Cheap ideas for lunch?

[Crutchlow35]

I am so sick of sandwiches and rolls so I thought about doing pasta bolognese, mac cheese type dishes and freezing but will cooked pasta freeze and then defrost ok?

Cooked pasta freezes and defrosts fine, I find leaving it out of the freezer overnight works well. Then you can just reheat in the microwave if you want it warm - best done in a sauce ime, the pasta just seems better that way (so, eg, the bolognese). Sometimes I just defrost in the microwave and cook at the same time, and that's been fine too.

Fwiw we never have sandwiches for lunch - just a matter of personal preference, I need a proper meal in the middle of the day! If you have leftovers from dinner then just pop it in a little plastic box - my lunch is often dinner from one or two nights previously. Also I make good use of frozen veg, I just throw handfuls of peas, sweetcorn, broccoli etc into a box, then I add the meat/fish and carbs (usually something like some leftover cooked chicken and rice or pasta). The vegetables defrost by lunchtime and get cooked by heating in the microwave - so if you're eating lunch outside (eg at work) but have access to a microwave this is a really good way of having a nice lunch with different components but with little fuss. If you're at home then it's even easier

At the weekend, I'll clear out the fridge and make a big pot of soup/ stew with any veg that needs using up. A tin of tomatoes, and maybe a tin of beans or chickpeas goes well. Lots of herbs for seasoning. I portion these into individual tubs (and try to remember to label them), and keep in teh freezer.