The Ploughman’s Lunch, aka Ploughman’s, is the UK version of the Snacky Lunch. What was once a laborer’s meal now looks like a very posh cheese and meat platter. Make your own at home for less!
You’re looking for an easy, no-cook meal but you want it to feel a little special.
You’re tired of the same old dinner options, but you need a quick meal that satisfies.
You long for simple meals with little fuss. Without resorting to cans and boxed mixes.
Well, any day of the week, I’d say that the fancy-pants-though-not-difficult-at-all meat and cheese boards that have been filling your instagram feed for a couple years now (aka the Snacky Lunch) is a go-to solution.
Not only does this answer your quick fix dilemma, but it also allows you to take a meal on the go, serve a crowd, and even appease a little wanderlust at the same time.
Wanderlust? Whatchoo talking about, Willis?
Think about it. A Mezze platter lets your tastebuds explore the Mediterranean while the traditional Charcuterie board takes you to France and the antipasto plate to Italy.
The Ploughman’s Lunch? Why it’s a quick ticket to jolly old England, isn’t it?
Pretty much every culture has had its own version of the Snacky Lunch, long before Lunchables were ever devised. And England’s version is quite tasty, indeed.
What Do You Have In A Ploughman’s Lunch?
According to Wikipedia,
A ploughman’s lunch (often abbreviated to just ploughman’s) is an English cold meal which is based around bread, cheese, and onions, usually accompanied with butter and some form of pickle. Additional items such as ham, green salad, hard boiled eggs and applecan be added. As its name suggests, a ploughman’s lunch is most commonly eaten at lunchtime. The meal is particularly associated with public houses and is often accompanied with beer.
In our travels in England, many a pub menu featured some version of the Ploughman’s Lunch, though it is no longer a pub staple. The pubs that do offer it might differ in their offerings, but there are some commonalities.
The Staunton Arms — where I had one of the best meals of my life — offers ham and stilton with crusty bread and pickles. The Bath Brew House — where Bryan says they make the best burger in England — mixes up their “sharing boards” every season along slightly different themes but with the heart of the Ploughman’s Lunch. The Sherlock Holmes offers potted ham hock, sticky pickle sausage roll, cheddar, apple & date chutney, pickled onion, a mini loaf, and butter
The Ploughman’s Lunch is quick to assemble and easy to share, making it a great no-cook option for your own meals at home. And because this is the 21st century, you can play with the bread to meat to cheese to vegetable/fruit ratio as much as you like.
In today’s version, however, I’ve included some basics: good crusty bread, ham, cheese, hard cooked egg, fruit, pickled onions, butter, and English pickle. You can lay out all the fixings and let folks assemble their own or divvy it out on individual boards for a more pampered service.
You can cook the eggs and the English pickle yourself, up to a week in advance, or buy both at the store ready to go. (Psst. Some say that Scotch eggs are traditional in this platter, but good luck finding good ones, if any, in the States.)
It goes without saying that if you indulge, beer or ale is the drink of choice with this meal.
How I make this good:
Whenever possible I like to cook with plain old ingredients. While the convenience of mixes and canned sauces is nice, I feel better about feeding my family just real food whenever possible. (Go here for some of my reasons on all that.)
The fact that this recipe for a Ploughman’s Lunch is generally no-cook doesn’t mean we can’t be picky about ingredient quality. If you can bake your own bread or buy a good quality bread, do. If you can make your own English pickle, yes! It’s a good call if you can pickle your own onions — takes just minutes! — or buy pickled cucumbers without dyes and preservatives.
How I make this cheap:
Here are some of the strategies I use to make this recipe more economical:
- Do a price comparison. I know that Costco is the best place to buy ingredients in bulk, especially sliced meats and fancy cheeses. I keep track of prices so that I know who has the best deal where.
- Stock up on ingredients when they are on sale. For instance, when I see a great price on ground beef at the grocery store, I buy a lot.
- Stretch the more expensive items with less expensive counterparts. Sure, the meats and cheese might be pricey in this dish, but you can use in-season fruit and bake your own bread to offset the costs.
After you’ve enjoyed your own Ploughman’s Lunch at home, I’d love for you to come give the recipe a starred review. Thanks in advance for your feedback. It helps me make sure I’m helping you to eat well without freaking out or going broke.
Ploughman's Lunch
Ingredients
- 1 onion sliced into rings
- 2 tbsp white wine vinegar
- salt
- black pepper
- 4 egg , hard-cooked, peeled and cut in half
- 8 oz sliced ham or other favorite cut meals
- 4 oz sliced English cheese such as Cheddar, Stilton, or Wensleydale
- 8 slices sourdough bread or bread rolls
- 4-8 pieces seasonal fruit
- 4-8 cornichons
- 1/2 cup English pickle
- 4 tbsp butter , cut into pats
Instructions
- In a small bowl, place the onion slices. Pour over the vinegar. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Allow to sit to allow the onion to marinade. This also removes some of the bitterness and heat from the onions.
- Meanwhile, divide the eggs, ham, cheese, bread, fruit, and cucumber pickles among four platters, boards, or dinner plates.
- Divide the English pickle into four small dishes or ramekins. Place a ramekin and a pat of butter on each plate.
- Divide the pickled onions among the four plates and serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
Alpha
I make sour dough bread with a starter. Would love your recipe using yeast.
Jessica Fisher
I use a starter as well for my sourdough. Here’s my post on sourdough.
BP
Love this idea! Thank you!
Jessica Fisher
Let me know how you like it!
2pots2cook
Office lunch it is ! Thank you !
Jessica Fisher
Glad it’s a winner!
Claudia Jimenez
Found Branston pickle at Nugget Market in El Dorado Hills CA. The cheese guy actually opened the jar and let me taste it. I have my bread, cotswal cheddar and pickle, I’m set.
Jessica Fisher
Excellent! If you find that you want to make your own pickle, I’ve got a great recipe linked up above. 🙂
Laurie
I love this type of lunch and I often eat this way for dinner too. I’m a grazer and this spread satisfies me. Great for hot weather and in the winter, I add a small cup of soup.
Laurie
Oops! Forgot to add the stars!
Brooke Kingston
This looks perfect for a no-cook summer meal! Adding it to next week’s menu so I don’t have to switch on the stove during our expected heat wave! Thank you, Jessica!!