Easy Everyday comes out TOMORROW!!

And today, I’m giving you a sneak peek of one of my favorite recipes: the cherry jalapeno chicken salad. This is such a fantastic make-ahead lunch or snack and it’s one I make over and over again.

This makes me so happy every time it’s in my fridge!

Think of the most delicious chicken salad with lots of texture, crunch, a tiny bit of heat from the jalapeno peppers and a chewy sweetness from the dried tart cherries.

Dreamy! (more…)

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I’ve got over 100 lunch ideas for 2025 today! Lots of my faves all in one place.

Whether you are still working from home or heading into the office, these are lunch ideas for 2024 that you can make and prep ahead of time. Woohoo!

While I’m all about having a fried egg for lunch or topping my avocado toast with a fried egg or grilling and roasting some vegetables for lunch, when you work out of the home I know that just isn’t feasible. These are all dishes that you can make or prep ahead of time and ones that will taste great come lunch time.

That’s the biggest thing for me. No matter how fantastic the salad was that I would make for lunch when I sat behind a desk, whether it had croutons or last night’s chicken on top, it still tasted like a sad desk lunch and I just wanted something more delicious. Now I AM sharing a bunch of my favorite substantial salads below, but there are a ton of other lunch ideas here that range from soups to bowls to full blown meals! Eddie requires an actual MEAL, so there are some of those below too.

You can always find me sharing lunch ideas over on instagram too!

100+ Make-Ahead Lunch Ideas for 2025

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Raise your hand if you want a new lunch idea! 

This hot chicken salad is my favorite chicken salad recipe, baked until warm and topped with crunchy potato chips. I love it for lunch or a snack or even as a cute little app! It’s unassuming but very delicious and satisfying. 

It’s really nothing special, but at the same time, it’s everything special.

Why haven’t I been baking my chicken salad for years? 

New favorite lunch alert! That’s what it is. 

This dip is like if your favorite deli chicken salad and buffalo chicken dip had a baby. Minus the whole spicy buffalo part. Minus the cheese part too.

Okay, so maybe it’s nothing like that, but the fact is that we’re baking chicken salad until it’s hot. Serving it with crackers or chips or in my case, fresh endive. 

I’m always looking for lunch recipes that are fairly easy, ones that can be made ahead of time and especially ones that are healthier and satisfying. I fall victim to the 2 or 3pm crash if I don’t have a sufficient amount of protein in my lunch.

Which is why I really love this recipe that uses both chicken (I just grab a rotisserie!) and plain greek yogurt. 

So it goes like this: I mix up my favorite chicken salad, spread it in a baking dish and top it with potato chips. Yes, don’t forget the potato chips. They are key! 

Then I bake it! Bake it until it’s hot and melty and the chips are slightly golden.

Next, serve it with endive cups. Oh my gosh I LOVE endive. It’s neutral enough that it takes on the flavor of any dip. And it’s super crisp, refreshing and crunchy. I love serving any sort of salad or dip with these “cups” – the endive leaves make the perfect scoops! 

You can also use tortilla chips or crackers to scoop this up. Or it could be served in warm pitas, in lettuce cups or even on crackers melted with a touch of cheese. Chicken salad melts! I love it.  (more…)

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Need a weeknight meal to please just about anyone?!

Say hello to my family’s current favorite dinner. These mediterranean beef bowls are super satisfying and so delicious, complete with chickpeas and rice, seasoned ground beef, a tomato cucumber salad and all the hummus.

Oh and feta! Never never forget the feta. 

A rice and beef bowl is such a fantastic easy weeknight meal, but it’s one that even I forget about. When I take inventory of my dinner ingredients, I usually reserve the ground beef for things like meat sauce and tacos and burgers because they are meals the kids love. They enjoy this too, but it’s not as traditional in our family so it tends to slip my mind.

Not anymore!! 

This combination is so EASY. It’s flavorful and simple and very customizable depending on what your family likes. 

Here’s how I make it!

First up, jasmine rice + chickpeas. I make a pot of jasmine rice and right as it finishes, add in a can (or two!) of chickpeas. An easy way to boost the protein, fiber and satiety of this recipe. Plus, we just really love chickpeas. 

While the rice cooks, I brown the ground beef. The key is to use lots of seasoning and the meat masher! This masher turns the beef into the tiniest crumbs possible, which makes for a more pleasurable eating experience. Trust me.  (more…)

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Summer loving!!! 

This chickpea pasta salad is chock-full of summer garden veggies, tiny pasta shells, chickpeas, fresh herbs, smoked provolone and drizzled with my super zesty italian dressing for the perfect bite. 

This is such a wild amount of flavor in this little bowl, you won’t even believe it. Seriously. 

It doesn’t look like much. And it doesn’t look very special. But it’s just over-the-top good and every time I take a bite, I wonder why I don’t make this dish year ‘round. 

