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Original poster

Ideas for meals that are nice cold next day

28 replies

ifonly4 · 14/10/2015 10:03

One day a week DH is leaving at 7am and returning at 10pm (for the foreseeable future). He has sandwiches & banana for lunch. There's no microwave/kettle facilities, so I'm struggling to think of what else he can eat cold. So far I've done a tomato pasta and quiche followed by grapes. He did say he'd eat spag bol cold, but I wouldn't fancy that myself. Also, needs to be something he can eat picking at with a fork or spoon, as he'll need to continue working while he eats.

OP posts:
Jbck · 14/10/2015 10:12

Any dryish rice dish dependent on what flavours he likes, risotto would be horrible cold.

Chicken biryani type thing but you could vary flavours, do a veggie version.

Can he take a flask of hot soup or water to add to stuff?

Salad, cous cous?

Twitterqueen · 14/10/2015 10:15

Frittata is preferable cold imho. I made a lovely chorizo and potato one recently that was much nicer cold the next day

UmbongoUnchained · 14/10/2015 10:17

I love cold spag Bol!
Left over fajitas are ok cold, and anything with pasta or rice really. If you do a roast, cold meat sandwiches are good.

whois · 14/10/2015 10:58

Agree with the posters above plus a few more:
Fritata
Fajitas
Couscous salad (whit feta, chicken, chorizo, whatever)
Rice salad
Second sandwich
Meat pie type thing, cornish pasty
Quiche
Pastry tart
Filo pastry parcel or pie, something like spanakopita
Cold pizza
Cheese, crackers, pate, apple, grapes, chutny
Any substantial salads involving grains/lentils

Crosbybeach · 14/10/2015 11:15

Can he take a flask?

Roasted veg with feta and lentils.

whois · 14/10/2015 11:19

Something like a sushi box would be nice too - some sushi rice, smoked or cold poached salmon or tuna tartar and some crunchy aisan slaw.

Cold smoked mackerel with a new potato salad.

whois · 14/10/2015 11:20

What kind of office where you work at a desk doesn't have even a kettle (or a hot water machine)?

Original poster
ifonly4 · 14/10/2015 12:03

Thanks for your replies, they certainly do help and I can use them.

whois, basically DH works fulltime but is doing a degree as well as he's really unhappy in his current job . The degree is managed by a group (other than a college), DH says there's a kitchen other side of building, but everyone wants to keep break down to a 10 mins to maximize use of teachers present - he uses his break to go to toilet. In all fairness he can use a kettle at work until 3pm (but is limiting breaks there as he's trying to keep his hours up as work are being flexible over leaving for courses and training sessions).

OP posts:
whois · 14/10/2015 12:45

wow that sounds like a touch day ifonly4

To add to the cold smoked mackerel with a new potato salad - I would add in a soft-yolk hard boiled egg and diced cucumber and beetroot as well to make it a full meal maybe.

Also spiced salmon with lentils is nice cold the next day.

whois · 14/10/2015 12:54

I think a 'greek selection' he could pick at whilst working would be nice too for dinner.

Pepper, cucumber and carrot sticks, homous, stuffed vine leaves (I would buy those from supermarket) and some feta chunks or some purchased feta filled pastry things or falafal.

An 'indian' selection could also work. Waitrose do a lovely spicy rice with raisins in those square tubs, and you could easily make your own. That plus some bought roast chicken tika slices (or do oyur own), cucumber slices and a couple of onion bahjis or samosas with a dollop of mango chutney would make a nice meal. At home that night you could have the other onion bahjis from the pack with more of the rice and a quick curry so you aren't doubling up on cooking.

cdtaylornats · 14/10/2015 13:08

A pie that jellies when cold, ham and chicken, game etc.

Original poster
ifonly4 · 14/10/2015 14:24

whois, to be honest I don't know if he can keep it up for two years. He has to do various training sessions on top, do studying, read books and get experience, all on top of working a full week. All I can do is make sure he eats properly, do whatever I can at home and keep out of his way. Luckily there's some good things for me on TV at the moment and I love reading books. DD is determined to get some GCSE A*s so is buckling down and spending quite a lot of time on her work at home, so at least she's not missing out.

Everyone, some of your ideas sound really yummy - just have to hope I'm not tempted to eat them first!!

OP posts:
KitKat1985 · 14/10/2015 18:47

Just to add cold pizza is nice. Smile

987flowers · 14/10/2015 22:15

I'd invest in one of these

www.amazon.co.uk/Thermos-Stainless-King-Food-Flask/dp/B001ET6P9Q

Keeps food hot for 7 hrs and he could take soup, curries, stews etc. Especially as it's meant to be getting colder soon!

PurpleDaisies · 14/10/2015 22:24

This is lovely and you can basically put whatever you have in the fridge in it...
www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/4540/crispy-greekstyle-pie-

I'm a bit of a fan of cous cous with cold falafel. Roast some extra veggies in the evening and eat with rocket, some sort of cheese and a dressing like honey mustard taken in a little jam jar (the size you get in hotels) so the salad doesn't go soggy.

yumyumpoppycat · 15/10/2015 00:07

most meat is nice cold, chicken drumsticks with coleslaw and salad?

HuevosRancheros · 15/10/2015 11:37

Similar to flowers' suggestion, I recently got DD one of these for school: Aladdin lunch box

It is wider and shallower than most flasks, so better for proper meals rather than just soups. She often has leftovers from the night before (her choice!! She is happy with this :)), I just have to microwave it in the morning. Today she's having shepherd's pie and baked beans, other meals have been curry and rice, pasta and sauce, lasagne etc. you can put pretty much anything in and it stays warm enough til lunchtime. Probably not scorching, but warm enough :)

scarfaceace · 15/10/2015 12:03

I was in a similar situation once and occasionally in the winter I would put something in tin foil (pie/pasty type things) or in one of those foil trays (shepherds pie/curry type things as suggested previously), and on arrival I put whatever it was on the radiator. By lunchtime it was warm and tasty. Could he do that now and then?

PurpleDaisies · 15/10/2015 12:06

Having been on a food safety and hygiene course I would not recommend that at all. It sounds like a recipe for food poisoning.

scarfaceace · 15/10/2015 12:18

I never thought of that Purple - but in my innocence I did enjoy it at the time.

Chippednailvarnish · 15/10/2015 12:20

What about a wide neck thermos flask for soup, etc?

rebeccaduhany · 15/10/2015 12:56

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toffeeboffin · 19/10/2015 02:15

Chicken and red pepper pasta pesto is really good as a cold pasta salad the day after, especially if you use a short pasta like penne.

How about quiche? Not sure if it has been mentioned already.

Definitely pump up the lunch box with cakes, scones, biscuits and peanut butter, fruit etc.

ThumbWitchesAbroad · 19/10/2015 02:48

Pizza! Always better the day after.

I've just had cold roast turkey breast fillet for my lunch - was delicious!
I also like a bit of cold salmon fillet the day after but that would need to be taken in a chillbag or put in a fridge for the morning.