I need help with leftovers!

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Ange03063
Ange03063 Posts: 55 Member
in Recipes
I desperately need some help with dealing with leftovers. I'm on day 3 of eating leftovers from a previous dinner for lunch. Does anyone out there have some creative ideas? Like taking one meal and rolling it over into another meal to keep it interesting? I used to live with my in-laws, so we were cooking for 4 adults and my 3-year-old. Now it's just my hubby, my son and me and I'm still trying to adjust recipes to fit our current needs while cutting back on my portions overall. Any help is greatly appreciated!

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  • missypoo1974
    missypoo1974 Posts: 43
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    What is the dinner that you are trying to "make over"? I have to make over leftovers a lot because hubby does not like eating the same thing even twice in a week.
  • missmgray
    missmgray Posts: 152 Member
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    What types of leftovers are we talking about?
  • ladasade
    ladasade Posts: 11 Member
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    If the meal was really huge, I'll freeze some of it. My go-to leftover meals are enchiladas or soup. I've also mixed everything in rice for a fried rice type of thing or potatoes for a hash. Depends on the type of leftovers, what I have on hand and what i'm in the mood for.
  • Ange03063
    Ange03063 Posts: 55 Member
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    I'm open to anything. We typically eat a lot of chicken. The specific leftovers I'm referring to are pulled pork and cheddar spoon bread. I like the hash idea for the pulled pork though!
  • AshRyd
    AshRyd Posts: 126 Member
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    grilled some boneless skinless chicken the other night, then took the leftovers and shredded them with a little taco seasoning and made chicken tacos. (also works with pork roast)
    leftovers from a steak and potato night and thru them in an omelet for lunch the next day.
    bake a ham --- so many options from a ham, sandwich, ham salad - and if freezes very well in individual servings.
    i also cut up just about any meat and veggie and throw in my fried rice.
    i have also taken my left over roast beef, cut it up and put it in a pot with a beef broth, a bag of frozen mixed veggies a little cooked brown rice and had soup for lunch.

    having to strech my dinners into lunch the next day really started changing what I cooked for dinner - don't want pasta all the time so cut back on the hamburger helper/spaghetti etc. --- meat, potatos and veggies are much more versatile.

    depending on who well you know the people around you............ we have also been known to trade leftovers for lunch. Linda's soup looked lots better than my ham sandwich and she was sick of eating soup :laugh:
  • jetabear10
    jetabear10 Posts: 375 Member
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    freeze it by portion and its an quick and easy grab on the way out the door at a later date.
  • brendacp
    brendacp Posts: 5
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    I am trying to learn to cook for two as our adult son's have moved out. We love leftovers so I continue to cook large meals and my hubby is awesome and will eat anything I make, (I'm so lucky!!) I try to cook things that will freeze well for lunches later or a dinner the following week. I love to have leftover chicken...I throw it in the food processor with some sourcream, cliantor and lime...maybe a hot pepper, and make chicken salad. Yummy!!
  • maybebaby40
    maybebaby40 Posts: 75
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    My hubby will also turn his nose up at leftovers- and as I learn portion control I found out I was cooking to much- hence the eating to much- You will learn how to adjust as you go along- to cook less- What I do now is cook 2 nights then fridge clean the 3rd- throw it all in a pot with some diced tomatoes and what ever else looks good and even list as fridge cleanout on my log- lol



    Lol I once made cabbage and burger- was 13 servings- I though I would never finsh it
  • Saezimmerman
    Saezimmerman Posts: 93 Member
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    Leftover roast (pork or beef) makes great BBQ sandwichs. You can even mash up the potatoes to serve with.

    My Hubby's roasted veggies from the grill added some great flavor to a crock pot soup.

    For a dish that makes 6-8 generous servings, I'll take the leftovers and portion out four lunches. 2 go in the fridge for me and my hubby, and 2 go in the freezer at the office for ER lunches. If you're anything like me, you'll forget your lunch in two weeks and be really glad to thaw some home cooking rather than facing the temptation of going out.

    Also, left over grilled chicken, pork or steak can sliced thin over top a salad.

    For any large portion dish that I make, I try to plan out what I'll do with my leftovers. (Which occasionally is "give to Mom who is tired of her own cooking")
  • wlkumpf
    wlkumpf Posts: 241 Member
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    I'm open to anything. We typically eat a lot of chicken. The specific leftovers I'm referring to are pulled pork and cheddar spoon bread. I like the hash idea for the pulled pork though!

    I actually do a lean pork roast with vegies. Second day pulled pork on an 80 calorie bun or sometimes a 45 calorie slice of whole grain bread and then freeze any additionals for a quick lunch when it will feel more like a treat than a chore to eat it :)

    We do chicken one day, chicken salads the next and somtimes will do chicken fajitas or chicken with bow tie pasta, brocolli, tomatoes and no sauce. The tomatoes usually have lots of juice. The kids put paresan on it :) As a treat we may do a "light" alfredo sauce but way less than a serving size for each of us.
  • jlapey
    jlapey Posts: 1,850 Member
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    I'm a big fan of the freezer. Portion out the leftovers and put them away for a night when you don't feel like cooking. Create the recipe in MFP so the caloric intake is already figured the first time and you just add a portion to your day. Easy, breezy!

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