Muffuletta by Tom Fitzmorris
This New Orleans treat will have you eating like you’re on Bourbon Street—not in the office.
The great controversy concerning muffulettas is whether or not they should be heated. The current vogue is to do so until the cheeses melt. But many believe that this throws off the flavors and textures of everything and that a room-temperature muffuletta is superior. One of the keys to a make-ahead sandwich is that it should be able to hold up well until midday. With this in mind, we fall into the room-temperature camp. Pile on the ham, Genoa salami, mortadella, mozzarella, provolone, and Swiss cheese, and try and restrain yourself from eating this protein-packed sandwich as a midmorning snack. By your lunch hour, when the flavors have fully melded, you’ll be glad you waited.
Click here for the recipe.
Chopped Salad with Corn, Snap Peas, and Bacon by Tom Douglas
Take a cue from an Iron Chef winner on how to make the perfect chopped salad, and get creative doing it.
The name of this recipe could just as easily be chopped salad with beets, carrots, and turkey; or chopped salad with avocado, radishes, and Gouda; or even chopped salad with red peppers, salami, and onion. And that’s the brilliance of this recipe: All the ingredients can be changed to suit your whim or the season or what’s in the fridge. Throw whatever you’ve got into a Tupperware, drizzle on some oil and vinegar, and let the veggies marinate until noon.
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Bulgur and Chickpea Salad by Claudia Roden
A James Beard Award-winner makes eating healthfully on the fly easy, so no more excuses.
The primary reason we don’t bring our lunches to work is that preparing lunch is a hassle, and one can only eat so many sandwiches. And really, who has the energy for cooking in the morning? Not anyone we know, which is why we like this recipe, which we can make before we’ve fully woken up. Put the bulgur in a bowl of water, put on a pot of coffee, and take a shower. Get out of the shower, pour a cup of coffee, and drain the bulgur. Toss the bulgur with the other ingredients—salt, pepper, lemon juice, herbs: easy stuff—and get dressed. You’ve just made yourself a whole-grain, super healthful, energy-packed lunch without even realizing it.
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Roasted Almonds with Southwest Spices by Fran McCullough
Put a stop to your midday slump with this bestselling-cookbook author’s soda-less solution.
No one can deny the mid-afternoon slump. Around 3:30, work slows, minds wander, and Twitter becomes undeniably absorbing. A soda is the obvious choice for refueling but will make you crash just around the time you’re leaving the office (which is no good if you have a life outside work). These spiced almonds offer the perfect kick—in your mouth and for your energy level. High in protein and just a touch spicy, this snack will save your afternoon.
Click here for the recipe.
Chewy Oatmeal Coconut Cookies with Cranberries and Pecans by Judith Finlayson
A raise may be right around the corner if you bring a batch of these tasty treats to work.
Oatmeal cookies were the best back-to-school lunchbox treat. But we grew up and stopped eating junk food and sweets, and started chewing sugar-free gum instead. At least that what’s we’re telling ourselves. As you head back to work this year, don’t deny your inner child. Feed that kid these oatmeal cookies, packed with sweet and tart cranberries and crunchy pecans, and remember the excitement of new notebooks, pencil sets, and a new pair of Keds. Work isn’t so bad after all.
Click here for the recipe.
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