and freeze it. Let us show you how
• Corn Dog Mini Muffins – great for school lunches!
• Easiest Butter Chicken
• Beef & Bean Burritos
• Meatloaf Muffins

More Lunch Ideas:

The Easy Homemade Pizza Pockets from Eating on a Dime make packing lunches a breeze.

These Make Ahead Pizza Rolls from Spaceships and Laser Beams are great for school lunches.

When kids have allergies, it can mean missing out on some of the fun foods. That doesn’t have to be true with these gluten free vegan Pizza Bagel Bites from Strength and Sunshine.

Amy and Jacky share this Instant Pot Sloppy Joes recipe that can be made ahead and served on a bun for a quick lunch.

Yum! Awe Filled Homemaker’s Instant Pot Beef Lettuce Wraps. You’ll have a hard time believing this is a freezer meal.

This Old Gal has Air Fryer Tijuana Street Tacos. The meat can marinate beautifully as it thaws in this delicious freezer meal.

The Sweet Pulled Pork Wraps at Sidetracked Sarah are a crowd pleaser.

The Soccer Mom’s Freezer Chicken Soup is another great comfort food recipe. The next time you are feeling under the weather, this is what you’re going to wish you had in the freezer ready to go.

Check out our Lunch Freezer Meal Menu Plan to make things even easier. It includes some make ahead lunch recipes as well as prep lists, shopping lists, and printable labels.