These Quick Recipes Will Bring Your Lunchtime To The Next Level
If 2020 has taught us anything, it’s that every plan, every tradition, and every long-standing family arrangement is susceptible to change. We’ve spent this year rearranging our schedules and adapting our lives to all sorts of new needs, and though our home lives all look different, we’ve got the same obligations to fulfill, the same family members to show up for, and the same daily meals to fit into our brand-new lives.
One important lesson that we’ve taken from all this upheaval is that the first step in solving the complicated problems is making sure that the simple ones are all taken care of: getting enough sleep, finding ways to unplug and de-stress, and making time for regular, healthy, hearty meals. But every busy parent knows that when the schedule fills up, the first thing to fall by the wayside is the time we put into taking care of ourselves. We’ve all had the experience of fighting through a long day without the benefit of a good night’s sleep, or putting off a meal to accommodate an overscheduled day. And we’re all on the lookout for ways to take a little care that will fit in amongst all the chaos.
One simple way to improve your day is to elevate your lunch. How often is lunch an afterthought- a simple snack eaten on the run from one obligation to another or held in one hand while the other types away? Why not use that time another way? With the right recipe, even five minutes dedicated to simple prep can yield a delicious, filling meal. Here we present five delightful lunches, each built around RAGÚ® Old World Style® Traditional Sauce. There’s no quick fix in the struggle for more time, but it only takes a few moments to prepare a flavorful meal featuring a delicious tomato sauce made with authentic ingredients like olive oil and vine-ripened tomatoes.
Chorizo Rigatoni Bake
A family classic that more than proves that it doesn’t take long to put together a satisfying, savory dish. This spin on a pasta casserole has a great yield, can be expanded with your favorite handy ingredients, and is a great way to warm up your day as we head into the colder months. Ideally for those of us with daytime obligations, all but a minute or two of the prep time is dedicated to baking and bringing water to a boil, during which time you can attend to the business at hand. Better still, it can be prepped in advance, refrigerated or frozen, and ready to be quickly warmed for lunch.
Farmer’s Stack
Here’s a change of pace from the standard cold cuts on whole wheat- a simple but delicious medley of vegetables and RAGÚ® Old World Style® Traditional Sauce. And the star of the show, the savory polenta and quinoa patties, are a snap to prepare and quite suitable to the freezer. So even the modest cooking time you’ll spend can bring a bounty of quick-prep lunches.
Creamy Cauliflower Tomato Ravioli
The beauty of this simple ravioli recipe (aside from the quick prep time and the short list of ingredients) is that it makes the most of a very elementary setup. The presence of ravioli brings the flavor of savory cheese, and the cauliflower element expands the dish in several directions. First, it bolsters the recipe’s nutritional bona fides, but even more importantly in filling midday meal, it adds a wonderfully creamy texture without heavy cream. Chop your cauliflower while your ravioli cooks, and you’ve made yourself a lunch that will warm your day and satisfy your tastebuds.
Tuscan-Style Sausage Sandwiches
Let’s not count sandwiches out entirely- they’ve certainly earned their place in the pantheon of lunches. But look at what just a few minutes at the stove can accomplish. The sausage slices are cooked with a few fresh vegetables and RAGÚ® Old World Style® Traditional Sauce, and the result is a sandwich that stands head and shoulders above the standard lunch fare.
Rustic Italian Bowls
It’s hard to fathom when you look at the results, but a recipe like this Rustic Italian Bowl is within the reach of anyone who can chop a few vegetables while they wait for water to boil. It’s got a great combination of flavors in its standard form, but it definitely wants to be expanded with your own favorite vegetables or even just the ones you happen to have handy. Better still, pop a chicken breast in the oven while all the other excitement is going on for a little added protein and even more bragging rights when you consider the bag lunches and commandeered kids’ food being enjoyed by your peers.
Give it a try one of these days- take a few moments at midday to transform your lunch from boring to bragworthy. In less time that it’s taken you to read this article, and with a few key staples like RAGÚ® Old World Style® Traditional Sauce, you can prepare a meal that far exceeds the “whatever works” approach that’s so often the result our daily time crunch. Now more than ever, you deserve a thoughtful, sustaining lunch. If you’ve got a few minutes to prep, the possibilities are more promising that you may have imagined.
RAGÚ® sauce helps busy families enjoy more time together thanks to the delicious taste of RAGÚ® Old World Style® Traditional Sauce. For more quick and delicious recipes, visit Ragu.com.