This is the pasta salad that I’ve been talking about all summer!

It’s embarrassingly easy.

And very satisfying. Perfect for lunch!

It is versatile and you can throw in whatever you want. 

But this exact one? This exact one is the one I’ve been making on repeat. That I’ve been loving. It’s been my go-to pool lunch and also a great side dish for summer nights. 

I actually AM embarrassed to tell you how many times I’ve made it! 

This is how I do it! 

First, I make the dressing. This is my zesty italian with a little dill zing. It’s quite possibly the most made dressing in my house. We love it. 

Next, I make the pasta. I love using shells with this. It’s cute and delicious when the chickpeas get buried in the shells! Fun. 

Then, I marinate the shallots and zucchini and summer squash. I slice these as thin as possible and let them hang out in the dressing a bit. If you’re not eating the salad right away, you don’t need to do this. They will marinate nicely right in with the pasta and chickpeas. 

Finally, everything goes into the bowl. I throw in chopped cherry tomatoes, smoked provolone (the best!) and a bunch of fresh herbs too. Basil is my first choice, but really any herb you have and love works. 

This stays great in the fridge for an extended period of time. A few days – a few hours, whenever you need it, it’s ready.  (more…)

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Dinner is ready!!

This orzo salad is so delicious and filling for a summer meal. Juicy, grilled shrimp, sweet corn and tangy feta is tossed with tender orzo and drizzled with a chili lime vinaigrette. It’s incredibly flavorful and super satisfying. 

And it’s really easy to make for dinner tonight! 

It’s been a few months since I shared a recipe for you with orzo. Which is crazy, because it’s a huge staple over here. You know that I can’t get enough. My entire family loves it and it’s so versatile! 

I will pretty much combine orzo with anything and call it a meal. 

In this case, I’m using shrimp and corn, which can feel summery and seasonal if you want to slice that fresh corn right off the cob. However, it will also work if you find yourself craving this meal in the cooler weather. 

I love a warm pasta dish like this. It can be served like pasta or salad or like a bowl of pasta for dinner. And it’s easy, tastes better as it sits and is a dish that can always be prepared ahead of time for the ultimate flavor. 

Best part ever! 

The first thing I do is make the dressing. That way, it’s ready to go as soon as everything is combined. The chili lime vinaigrette is from Everyday Dinners and one of our go-tos. It elevates so many different dishes. 

I also cook the orzo, or at least bring the salted water to a boil.

Grilling the shrimp takes mere minutes. I love doing it this way in the summer months, but you can also throw this in a pan with some olive oil. It cooks so quickly and is ridiculously simple. I use a grill pan when mine is on the grill, because this minimizes shrimp fallout! It can easily fall in the grill gates and then you’re out of luck.

This is my favorite grill pan and I use it almost daily. It is 100% worth it and the best I’ve found. It also cleans up very well and I put it in the dishwasher too. 

The other parts are so easy! The corn: I will either cook frozen corn or slice it right off the cob. The fresh corn is so crunchy and sweet this time of year. Sometimes I also grill it, right along with the shrimp. 

I chop up fresh cilantro and chives – also easy! (more…)

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Who wants a sandwich!!

Feels like that’s the summer call. Who wants a perfect tiny little summer sandwich?! Complete with smoked turkey and provolone and lettuce salad and chips and honey mustard and more.

UM YES PLEASE.

Me. 

I want a sandwich! 

When I was a kid, there was nothing better than a sandwich when we came up from the beach or pool. And that sandwich had CHIPS ON IT. 

I’ve been a huge proponent of potato chips on sandwiches my entire life – they are one of my most favorite things ever. 

And so here we have the best summer sandwich slab that you can throw together for the day. Lunch, dinner, poolside snacks or more.

Here’s how our sliders come together!

First, you need a slab of slider rolls. You can use hawaiian rolls, but I really love the buttery brioche rolls over the sweet bread version. Slice them in half lengthwise, creating a bottom slab and a ton slab. 

Next, a spread. I go with honey mustard since it is our favorite. My family has been obsessed with this honeycup mustard for over 20 years. It’s the best. 

Okay – my favorite part. The chips!! For me, it’s a toss up between kettle cooked potato chips and baked potato chips. I also need to emphasize that I am not really a chip person, like I don’t care about them as a snack. Not my salty snack of choice. But on a sandwich? Dreamy. 

Next, smoked turkey. 

After that, provolone slices.  (more…)

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Lunch time!!

This chopped grilled chicken caprese bowl is filled with fresh mozzarella, juicy tomatoes, bright basil and a balsamic vinaigrette. It’s tangy, satisfying and great to enjoy any time of day. 

How on earth do I still struggle with lunch ideas? I love having a bunch in my arsenal, and I get bored easily. So I must always have something exciting to eat for lunch. 

