Cosmo Work Lunches - Protobite #1

(NOTE: Protobite is a series where I test recipes, often THM-ifying them.)

It’s 4:00. You’re starving. You just have an hour left of work, so you either piddle around the work kitchen foraging for something to eat, or hold out for dinner at home, which you try and put together in frustration due to hanger. Sound familiar?

In my never ending search for new recipes, and easy ways to include healthy meals on a regular basis, I stumbled across this Cosmo article claiming to be the solution to end overpriced salads. While I am a lover of jar salads, I would love to find a heartier alternative to our 3-4 pm snack need. This article seemed quite promising, so I added the suggested items to my Walmart delivery order, and kept my fingers crossed. 

The Process

And it went like… 

I went ahead and placed a Walmart grocery delivery order for the chicken sausage, dill, tomatoes, brown rice, mozzarella pearls, a zucchini, oranges, and canned artichokes hearts. Ideally, you’re supposed to prep these meals at one time, and eat them throughout the week. I fully intended to do just that, but ended up making the rice and pasta as needed, and just dipped out of the remains for the next few days. Unfortunately, the  zucchini didn’t get delivered. :(

Attempt One: Chicken sausage, brown rice, pesto, tomatoes, and capers.

I accidentally made a crossover with this one. (Which is totally fine! I just somehow forgot that pesto contained fats.) Not to spoil the ending, but this was hands down my favorite combo. I used boil-in-a-bag brown rice which cooked in the microwave. I also microwaved the (precooked) chicken sausage. The rest just I just plopped into the bowl. 

Attempt Two: Chicken sausage, Dreamfield’s penne, tomatoes, pesto, and mozzarella pearls.

Until this little experiment, I didn’t know mozzarella pearls existed. They are my new favorite thing, and I was able to order them using Walmart delivery (not sponsored). This was definitely my second favorite. THM: S.

Attempt Three: Chicken Sausage, penne, Parmesan cheese, tomatoes, and dill 

This was probably my least favorite out of the four. It wasn’t bad, but it just felt like it was missing something, and was overall kind of bland. (THM: S)

Attempt Four: Chicken sausage, penne, dill, oranges, and the tiniest bit of Parmesan cheese

I’ll be the first to admit that this combo does sound a little odd. But, Micah reassured me it tasted great. I was desperate to get an e meal out of this experience, so I added the orange (per the article as fruit in season), and it truly did add an interesting flavor.  

Conclusion:

Would I do this again? Defiantly. I would like to try and succeed at prepping lunches for work for the week ahead of time, but have not yet mastered time management. I would also like to venture out protein wise. I think canned chicken would be a great option, or even tuna going forward in the future. This process did force me to be a bit creative, which was fun, and our family thrives in a “by the seat of our pants” environment, which these meals fit perfectly. I would recommend trying this, or a similar version that works best for your lifestyle.

Thank you for reading! Feel free to comment your thoughts below.