Have you ever opened the door to your fridge to stare at its contents and then close it, only to open it again, wondering, what to eat for dinner? Don’t worry, we’ve all been there. Leftovers can just be so unappealing. If you’ve followed my last post about staying inspired in the kitchen, I’d like to hope you’ve all been cooking and trying new recipes. But what happens when you’re just tired of eating that new dish you made earlier this week? No matter how delicious it was the other day, today it just seems so, “meh.”
I’m right there with you. I certainly do not have time to be trying out a new recipe every single night which means there will inevitably be some repeat meals. Don’t fret. There are ways to repurpose your leftovers into something you do want to eat and will enjoy all over again.
Here are my tips for making over different types of leftovers
Stew: Saucey stews are great for pizza toppings. You can use the sauce in place of tomato pizza sauce, as a base. Add some crunchy raw onions and fresh herbs to brighten the unctuousness of your stew. I’ve successfully made pizza with leftover beef stew and even chicken tikka masala. If you tolerate dairy, I would recommend a mild cheese like mozzarella.
Meat: Proteins like rotisserie chicken, brisket, pulled pork and other non-saucy meat dishes make great additions to frittatas for breakfast the next day. Just shred the meat and add to a mixture of whisked eggs and spices, bake in the oven until the eggs have cooked through. Also, tacos are a good way of using up left overs. Just pile it in some tortillas, or lettuce leaves (for low carb/gluten free) with your favorite condiments: salsa, guacamole, or just onions and herbs.
Pasta: One word: Fry. Coating pasta with a little butter or olive oil and frying it until it gets browned and crispy is out of this world.
Roasted Veggies: Veggies are easily incorporated into rice stir fries and even as toppings for tacos or pizza! The best and tastiest way to use those leftover veggies is in a casserole. Combine the leftover veggies with some leftover protein, season and whisk in eggs. Casseroles make for awesome one-pot/pan meals and you can fry them up the next day.
One last tip: Reheating leftovers in the microwave will be a thing of the past. Don’t think the microwave is the only way to reheat leftovers, if you have a waffle iron. Use it! You can cook (and reheat!) just about anything in a waffle iron. Just make sure to grease your iron with a little spray, Chosen Foods makes a variety of great cooking oil sprays, be sure to grab a few and get to re-purposing those leftovers!