My secret is to compile a big list in the notes app on my phone. I categorize it by season too. On the weekends, I can peek at this list and see what I should make for lunch that week if I don’t have leftovers. 

Occasionally things work best if they are prepped ahead of time. Others take just a few minutes to throw together right before eating. 

This is one of my favorite things to prep for lunch because it’s SO EASY.

And it’s super versatile too. 

Remember my grilled chicken caprese pasta salad? I love to serve it layered in a clear glass bowl? 

This is a scaled down version of that. It’s kind of like that, without the pasta. I’m putting it in a separate post for you in order to throw it under my lunch category. 

And selfishly, because I look at my lunch ideas all the time here on the website to decide what to eat during the week! 

I also can’t express how easy it is. 

Once I have the caprese salad and the grilled chicken done, the options are endless. I can eat it just like that – chicken and caprese salad.

Or, I can add in a grain. Farro, couscous, etc. Maybe add some leftover pasta or rice or quinoa, whatever I have on hand.

Sometimes I bulk it up with greens. My favorite is arugula. I love how peppery it is and it adds such great flavor to the chicken and tomatoes and mozzarella.

Other times, I will have it just like this with some toasted (or grilled!) sourdough. Hello, my name is Jessica and I could live on sourdough. 

And the really great part is that this can just be inspiration! If you have leftover grilled chicken, regardless of the marinade, it will work. Combine it with some tomatoes, fresh mozzarella and basil and you have a fresh, satisfying lunch in minutes. (more…)

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Get ready for the most flavorful meal! 

This Italian chopped salad can be served as a lunch or dinner, a party appetizer or even a happy hour snack. The salad is super flavorful, the bread is crunchy and toasty. Combined, it’s a delicious bite of heaven that is satisfying and simple! 

And the best part: you can assemble the salad ahead of time. Always a win. 

One of my favorite meals to make in the warmer months is grilled bread piled high with some sort of salad. I love it! It’s easy and versatile, can be a great clean-out-the-fridge meal and can be customized to whomever you’re serving. 

Oh and it can serve a crowd or you could even dial it back and make it an easy dinner for two. 

I can’t even tell you how often I make a version of this in the hot summer months. Not having to turn on the oven? Dinner gold. 

Of course, you CAN turn on the oven if that’s how you prefer to make your garlic breads. Whatever works for you!

This is what I love to put in my chopped Italian salad: 

Salami

Fresh mozzarella

Smoked provolone

Cherry tomatoes 

Roasted red peppers

Chickpeas 

Thinly sliced red onion 

Shredded iceberg lettuce

Radicchio 

Sliced banana peppers

And the zestiest, most delish Italian vinaigrette ever. 

This little chopped salad is fabulous on its own. You’ll be eating it out of the bowl as you’re preparing it. But it’s even better with some bread!

Warm and golden and toasty garlic bread, grilled so it has a touch of smokiness. 

Meals like this never seem like a big deal but they taste AMAZING. Loaded with lots of flavor and texture, they are one of those meals that makes dinner time FUN. It’s easy, yet it feels like a restaurant quality meal. 

And obviously, you can add in anything or leave something out, depending on what you love. This is a garlic lovers’ paradise. Garlic bread, a garlic-heavy dressing, all tangy and zesty with a bite. You can change that up if you wish or even do something cool like add in spicy peppers.  (more…)

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I’ve got the best winter salad we can enjoy for the next few months!

This hearty citrus farro salad is satisfying and delicious, tossed with arugula, pistachios, radish slices, orange segments and feta cheese.

It tastes incredible, looks pretty, is the perfect combination of sweet and savory and hits the spot. 

I can’t get enough of this! 

Sure, the combo of ingredients is one of the reasons that this is so good. The texture and crunch, the chew of the cooked farro, the creaminess of the cheese and the tang of the dressing. 

But there is one other big thing. 

The reason this farro salad is so delicious? The farro is cooked in orange juice! 

I cook the farro in a mixture of water and orange juice. It’s delightful. Sweet but still savory, chewy with a hint of the citrus tanginess. It brings a real depth of flavor to the salad too. Trust me, you’ll want to eat a few spoonfuls of the farro alone. 

Once the farro is finished, I toss it with the arugula. This adds a peppery bite that complements the citrus very well. 

I also make a pomegranate vinaigrette that I drizzle on the base – all over the farro and arugula. This dressing is so delicious! It has hints of maple, red wine vinegar, pomegranate and garlic. It’s wonderful for the season and very versatile too. 

After the dressing shower, I toss the salad over and over before adding the rest of the goods. 

The toppings!!

Let’s just call them the best part. 

Thinly sliced radish, for that extra crisp with a bite.

Orange segments, with all their juicy, refreshing flavor. 

Chopped pistachios, because they are everything. 

And creamy feta! I live for feta. 

Toss it all together and boom, the ideal winter lunch or dinner bowl. (more…)

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