Double Duty Dinners: A Week of Meals You Can Repurpose for Lunch

We love recipes with components and ingredients you can repurpose for lunch the following day. This meal plan is full of recipes that do just that!

By
Marta Rivera
Marta Rivera
Marta Rivera
Marta has 25 years of experience in the food service industry and has been developing recipes for 3 years. She is the author of Taste & See Cooks: Recipes to Inspire, Equip and Enjoy.
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Published June 28, 2021
Marta Rivera
Double Duty Dinners: A Week of Meals You Can Repurpose for Lunch

Simply Recipes

When it comes to maintaining my sanity, I keep watch on which meals (or their components) can be repurposed for lunch or snacks later in the week.

Most of us go into each week with this sense of "I'm going to conquer the kitchen," only to find ourselves ordering pizza by Wednesday because we are so exhausted from cooking multiple meals a day.

In this week’s meal plan we can repurpose some of the recipe components and ingredients to use in other meals later in the week. Additionally, sides like rice, orzo or roasted potatoes are all dishes you can make in bulk to serve with two or more of this week's meals.

  • Mediterranean Chickpea Bowls with Tahini Sauce

    Mediterranean Chickpea Buddha Bowls
    Sabrina Modelle

    These Chickpea Bowls are a vegetarian option for this week's dinner. The ingredients for them can be prepared on Sunday before the week gets hectic. Make an extra batch of chickpeas so you have a healthy snack for those afternoon workday cravings.

  • Taco-Stuffed Zucchini Boats

    Stuffed Zucchini Boats Recipe
    Nick Evans

    I'm feeling like the best of the zucchini harvest is happening right about now, so why not take taco Tuesday up a few notches? Double tonight's taco filling for lunchtime nachos or taco salad tomorrow. Just make sure to buy enough queso fresco for both meals.

  • Curried Pork Empanadas

    Curried Pork Empanadas
    Elise Bauer

    Feel free to get help from the grocery store's frozen section and pick up a pack or two of empanada discs. Double the pork picadillo stuffing and use it to top tomorrow's steamed white rice for a quick lunch. I add a fried egg just because I feel like it's the right thing to do. 

  • Crab Cakes

    Maryland Crabcakes wtih greens and lemon wedges on a white plate wtih mayo
    Sally Vargas

    I went to culinary school in the Inner Harbor of Baltimore, so I'm a pseudo-expert on a good crab cake and can vouch that these are spot-on. To make the most out of them, double the batch and have crab cake sandwiches for lunch tomorrow.

    Continue to 5 of 6 below.

  • Greek Meatballs

    Greek Meatballs on serving plate
    Elise Bauer

    This is an entrée that's ready in 30 minutes, which is a must for midweek cooking. I serve these meatballs with orzo and a quick cucumber salad to round it out. If you're up to it, double the meatball recipe to use in Greek-inspired meatball-stuffed pitas for tomorrow's midday meal. Include sliced green peppers, feta, and kalamata olives.

  • Weekend Baking: Fresh Cherry Compote

    Cherry compote

    Cherry compote goes so well with the ricotta in these parfaits, but the great thing about it is that you can use it later on in the weekend to top these pancakes.