You realize you’re missing one of your Tupperware containers. You find it in the back of the fridge. Hmm. How did that get there? You open it and find … what is that?
Why, it’s leftover beef stroganoff from June 17th; don’t you remember? You couldn’t bear to throw it away. It was so good the first time; you were so sure someone would eat it—eventually.
It’s happened to me more than once. Then I read somewhere that it’s not really safe to eat leftovers that have been in the fridge for more than three days. (This probably isn’t true, and it certainly can’t be universally true, but I read it, so now I’m scared.)
So here are some things I’ve been doing lately with leftovers. Some of them may seem obvious, but I have a friend who told me she never even saves leftovers because she never uses them, and that just seems like a crime.
Lunch. I know, right? Duh! But I know people who leave perfectly delicious meatloaf in the fridge and then go out to Burger King for lunch. Why? Your leftovers are bound to be healthier, and they are free!
Hash. I love this one. My grandparents got me hooked on hash at an early age. All you need is a small amount of meat (beef, ham, chicken are yummy), a vegetable (carrots, parsnips), and potato. Cut everything up in small pieces and cook (or reheat) together in a frying pan in butter or oil. Cook on a low heat, stirring and flipping frequently, and you come up with a creation that is probably better than the original. And a tasty hash can be accomplished with very little meat.
Casserole. My kids haven’t yet caught on that my casseroles usually feature the veggies they didn’t like the night before. The secret to a good casserole? Cream of mushroom soup. All you need for leftover casserole is one meat, one starch (small potato pieces, pasta, or rice work well), one binding fluid (cream of mushroom soup or white sauce), and if you’re really fancy: a topping (such as cheese or crushed crackers). Put them all together in a casserole dish and reheat at 350 degrees until hot (often takes about 40 minutes). Last night we dined on chicken, carrots, rice, and cream of mushroom soup, topped with sprinkled parmesan.
Buffet. Keep all leftovers (in the front of the fridge) and take them all out on Friday night. Set up a buffet. Make it a Friday tradition. Sometimes when we do this, we run a little short on food, but that just means we get to have popcorn for dessert!
And you can always check Say Mmm for recipe ideas that fit your leftovers
Posted by Robin
