14 Fast and Flavourful Lunches To Make When You’re Working From Home

If you’re anything like me, rigorous meal prep is usually in service of the Office Lunch. Meanwhile, it’s the days when I’m working from home that catch me off guard. If you’re also guilty of pulling together lunches on the fly from various bits lurking in the back of your fridge and pantry, these recipes will bail you out. From 10-minute noodles to a Sri Lankan scrambled eggs that’ll knock your socks off, here’s what to make between meetings. 

Justin Narayan’s 10-minute chilli and peanut or sesame noodles

While the dish’s official title claims it’ll be ready in 10 minutes, Masterchef winner Justin Narayan reckons he can bang out these speedy noodles in seven. Use any variety you have on hand, and swap out the peanut butter for tahini if you prefer. 

Rosheen Kaul’s dumpling salad with “ultimate dumpling sauce”

Condiment queen Rosheen Kaul reframes dumplings in a crunchy salad recipe that proves salads can be playful, saucy and bold – and far more dynamic than veggies tossed in a bowl. An ultimate dumpling sauce and cumin buttermilk ranch elevate fried, steamed or boiled beauties alongside baby vegetables and herbs.  

Adam Liaw’s “carbonara” fried rice 

Adam Liaw is the first to admit this take on fried rice is “unconventional”. “Truth be told there’s very little ‘carbonara’ about this simple fried rice. I’ve mainly called it that to annoy the carbonarinieri (Italian food police).” Whatever you call it, it’s big on taste – and absurdly quick to pull together.

Recipetin Eats’ spicy Korean kimchi noodles

Kimchi juice is the secret weapon in this fiery recipe from Recipetin Eats’ Nagi Maehashi. She reckons this might be “the world’s fastest spicy noodle stir-fry” – a niche claim, but as it clocks in at 15 minutes total cooking and prep time, Maehashi could be on to something.

Devon’s egg sando

There’s nothing white bread about this stellar sando, which takes five minutes to make with a few supermarket ingredients. A mini omelette, Kewpie mayo, and furikake sandwiched between soft white bread – what’s not to love? Spice it up with your favourite chilli crunch oil. 

Julia Busuttil Nishimura’s spaghetti with tuna, pangrattato and lemon 

Make your tin of tuna work harder with this trusty Ostro recipe. The hero of many speedy meals, the humble protein is joined by crunchy pangrattato before it's spun through spaghetti (or whatever pasta you’ve got on hand). It takes just 20 minutes to make from start to finish.

Stay for Lunch’s spiced chicken quesadillas

With a little bit of prep, these crunchy quesadillas make for a quick work lunch and rewarding freezer stash. You can always sub out the chicken for beef or black beans, or chuck in extra vegetables, like corn and zucchini.

O Tama Carey’s turmeric and curry leaf scrambled eggs

Scrambled eggs are a go-to haven’t-got-anything-else-in-the-pantry dinner – but add a satisfying medley of spices and you’ve got something pretty special for lunch. The best bit? This one’s on the table in around 15 minutes.

Sarah Pound’s herby chickpea salad with maple and tahini dressing

A similar salad to this one went viral in 2022 because Jennifer Aniston supposedly ate it. Whether or not that’s true is irrelevant: all you need to know is this melange is a textural bonanza of crunchy nuts, soft feta, smooth chickpeas and creamy maple and tahini dressing.

Silvia Colloca’s frittata di spaghetti

Turning last night’s leftovers into today’s lunch is a surefire way to save money. Silvia Colloca’s frittata di spaghetti – or Neapolitan bubble and squeak – transforms cold spaghetti in any sauce into an entirely new meal, with just a few simple ingredients.

Libby Dunlop’s vego sanga

Sydney’s Cut Lunch Deli has done us a solid and shared the recipe behind a perennial menu favourite – inspired by a Molly Baz salad of haloumi, pear, cucumber and olive tapenade. A minty yoghurt dressing brings it all together. 

Morning Market's salad sandwich

If you’d prefer to lean into classic-sandwich territory, do it with this salad number from Melbourne’s Morning Market. It’s satisfying and restorative, delicious, but not revolutionary. The quality of the bread is crucial, and a dense seeded loaf is the perfect canvas for your fresh produce.

Up South’s lunch bowl

Need a flavour-packed lunch for the warmer months? As always, viral baking sensation Cherry Yap has the goods. Her Bondi Cafe’s textured lunch bowl is bursting with so much flavour, it’s easy to forget it’s good for you. 

Jock Zonfrillo’s baked Italian eggs 

Halve the recipe for Zonfrillo’s Italian baked eggs and you’ve got a warming winter lunch. Or don’t – and save the leftovers for tonight’s dinner. Any combination of cheeses and Mediterranean herbs will get you over the line. Simply omit the speck for the vegetarian version.