Any family that cooks at home knows that one of the hardest things to deal with can be leftovers. Even the best meals can elicit groans from your family after they make a second or third appearance at the dinner table. You don’t, however, want to waste food. That’s like throwing money away. So, how do you deal with leftovers in your house?
We use a few different tricks to make sure that we use up the leftovers in our house. None of these tricks are fool-proof, but together they seem to keep the mound of leftovers at bay.
Date your leftovers. We always write the day’s date on a piece of tape and stick it to the container holding each night’s leftovers. This information allows us to keep track of each leftover’s age and ensure that we eat the container’s contents before they become inedible.
Transform leftovers into something new. No one can complain about eating last night’s leftovers if they don’t realize that they are. Look for recipes that allow you to utilize your leftovers. Grilled chicken breasts from yesterday’s cookout, for instance, can become tasty ingredients in a dish of enchiladas or a warm topping for a lunch salad.
Pack leftovers in lunches. Chances are that you’re always looking for tasty lunch ideas, anyway. Why not pack small portions of last night’s dinner dishes into your or your spouse’s lunch? A helping of warm meatloaf or tasty pasta is much better than another humdrum sandwich or a drive-thru burger.
Have a “Leftover Night.” When all else fails, an easy way to get rid of a random batch of leftovers is to host a leftover night. Allow each member of the family to fill his plate with his choice of leftovers. One family member might select one dish for his meal. Another might select tiny portions of several dishes to create a buffet-style meal. You can create excitement about “Leftover Night” by hyping it up. Ask the kids throughout the day what dish they are looking forward to having on the big night. Before long your family will love “Leftover Night.”
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{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
I never believe in throwing food. I manage leftovers by making it into something no. I don’t follow any particular recipe; it is just trying out to shape it into something new. My family likes it and never complains about it.
Make last night’s dinner into today’s lunch…that’s what I always do.
I use a dry erase marker to write on my plastic storage lids. I can mark the date or any other information, and it comes off with an easy scrub.
I also use this trick to write my daughter notes on her lunch containers each day!
Two words–Flour tortillas.
There are not too many leftovers that won’t fit nicely into some flour tortillas to make a leftover sandwich. Add your favorite condiments, whether its mayo or mustard, cheese or veggies.
Enjoy
We do this. Esp. the enchiladas – it’s easier to disguise the weird taste of leftover meat in a quesadilla or smothered with spicy taco sauce! I also try to not let leftovers buildup to avoid various leftover meals for 3 days in a row – nothin says “bleh” like that!