May 14 2008
Disguising Leftovers
Did you know that you can make leftovers appetizing again? Did you also know that it isn’t that difficult to disguise leftovers as a whole new meal? Let me show you a few ways to make yesterday’s meal brand new today.
With seven people in our home, we tend to wind up with a lot of leftovers because we double and triple our ingredients from a typical recipe. That is because most recipes are designed for 4-6 servings. Around my house, I have been nicknamed “The Queen of Leftovers” and my friends are constantly asking me how I get my kids to eat them.
If you want to make something new again, before heating it add moisture in the form of water or milk. Here are two ideas:
- If yesterday’s Spaghetti needs to become tonights side dish, add a little milk to make it creamier and a little garlic seasoning for flavor. It might still be Spaghetti, but it tastes great and they would never guess that you reheated leftovers.
- If you are reheating chicken or beef from the fridge, place a cup of water in the microwave in the center of the plate. This keeps things moist and keeps the meat from drying out.
What if you want to create a whole new meal? It’s easy. Did you know that you can shred or cut leftover beef, hamburger, chicken, pork and other meats from a previous meal and make them new again? Mix the meat with some cheese and cooked noodles, add some leftover veggies or even some fresh veggies and voilà, you have a whole new meal.
Another idea is to take leftovers and turn them into a pizza. Top a pre-made pizza crust with cheese and then some leftovers and you have another quick meal that tastes great.
I hate wasting food, and I love to feed my family well. I can do both by utilizing these tips when making dinner.
How do you make leftovers into a whole new meal? What’s your favorite leftovers tip? Feel free to share with us in the comments.
