Are you continuing the habit of sad office desk lunches while working at home? Well, today is the time to acknowledge National Make Lunch Count Day. Make a little extra time, take a conscious lunch break and prepare something special. Or donate to an organization that is feeding front line medical workers so they can eat lunch. See below for lunch ideas and links to organizations that need your help.
Chefs like David Burke and José Andrés are pitching in to feed healthcare workers at the frontlines, and you can help them by donating. Check out Feed the Heroes and Feed the Frontlines – both doing good work in NYC and NJ – or support World Central Kitchen in Los Angeles. You can feed others deeply affected by coronavirus when you support organizations like City Harvest, No Kid Hungry, City Meals, or find a local food bank in your community at Feeding America.
If you want to take a little extra time today and treat yourself to a well-made lunch, we have some simple ideas and recipes for you.
Make a Special Sandwich
This is less of a recipe and more of a tasty suggestion. If you’ve been to Paris, you’ve no doubt had a simple lunch of jambon-beurre. This is our version using authentic French-style bistro ham, black truffle butter, and creamy Camembert (for extra credit).
Croque monsieur is a classic bistro sandwich – a brunch favorite – and is easy to make at home. If you’ve never tried it, this could be your moment to master this recipe. Our French bistro ham will give you authentic results, but you can make this with any ham you have handy. Did we mention the melty cheese? It’s the most comforting of comfort foods.
This easy-to-make sandwich recipe balances the richness of our ready-to-eat creamy and savory duck rillettes with the welcome crunch of sweet-tart fennel and apple slaw. If you can chop vegetables, you can make this slaw, and the rest is just assembling it.
Quick-Cooking Recipes for Lunch
With all the time saved from no longer commuting, give yourself a few minutes to prepare a hot lunch.
Try our shakshuka recipe for easy one-skillet eggs poached in tomato sauce – made with canned tomatoes from the pantry and our andouille sausage. This slightly spicy Middle Eastern dish makes a hearty lunch with little effort – and it comes together quickly.
If pasta is more your speed, make a 20-minute carbonara. Our rich, creamy recipe features smoky duck bacon, but you can use pork bacon or pancetta for equally satisfying results.
A hearty lentil soup is easy to make with our ready-to-use chicken confit and a hint of bacon to add smoky flavor. A hot lunch? You deserve it.
With crispy, golden edges and a creamy interior, these Swiss potato cakes – known as rösti – make an irresistible side dish or snack. But you can also use rösti as a base for a perfectly poached egg, some cold smoked salmon, or dressed salad greens to make it the highlight of lunch. We used Yukon gold potatoes, bacon, and Alpine cheese in our version but you cannot go wrong with duck fat and potatoes, so adapt as your pantry dictates.
What will you do to make lunch something different today?