Don’t let good food go to waste!
Do you have a lack of love for leftover dinners? My husband has a saying “Cook once, eat thrice!” hahaha… he loves leftover meals and using leftovers in as many ways as possible! As we talked about in last weeks post 3 Easy Steps to Help you Meal Plan, September is often a busy time of year. The combination of heading back to school, running kids to extracurricular activities, and getting back into the swing of things at work can put dinner at the bottom of the priority list. One way that I manage to juggle a hectic schedule and still make delicious, nutritous meals is by using leftovers in various meals throughout the week. You can get creative with extra food and transform it into a fast and yummy new meal. Using leftovers can save you money, time, and help you reduce food waste.
Here are some simple ways to revolutionize last nights leftovers:
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Vegetables |
Chicken or Turkey |
Ground Meat or Tempeh |
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Looking for some recipes for those leftovers? Check out these blog posts for some inspiration:
Leftover Protein
Leftover Vegetables
Easy Roasted Vegetable Pasta Recipe
Safely Storing and Preparing Leftovers
Safe food handling is essential to make sure leftovers are kept for the right amount of time, reheated to appropriate temperatures and stored properly to ensure they are safe! Here are some simple tips and resources for the safest use of leftovers.
Tips for Food Storage
- Label your leftovers with a name and date before putting in the fridge or freezer. That way you’ll never be left wondering what is in the container or how long it’s been there.
- Check out this chart for guidelines on how long foods can be stored in the fridge or freezer.
- Use freezer safe containers and bags to prevent freezer burn.
Tips for Reheating
- Defrost frozen leftovers in the refrigerator overnight.
- When reheating leftovers in the oven cover with a lid or foil to prevent food from drying out.
- If reheating soup, gravy or sauce ensure it’s brought to a full boil.
- If reheating in a microwave ensure you stir food to distribute heat evenly.
Don’t forget that you can include leftovers in your meal planning. For example, for an easy workday lunch you could make extra protein like chicken, ground meat, or fish at dinner the night before and use in a yummy salad or sandwich recipe for the next day. Check out this article for more tips on meal planning.
Much love & good eating,
Stephanie