Simplify your A.M. meal prep with these quick lunch recipes you can make in minutes.
41 Quick Lunch Recipes You Can Master in a Morning
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Buffalo Chicken Wrap
These Buffalo chicken wraps have contrasting flavors and textures (spicy and refreshing, crisp and tender), and they make an ideal picnic sandwich served with carrot and celery sticks, fruit salad and potato chips.
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Spinach Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing
This salad has been a family favorite for a while! I love to bring this to parties or simply eat as a wonderful lunch or side dish. —Nikki Barton, Providence, Utah
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Super Fast Mexican Soup
We take this spicy soup to rodeos on cool nights or sip it by a campfire. For toppings, try onions, avocado, cheese, jalapenos, sour cream and salsa. —Gloria Huse, Simpsonville, South Carolina
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Makeover Reuben Melt
This twist on a classic Reuben keeps the corned beef and uses a sauce made with Swiss (and plenty of thousand-island flavor). Fresh slaw on top replaces the sauerkraut. —Jenni Sharp, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
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Almond Chicken Salad
My mother used to prepare this chicken salad with grapes and almonds for an evening meal during the hot summer months. It's my favorite of my mother's chicken salad recipes. You can also serve it as a delicious but quick luncheon or potluck dish. —Kathy Kittell, Lenexa, Kansas
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Easy Buffalo Chicken Lettuce Wraps
One time when making sloppy joes, I wanted mine spicy, so I doused it in hot sauce. After that, my mind went wild and I made it Buffalo chicken-style with ground chicken, diced celery and blue cheese crumbles. I've been making it this way ever since. —Jennifer Nielson, Spanish Fork, Utah
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Almond Strawberry Salad
It's easy to love this pretty salad topped with strawberries and sliced almonds. With just a few ingredients, it's loaded with flavor. —Renae Rossow, Union, Kentucky
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Taco Soup
Love chili? Give our easy taco soup recipe a try. Filled with ground beef, chilies, beans and stewed tomatoes, this one-pot meal is a snap to put together. Everyone in the family will have fun adding their favorite toppings!
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Blueberry Romaine Salad
I love to bring this delicious salad to school gatherings. The homemade dressing couldn't be simpler, so I whip it up in advance and just give it a quick toss with the other ingredients when I get to any event. —Kris Bristol, Charlotte, Michigan
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Sparkling Fruit Salad
Pineapple chunks, mandarin oranges, strawberries and grapes are treated to a dressing of wine and sparkling club soda in this delightful salad. Serve in dessert dishes or set the whole bowl on the table for a fetching presentation. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
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Turkey-Jalapeno Sandwiches
When a turkey sandwich meets modern Thai, it’s a fun mix of classic and trendy food. I love it when my mixing and matching turns out so tasty. —Stacy Mullens, Gresham, Oregon
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Cream of Cauliflower Soup
This cream of cauliflower soup is a comforting blend of tender cauliflower, rich broth and cheddar cheese, creating a hearty, flavorful dish. Easy to prepare and customizable, it's ideal for cozy dinners or light lunches.
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Garden Chickpea Salad
Looking for a summer dish with a difference? Combine colorful crunchy veggies with soft feta cheese and good-for-you garbanzos. If you like, add sliced, cooked chicken or lamb. —Sally Sibthorpe, Shelby Township, Michigan
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Chicken Parm Sandwich
Coat tender chicken breasts with seasoned bread crumbs and smother in marinara sauce. Served on a hoagie, it’s a real treat! —Sue Bosek, Whittier, California
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Guacamole Tossed Salad
The fresh blend of avocados, tomatoes, red onion and greens in my salad gets additional pizazz from crumbled bacon and a slightly spicy vinaigrette. —Lori Fischer, Chino Hills, California
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Powerhouse Protein Parfaits
Parfaits have marvelous taste and texture, but many are loaded with sugar and leave you peckish for more. Here’s my protein-inspired option with yogurt, fruit and nuts. —Jen Hubin, Minnetonka, Minnestoa
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Grilled Pesto, Ham and Provolone Sandwiches
These Italian-style sandwiches are loaded with zesty flavors. To lighten them a little, use fat-free mayo. We serve them with minestrone or a crisp salad. —Priscilla Yee, Concord, California
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Curried Egg Salad
A curry kick gives this egg salad big appeal. We love it when the weather gets warm. —Joyce McDowell, West Union, Ohio
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English Muffin Egg Sandwiches
You can't beat the delicious combination of mushrooms, onions, peppers and cream cheese! Leave out the red pepper flakes for a less spicy taste.—Amy Lloyd, Madison, Wisconsin.
