The Edible Codex

THE EDIBLE CODEX

Lunch Ideas — Easy Family Lunch Recipes

Lunch Ideas — Easy Family Lunch Recipes

Lunch Ideas — Easy Family Lunch Recipes

In much of the Arab world lunch is the main meal — the dish that brings the family together — and the daily question is "what are we cooking today?". This is a tested list of lunch dishes with rice, beef, chicken and pasta, so the week never repeats.

Each dish shows its time, so you know at a glance whether it's ready by midday.

The recipes

  1. Maqluba (Arabic Upside-Down Rice)

    The Friday dish: rice, aubergine, potato and chicken or lamb. · 2 h

  2. Chicken Tikka Masala

    Chicken in an Indian tomato-cream sauce, with rice or naan. · 75 min

  3. Lasagna al Forno (Classic Baked Lasagna)

    Lasagna with meat sauce and béchamel — one tray feeds the family. · 2 h

  4. Beef Stew

    Beef and vegetable stew, slow-cooked. · 3 h

  5. Classic Roast Chicken

    A whole roast chicken with crisp skin. · 2 h

  6. Chicken Fried Rice

    Chicken fried rice in 25 minutes. · 25 min

  7. Classic Meatloaf

    A baked beef loaf with a glossy glaze. · 90 min

  8. Quesabirria Tacos (Birria Tacos)

    Cheesy birria tacos for a weekend lunch. · 3 h

Chef's notes

A week of lunches

A rice day (maqluba or fried rice), a chicken day (roast or tikka), a beef day (stew or meatloaf) and a pasta day (lasagna). Nothing repeats.

Prep the night before

Marinate the chicken and chop the vegetables the night before, and lunch takes half the time.

Questions

What should I cook for lunch today?

With time: maqluba or lasagna. In a hurry: chicken fried rice in 25 minutes.

What's the easiest family lunch?

Roast chicken: little prep, and the oven does the work.

Are the recipes halal?

Yes — every recipe is halal, with no pork and no alcohol.

The Cookbook That Has You Cooking Like a Chef

Explore the site

  • Home
  • Shop
  • Recipes
  • Guides
  • Videos
  • About the chef
  • FAQ
  • Contact
  • The Cookbook That Has You Cooking Like a Chef
  • The Five Signature Sauces

Cooking guides

  • Viral TikTok Recipes Actually Worth Making — Tested by a Chef
  • Easy Dinner Ideas — Restaurant-Quality Meals at Home
  • Dubai Chocolate & Viral Desserts — The Real Recipes
  • Easy Korean Recipes at Home — Buldak, Ramen & Garlic Bread
  • Easy Party Appetizers & Side Dishes Guests Remember
  • Colourful Sauces for Plating — Make Food Look Restaurant-Made
  • Arabic Food Recipes — Maqluba, Kibbeh, Fattoush & Lentil Soup
  • Homemade Bread Recipes — Sourdough, Focaccia, Naan, Bagels & Brioche
  • Easy Chicken Recipes — Roast Chicken, Fajitas, Tikka Masala & Fried Rice
  • Easy Dessert Recipes — Cookies, Cinnamon Rolls, Brownies & Biscoff Tiramisu
  • Pasta & Noodle Recipes — Lasagna, Pad Thai, Pho & Ramen
  • Ramadan Iftar Recipes — Soups, Salads, Mains & Desserts
  • Salad Recipes — Fattoush, Caesar, Potato & Pasta Salad
  • Lunch Ideas — Easy Family Lunch Recipes
  • Easy Home Cooking — Simple Recipes in Under an Hour
  • Suhoor Ideas — Light, Filling Ramadan Suhoor Recipes
  • Soup Recipes — Lentil Soup, Pho, Beef Stew & Ramen
  • Breakfast Ideas — Pancakes, Cinnamon Rolls, Bagels & Banana Bread
  • Beef Recipes — Kibbeh, Lasagna, Tacos, Stew & Meatloaf
  • Dinner Party Recipes — Mains, Starters & Desserts for Guests

Free recipes from the book

  • The Original Baked Feta Pasta
  • Marry Me Chicken
  • Quesabirria Tacos (Birria Tacos)
  • Gigi Hadid's Spicy Vodka Pasta
  • Emily Mariko's Salmon Rice Bowl
  • Green Goddess Salad
  • Sushi Bake
  • Smashed Potatoes
  • Bang Bang Shrimp
  • Dalgona Coffee (Whipped Coffee)
  • Crinkle Cake (Muakacha)
  • French Onion Grilled Cheese
  • Whipped Feta & Hot Honey Dip
  • Korean Cream Cheese Garlic Bread
  • The Logan Moffitt Viral Cucumber Salad
  • The Viral Dubai Pistachio Kunafa Chocolate
  • The Onion Boil
  • Volcano Cheese Ramen
  • Tanghulu (Microwave Method)
  • Cheese Buldak (Korean Fire Chicken)
  • Japanese Soufflé Pancakes
  • The 'Crookie' (Croissant Cookie)
  • Honeycomb Pasta Pie (Rigatoni Cake)
  • Cornflake Chicken Tenders (ASMR Crunch)
  • Accordion Potatoes
  • Beet & Pickled Ginger
  • Herb & Chlorophyll
  • Aged Balsamic & Date
  • Viral "Pan-banging" Chocolate Chip Cookies
  • The Viral Cinnamon Roll Hack
  • Sheet Pan Pancakes
  • Beef Tacos
  • Kibbeh (Fried Bulgur & Meat Croquettes)
  • Mochi Brownies (Brochis)
  • Maqluba (Arabic Upside-Down Rice)
  • Biscoff Tiramisu
  • Chicken Fajitas
  • Kylie Jenner’s Ramen
  • Pho (Vietnamese Noodle Soup)
  • Banana Bread
  • Lasagna al Forno (Classic Baked Lasagna)
  • Bagels
  • Chicken Fried Rice
  • Naan Bread
  • Sourdough Bread
  • Focaccia Bread
  • Classic Meatloaf
  • Brioche Bread
  • Beef Stew
  • Cornbread
  • Pad Thai (Thai Stir-Fried Noodles)
  • Classic American Potato Salad
  • Italian Pasta Salad
  • Classic Roast Chicken
  • Hearty Lentil Soup
  • Caesar Salad
  • Chicken Tikka Masala
  • Fattoush (Levantine Bread Salad)

Technique videos

  • Why Fried Cheese Leaks — and the 30-Minute Fix
  • Crispy Chips in One Second — 190°C and a Bone-Dry Sheet
  • Hollandaise Splits Above 65°C — Here Is the Right Heat
  • Crispy Rice: Press It Cold — The Restaurant Texture Secret

Share this page: WhatsApp · Facebook · X · Pinterest