Lunch Box Series 17: Tiramisu Overnight Oats & Crispy Rice Salad

When the weekdays get busy, lunch is usually the first thing to fall by the wayside. Enter: this week’s Lunch Box Series - two simple, prep-ahead recipes designed to make your workday (or study grind) that little bit easier.

Whether you're in the office, on campus, or powering through emails at home, these are the kind of meals you'll actually look forward to. Picture: a creamy, coffee-kissed Tiramisu Overnight Oats for brekkie, and a Crispy Rice Salad that holds up all week in the fridge.

No complicated steps, no mid-week panic - just good food made ahead of time. Because let’s be honest: work days are always better when there’s something delicious to look forward to!

Tiramisu Overnight Oats

If your dream breakfast involves dessert before 9am… this one's for you. These tiramisu-inspired oats are creamy, satisfying, and just the right amount of sweet - with a hit of coffee to get you through your early meetings or morning lectures.

They’re easy to prep in bulk, store beautifully in our Nesting Containers in the fridge, and feel like a little (deserved) treat every time you open the lid!

Ingredients: Per Serve

• 1/2 cup wheat free oats 

• 1/2 cup almond milk (or milk of choice)

• 1-2 tsp instant coffee (if using fresh espresso shots, reduce the amount of milk)

• 1 tsp honey 

• 1/2 cup dairy free vanilla coconut yoghurt

• 1 tbsp cacao powder 

Method: 

1. In a microwave safe bowl, combine the milk, instant coffee and honey. Microwave for 30 seconds and stir to dissolve the coffee. 

2. Place the wheat free oats into a nesting container before pouring over the liquid mixture.

3. Fold the liquid mixture through the oats until combined. 

4. Store in the fridge overnight. 

5. To serve, top oats with coconut yoghurt and dust with cacao powder. Enjoy! 

Crispy Rice Salad

We’ve seen this viral salad everywhere - so naturally, we had to try it with some added Ela & Earth flair. And now we totally get the hype!

This flavour-packed salad is crunchy, tangy, fresh and a little bit addictive. It’s the kind of lunch that somehow tastes even better by day three (hello, flavour build-up) and makes use of pantry staples and quick to cook rice.

It’s easy to prep ahead in bulk, packs like a dream, and brings serious texture to your midweek lunch game.

Ingredients: Serves 4

• 2 cups cooked rice (we used microwave rice)

• 2 tsp soy

• 2 tbsp crispy chilli oil

• 1 tbsp sesame oil

• BBQ chicken, shredded

• 3 cucumbers, thinly sliced

• 1 cup edamame

• 1 bunch shallots

• 1 handful chopped mint

• 2 avos, diced

• 1/4 cup salted peanuts, chopped

Dressing:

• ¼ cup olive oil

• 1 tbsp sesame oil

• 2 tbsp vinegar

• 3 tbsp soy sauce

• 2 tbsp honey

• 2 garlic cloves, minced

• 1 tsp ginger

• Salt & pepper to taste

Method: 

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees and line a tray with baking paper. 

2. Add cooked and cooled rice to the baking sheet and flatten (we used microwave rice to save time). 

3. Top rice with the soy sauce, crispy chilli oil and sesame oil. Bake for 30-35 minutes, flip half way through. 

4. While the rice is cooking, prepare the remaining salad ingredients. Shred the BBQ chicken, slice the cucumber, shell the edamame, slice shallots, pick the mint leaves and dice the avos. 

5. Remove the rice from the oven and let cool. Add cooled rice and salad ingredients to a large bowl and combine. 

6. Make the dressing by adding ingredients to a bowl and whisking together. Top salad with mint, dressing and chopped peanuts. 

7. Toss salad and portion over 4 containers to prep lunches for the week ahead! 
   

Pack Lunch With Us

Once everything’s made, it’s time to portion and pack - so your future self can thank you later!

We stored our Tiramisu Oats into our stainless steel Medium Nesting Containers - perfect for breakfast on the go or tossing into your work bag for a sweet afternoon pick-me-up.

The Crispy Rice Salad was portioned and packed over four of our Large Nesting Containers for easy, no-fuss lunches throughout the week. Just open and enjoy. Don’t forget to pack our reusable 7pc Cutlery Set unless you want to be rummaging through the office kitchen like an Olympic sport for a spare fork. 

Meal prep = sorted.

Two simple recipes, five days of breakfast and lunch, and one less thing to worry about during a busy week. Whether you're in the office, on campus, or working from home, having something prepped and packed makes all the difference!

From overnight oats that feel like a treat, to a crispy salad that actually holds its crunch, these are meals worth looking forward to.

Ready to upgrade your lunch game? Shop our full range of practical, stylish lunchware essentials today and make packing lunch the easiest part of your day. For recipes, packing tips and more behind-the-scenes fun - check out our BRAND new Instagram page @packedby_elaandearth. See you there!