What do you do with leftovers?

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Mildred Tabitha
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What do you do with leftovers?

Post by Mildred Tabitha »

Sometimes we can't resist the temptation of serving more food only to end up not finishing it. It is also not a good idea to throw away food just because it is a leftover. What I do is I warm the food hours later and eat it. Sometimes I can add some little oil and spices to make the leftover food look appetizing. For example we can use margarine on some leftovers like rice or "hard porridge" to make them smell good and be appetizing.

But there are cases where you are completely not in the mood to repeat eating the same food the same day or the following day. The good news is that the food is not yet spoilt. So what do you do with all your leftovers? Can you recommend a good book that has recipes especially for remaking leftovers in to something delicious?
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Jackie Holycross
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Post by Jackie Holycross »

I do freezer cooking. I cook double portions and freeze the leftover. Then when I have a busy night I can just warm up something quick. There are many cookbooks that give you ideas of foods that freeze and reheat well. I've mainly gone by trial and error. This method has allowed me to have many more home-cooked meals and eat out less.
I also like your ideas for dressing up the leftovers.
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samsonokoh082
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Post by samsonokoh082 »

i dispose leftovers since its always stale by the time i get home.
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Mabel6
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Post by Mabel6 »

A great idea my mother in law does is make soup with last night's leftover chicken and adds udon noodles. The chicken adds to the broth and gives it great but light flavor. We eat the noodles and soup for lunch the next day.
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DATo
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Post by DATo »

Eat them. I do not have the skill to be creative with leftovers so I just eat them as they were originally cooked.
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crediblereading2
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Post by crediblereading2 »

I put them in the refrigerator, then warm them up and eat them the following day. Sometimes I dispose of them if I don't feel like eating them again.
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Kennedyk99
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Post by Kennedyk99 »

When I cook a big frozen pizza or a big frozen meal, we usually keep our leftovers for about 2 days, but if no one eats it then we just though it out. Other times when my mom cooks, we keep leftovers so she can pack them the next day for lunch and maybe sometimes for dinner the next day.
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Sweetdb
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Post by Sweetdb »

Sometimes i freeze for another day
Sometimez eat for lunch next day
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sskrout
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Post by sskrout »

In our home, all leftovers are eaten-- nothing is wasted. If there is not enough for a meal second time around for the family, I may eat it as lunch when all the others are at work or school. If it is leftover vegetables and not enough for a meal, I may put it into a freezer container (labelled) for soup or a casserole, or not freeze and use in a salad. Leftover fruit too can be used-- I may throw it in a jello, or a fruit salad-- even the fruit juice I sometimes use instead of water in jello. Leftover liquid from cooked veggies I use in soups too-- not only is it saving money but it is healthier than just plain water.
Some cookbooks I have are a great resource regarding this in giving inspiration and ideas, but sadly most are old and I believe out of print. I can include some of those recipes here to maybe be a springboard of inspiration for you.
From "250 Delicious Dishes From Leftovers" (copyright 1969)
There are a few for rice, here is one:

Rice Cakes

One and half cups cooked rice
Salt, pepper or other seasonings to taste
1 tablespoon grated onion
1 Tablespoon finely cut green pepper (optional)
1 egg, well beaten

Combine all ingredients; mix well. Form into 4 large or 8 small flat cakes. Saute in several tablespoons butter in a skillet until golden brown on both sides. Serves 4.
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Post by oocynthia »

Freeze them and use it to cook something tasty the next day.
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SparklesonPages
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Post by SparklesonPages »

Freeze, freeze, freeze ! Whatever's leftover gets sorted into containers and frozen. It's so much easier for another day when I may be rushed or just need a quick meal.
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Post by nikkyteewhy »

I wrap it in foil paper or put it in a container, cover it up and put it in the fridge to preserve it then I warm it up latter and eat it up.
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palilogy
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Post by palilogy »

I always cook more then needed because I love having leftovers and I never mind eating the same thing on repeat. I could eat leftover pasta for days. Leftover rice becomes tortilla wraps and vegetables can always be used and created into something new.
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LaurenHaupt
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Post by LaurenHaupt »

I usually throw them away unless I'm sure someone will want to eat it.
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Dael Reader
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Post by Dael Reader »

My husband has no problem eating leftovers for lunch the next day, so a good portion of out extras do get eaten. I have a few recipes (lasagna and enchiladas for instance) that produce larger quantities of leftovers (it's just the two of us), so we freeze those and reheat them for dinners in 2 or 3 weeks.
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