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Apple Chicken Quesadillas
My sister came up with an easy recipe that can be served as a main course or an appetizer. People are surprised by the combination of chicken, apples, tomatoes and corn inside the crispy tortillas, but they love it. —Stacia Slagle of Maysville, Missouri
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Broiled Pizza Burgers
My mother made Broiled Pizza Burgers when I was growing up. We like them for Sunday supper, and they're even faster to fix if you use pre-browned hamburger from the freezer. We sometimes substitute slices of cheddar for the process cheese. —Mrs. Ann Bailes, Anderson, South Carolina
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Spinach Quesadillas
My family gave these cheesy quesadillas oohs and aahs. Remove the spinach from the heat as soon as it wilts so it keeps a little bit of crunch. —Pam Kaiser, Mansfield, Missouri
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Buffalo Turkey Burgers
Celery and blue cheese dressing help tame the hot sauce on this turkey burger recipe. For an even lighter version, pass on the buns and serve the burgers with lettuce leaves, sliced onion and chopped tomato. —Mary Pax-Shipley, Bend, Oregon
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Tuna Wrap
Loaded with the best tuna salad and fresh, colorful, crunchy vegetables, this heart-healthy tuna wrap is perfect for lunch or a light dinner.
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Tuna Nicoise Salad
Tuna Nicoise salad is a perfect lunch for a weekend or even to make ahead for the work week. Our recipe is traditional with tuna, tomatoes and beans, but is easily adaptable to suit your tastes.
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Berry Turkey Sandwich
Sliced fresh strawberries, Swiss cheese and a nutty cream cheese spread make this turkey sandwich different. Try it on whole wheat, oatmeal or sunflower seed bread. It's tasty and easy to put together. —Edward Meyer of Arnold, Missouri
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Quick Beef Vegetable Soup
At the end of a long day, you want to put something quick, warm and substantial on the table for your family. This hefty vegetable soup delivers. It will have you out of the kitchen in no time flat! —D.M. Hillock, Hartford, Michigan
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Tuna and White Bean Lettuce Wraps
Here's a fabulous way to dress up ordinary tuna salad. This easy recipe makes a quick dinner or lunch at the office, and it's good for you. —Heather Senger, Madison, Wisconsin
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Classic Avocado Toast
This is such an easy way to add avocados to your diet. Use healthy multigrain bread and top with sliced radishes and cracked pepper or lime zest, or chipotle peppers and cilantro. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen
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Lunch Box Pizzas
When you have these fun-to-make mini pizzas, it's no challenge finding lunch fare that the kids enjoy. Plus they pack nicely in sandwich bags and travel well, so there's no mess. —Rhonda Cliett, Belton, Texas
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Blueberry Fruit Smoothie
This fruit smoothie recipe is one of my favorites. The yummy blend just might take you back to soda-fountain days…but it's a nutritious low-fat alternative to traditional malts, shakes and sodas. —Mary LaJoie, Glenoma, Washington
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Quick Taco Wraps
I was running late one night, so I shopped in my own fridge and came up with ingredients that became taco wraps. Everybody at the table was a happy camper. —Katie Mitschelen, La Porte, Indiana
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Fiesta Pinwheels
Whenever I serve this make-ahead, easy pinwheel recipe, they disappear fast. When a friend at the office shared them with me, I knew in one bite I'd be taking her Mexican pinwheels home for the holidays. —Diane Martin, Brown Deer, Wisconsin
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PBJ on a Stick
Take the classic peanut butter and jelly sandwich on the go with these skewers. They also make easy snacks. —Sara Martin, Brookfield, Wisconsin
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Tortilla Chicken Bean Soup
Tasty toppings jazz up this no-fuss soup that has Mexican flair. The recipe for this sure-to-please soup was given to me by a friend. I make it often for company, and everyone asks for the recipe. You can substitute pinto beans in red chili sauce for the regular pinto beans and cumin called for in the recipe. —Michelle Larson, Greentown, Indiana
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Caprese Skewers
Light, satisfying and healthful in one impossibly easy-to-make dish? Yes, please! Enjoy these Caprese skewers as an app, side dish—truly perfect paired with grilled meat or poultry—or a convenient snack. Every bite is a little taste of summer.
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Caramel Apple and Brie Skewers
I'm a caterer, and this is one of my best-selling appetizers. The shortcut of using prepared caramel makes these little apple skewers a snap to assemble. —Camille Ellis, Tampa, Florida
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