Having leftovers for dinner used to be intensely disappointing as a child and teenager. Of course, this is before my family had a microwave, so my Mom would reheat everything on the stove - inevitably the food wasn't heated all the way through. Slow cookers were also problematic - there was this roast with potatoes and carrots that my family would make on Sundays - the potatoes would get brown and foul tasting. Much like a friend of mine once said, in her family the spices were salt and pepper.
As an adult, this was a great symbol of freedom, I had control over what I ate and didn't have to eat leftovers if I didn't want to. I like cooking with other spices in addition to salt and pepper.
Recently, I've figured out that there are a handful of recipes that I can make and still stomach them two or three meals later. This is progress. As a busy mom and a picky eater (also trying to watch my weight and how much I spend) - this can be complex.
*Italian Beef. I don't know if it's actually Italian (probably not) but it involves pepperocini and guardinara (in the slow cooker).
*Chili - My husband makes great chili - which is good on potatoes and as nachos later.
*Pulled pork - I just made pulled pork last week. There are a handful of things I want to change next time (brining the pork) but it was pretty good and re-heats well.
*Chicken Pot Pie (you can use a pre-made pie shell and leftover chicken, frozen veggies)
*Beef with Broccoli (more difficult than you would think)
*Pad Thai - this is not made in a slow cooker - and can be sort of labor intensive. I'll post the recipe sometime, it's really good.
Most of these are meat based, but most can be adjusted to be meat free or dairy free.
The only downside to all of this is that while my husband and I can agree on these meals - my kids are not fans. We're still working on more vegetables and trying new things - but they seem to be a chip off the old block in terms of discerning tastes. Ah well. I'd rather not make a separate meal for them, but in the midst of compromises - it happens.
2 comments:
I think David should move in with you guys. These are all his favorite foods. By the way, he's reading this over my shoulder, and he just said, "When's supper?"
Yummy list. I learned to love leftovers in college. I make a lot of pasta & rice dishes that reheat easily.
I never had leftovers growing up. I had 3 brothers & a dad that ate like it was always thanksgiving. Instead of clean plate club, we had grab some before it is all gone.
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