Lunchbox Recipes – 4 Dishes, 40 Minutes

Let’s pack my husband’s lunchbox together; we will make FOUR dishes in 40 minutes! 

I pack my husband’s lunchbox every Sunday. I want to make sure his lunch box has two protein and 2 vegetable side dishes options.

All these recipes take less than 20 minutes to make individually and pair perfectly together! Feel free to make adjustments, and I also have other past lunchbox recipes, such as my Chinese Food recipe and my 5 dishes for 1-hour lunchbox, that you can check out on my page! 

I INCLUDED A GROCERY SHOPPING LIST FOR THIS WEEK’S LUNCH BOX AT THE BOTTOM, ALONG WITH LINKS TO THE RECIPES SO YOU CAN RE-CREATE IT AT HOME. 

LUNCHBOX MENU THIS WEEK

• Garlic Black Pepper Chicken 
• Mapo Tofu
• Buttery Black Pepper Mushroom
• Taiwanese Bacon and Cabbage 

LUNCHBOX DISH #1 GARLIC BLACK PEPPER CHICKEN

Tender, juicy, and buttery Black Pepper Chicken is ready in less than 20 minutes!

Get your rice prepared because this Garlic Black Pepper Chicken is one of the BEST recipes I’ve ever created.

Combining Taiwanese night market Black Pepper sauce and sizzling chicken steak, this recipe is easy and is now my favorite way to enjoy chicken.

You already have all the ingredients in the fridge, so make this Garlic Black Pepper Chicken for dinner this week; you can thank me later! 

Ingredients 

• 4 pieces of boneless chicken thigh with the skin on 
• Salt and Pepper to season
• 1.5 tbsp of Butter 

Black Pepper Sauce 

• 3 tbsp of Oyster sauce 
• 2 tbsp of Soy Sauce 
• 0.5 tbsp of Black Pepper (adjust to your spice tolerance) 
• 1.5 tbsp of Garlic (minced) 
• 2 tbsp of Honey 
• 2.5 tbsp of Ketchup 

LUNCHBOX DISH #2: MAPO TOFU

When I think of comfort foods, I think of recipes that I grew up eating made by my mom and grandma; Mapo Tofu is one of the first recipes I learned to make on my own. 

I am sharing my family’s Mapo Tofu recipe that will have you downing bowls and bowls of rice. Mapo Tofu is spicy tofu and pork stew that is savory, spicy, and the ultimate rice killer.

Every family has its variation of Mapo Tofu, but this is my favorite since it is what I grew up eating, and it’s also fast and easy to make at home! Don’t worry if you can’t eat spicy food; just adjust the seasoning to your liking.

Ingredients 

• 1 pack of Firm/Traditional Tofu 
• 1 cup of Ground Lean Pork (or chicken and shiitake mushroom) 
• ¼ cup of sliced Shiitake Mushrooms 
• 3 cloves of Garlic chopped 
• 1 stalk of Green Onion (seperated whites and greens) 
• 1.5 tbsp of Fermented Chilli Bean Paste
• 2 tsp of Sugar  
• 1.5 tbsp of Soy Sauce 
• 1-2 cup of Chicken Stock or Water 
• 1 tsp of Sichuan Pepper Grounded
• 1-3 tbsp of cornstarch 

LUNCHBOX DISH #3: BUTTERY BLACK PEPPER MUSHROOM 

One of the best ways to speed up the cooking process is to utilize what you already have! Using the oil rendered from the chicken, pan-fry any mushroom of your choice.

I like to use shiitake mushrooms, shemiji mushrooms, and cremini mushrooms, but you can use anything you like. To level up the mushroom even more, add a little bit of butter to make it extra buttery and savory! 

Ingredients

• 3 cups of mushroom of your choice 
• 2 tablespoons butter

1. After removing the chicken, add in the mushroom. Panfry for 3-4 minutes or until the mushroom has softened. 
2. Remove and set aside. 
3. Once the chicken is removed from the black pepper sauce, add back in the mushroom, and add in 2 tablespoons of butter. 
4. Pan-fry on high heat for another 2-3 minutes, and you are ready! 

LUNCHBOX DISH #4: TAIWANESE BACON AND CABBAGE 

If there is one vegetable dish I cannot live without is my Taiwanese Bacon and Cabbage. Every Taiwanese household probably had Taiwanese bacon and cabbage made by their mom.

It is simple, delicious, and easy to make at home! The cabbage is super crunchy, and then coated with bacon and garlic, it makes it even more delicious! 

Ingredients

• 4-5 cups of cabbage 
• 5 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced 
• 4 strips of bacon, sliced 
• ¼ cup of water

1. Pan-fry bacon on medium-high heat for 4-5 minutes or until crispy 
2. Add in garlic, water, and cabbage, and toss together for 5-6 minutes and serve immediately