I make lunch for three people to bring to work everyday (barter for car share!). What are your favorite lunches to bring to work? thank you!

I just found this link and thought of you! The recipes look great and are inexpensive -http://www.biggirlssmallkitchen.com/2011/07/how-to-brown-bag-it.html

Bean salads in the summer, and "dressy" mac and cheese (topped with whatever you have on hand) are faves in my household. If you have an asian market nearby, anything is more fun in a bento box!

I also say, frittata, and in particular, its cousin the spanish omelet (but I could eat that every day!) I also like bean salad, especially mixed with a grain like wheat berries--it's different and more substance than just a bean salad. Pan Bagnat is a sandwich MEANT to get soggy, so perfect for lunch. I've made a "savory quick bread" from the Chocolate and Zucchini cookbook which is fun--it's all the components of a sandwich but baked into a bread which is kind of cool.

a frittata, my favorite room temperature lunch item. make it sunday night and you could potentially stretch 2 lunch days out of it, if you add a fruit salad on the side, or a mixed green salad (bring dressing to work in a jar). sounds fun!

I make a big batch of farro (toasted in olive oil, cooked like risotto) and then cook down a bunch of greens with onion & garlic, grate some good pecorino on it and poof - cheap, healthy, delish!

I love homemade soup for lunch. Even in the summer, gazpacho or cold potato leek soup is great. In the winter, minestrone, hot and sour soup, chicken noodle or lentil soup hits the spot.

And a nice quinoa salad stretches far and gives you a protein lift. There are many nice quinoa salads on this site, too:

http://www.food52.com/recipes/ingredient/Quinoa

There was a whole theme around bag lunches - maybe some of these will appeal?

http://www.food52.com/contests/176

Depending on how picky the coworkers are, I love good salads. Marinated pasta salads, [ http://www.food52.com/recipes/5287_summer_pasta_alla_caprese ], interested potato salads [ http://www.food52.com/recipes/6968_yam_zucchini_and_chickpea_salad ] and other combos. I like roasting a chicken and turning it into a zingy chicken salad with greek yogurt, celery, cranberries, scallions.

You could also bake some bread [or buy it] and bring in sandwich fixings. Then everyone could make a sandwich to their liking.

My friend and co-worker and I are doing the same thing! So far, I've made this:
http://www.food52.com/recipes/8565_mujaddara_with_spiced_yogurt
http://www.food52.com/recipes/265_tuscan_grilled_zucchini_summer_squash (with roasted chicken)
http://www.food52.com/recipes/7491_tomato_rice_tamatar_biryani
http://www.food52.com/recipes/12954_curried_coconut_canary_beans

The last two I made to eat together and it was a great meal. It's fun to share so that you don't get tired of eating leftovers!

I forgot the words and tags affordable! thank you!