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"What?" You may be thinking, "You want me to feed my family the same thing, day after day, just so I can save a few measly bucks?" Let me reassure you that this is not my intention. My family wouldn't stand for that and I'm pretty sure that yours won't either. There are other alternatives, which we'll get to in a moment. First we have to admit that every cook has leftovers. It would take supernatural knowledge to gauge the appetite of every family member at every meal and prepare only enough to satisfy everyone, with nothing left over. I don't have this ability and neither does anyone else I know. Another option I once tried was telling each family member exactly how much of each dish they were allotted, working with an impersonal formula, like a hospital dietitian. That didn't work either. My family has never been quite as predictable as nutritional guides suggest they should be. I have since chosen a different tactic. I make more than enough for each meal, every time. This is my philosophy: It's better to have the family well fed, and have a few leftovers, than have them hungry, and never experience the angst of tossing out a few spoonfuls of leftover green beans. I consider a small amount of waste to be part and parcel with running an efficient kitchen. If I find myself throwing out much more than a few spoonfuls, I regard it as a signal that the time has come to rethink my treatment of leftovers. Each cook has her own personal comfort level regarding waste. Some people will let a chicken carcass sit in the fridge until it makes the whole house smell with it's age, rather than go through the trouble of making soup or broth. That is their right. Personally, I boil up all my chicken bones before they get more than a few days old, because I enjoy the process and the free low-fat, low-sodium chicken broth that the process produces. On the other hand, I blithesomely toss out leftover instant potatoes when they have been in the fridge for a couple days, because I know I am not likely to make further use of them. Some people will make a nice batch of Potato Bread or Gnocchi, in order to use up leftover instant potatoes, but I don't value them enough to go through the extra work. Each family will make these calls according to their skill, budget, time, and tolerance for waste.
Leftover meats are a step ahead of the game for casseroles and soups. They also make great sandwiches, or can be added to a low-fat white sauce and served over toast. Ham in particular is quite versatile. It can be added to eggs, baked into muffins, tossed into grits, pancakes or fritters, and is absolutely divine in cream gravy (plain white sauce) and served over heaty whole grain biscuits. Leftover prepared dishes like casseroles and soups can be frozen and thawed later when you need a quick meal and don't have the time or energy for elaborate preparation. Some folks even prepare extras on purpose so they can stash some tasty treats in their freezer for busy days. Leftover juices and milk can go into blender beverages. Leftover vegetables can be added to salads, casseroles, or soups. Leftover popcorn is a great plus, it can be stashed in lunch boxes, where it is received as a treat, not a trauma. Bananas go into banana bread, apples can be sliced up and stewed or put into a nutritious apple crisp. Oranges can be squeezed for juice if they all begin to age at the same time. Leftover sauces are great in soups; they add a big flavor boost. Leftover grains can go into yeast breads or muffins. Rice Pancakes are one of my favorites. Leftover rice is really good sauteed with some an onion, egg and some spinach or other greens. Leftover hot cereals can go into breads, muffins or be stored in the fridge for breakfast the next day. Hot cereal reheats beautifully in the microwave so you can save time in the morning when every second counts. Cheese is easy to use up, even when it is drying out. Mold on cheese can be sliced off with a sharp knife. The hunk of good cheese left is absolutely divine in quiches, impossible pies and cheese pudding. Milk can go into baked goods, as can yogurt and buttermilk. If you buy fresh buttermilk and it's date expires, the buttermilk is still good in biscuits and breads. It isn't as good to drink though, so if you drink buttermilk, do so while it's still fresh. Most of the good leftovers at our house go into Fred's work lunches. He just loves them. Before leaving for work he packs his cooler full, and munches away whenever he gets hungry on the train. Popular leftovers are reserved for the children's lunch at home. Pizza, chili, spaghetti, sloppy joes, tacos and burritos all make second appearances when I am pressed for time and the boys need to eat right away. I try to use up my leftovers efficiently, with varying rates of success. Some people have stock pots of sorts, which they keep in the freezer. Whenever they have a vegetable or meat they aren't likely to use before it spoils, they place it in their freezer stock pot. When the pot is full they boil it all up and strain out the solids. The result is purported to be a very rich and tasty broth, ripe for a handful of lentils to create a perfect soup. I don't do this. I have tried it, and I never had the nerve to boil everything up after I saw it sitting all frozen and congealed in the pot. This is my personal comfort zone. I do routinely use the juices I drain from canned and cooked vegetables in sauces and soups though. I find it very easy to store these in the freezer or fridge and just add them to whatever pot of something good I am cooking up on the stove. I don't know the psychological difference between the pot of solids, and the jar of liquids, but for some reason my mind balks at the one and embraces the other.
Reminder From Darthulia: Remember the creatures when dealing with leftovers. Old neighborhood dogs, fat wandering raccoons, local cats, that enormous herd of deer or turkeys in the woods, sneaky opossums, squirrels, birds and old man Johnson's Pumpkin-Loving-Donkey may all benefit from you leftovers. Some folks say you should never feed wild creatures, but I do sometimes anyway. Once again, work with your own principles and comfort levels. By the way, bees and other insects love old jelly, so if you've been wondering what to do with those jars of strange jelly your Aunt Ola May left on your doorstep a few years ago, donate them to the local bees, they will bless you for it.
Copyright Hillbilly Housewife 2005-2007
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