Using Up Leftovers

We all have them, don't we? But what do we do with them?

I don't really like keeping them in my refrigerator until a science project on mold develops, but sometimes it's hard to know what to use leftovers for without driving the family crazy. I don't care to hear another chorus of that all-too-familiar song, "What?! Meatloaf . . . AGAIN?!"

Probably the most important step with leftovers is making sure to keep them safe. We're not really saving any money on our family budget if that frugal dinner of leftovers sends everyone to the hospital with food poisoning! To keep leftovers safe, cover and refrigerate within two hours of a meal, freeze to keep more than three days, and thaw frozen leftovers in the refrigerator.

I try to plan one meal each week to use up leftovers. Often it's during a lunchtime with just the kids and I, but sometimes there's enough food to feed the entire family. A complete meal of food that's been "found" in the refrigerator is like getting an extra meal each week for free.

It's a good idea to try and change the way the leftover is served from one meal to the next. Rather than serving leftover fried chicken, you could take the meat off the bone and prepare cold chicken sandwiches for a change of pace.

SUGGESTIONS FOR USING LEFTOVERS:

• BREAD (loaf ends, slices starting to dry): bread pudding, French toast, meat loaf extender, croutons, stuffing, bread crumbs

• EGGS (hard-cooked): casseroles, salads, sandwiches

• FRUIT (fresh, canned or frozen): smoothies, milk shakes, gelatin desserts, cobblers, fruit bread, muffins, jam, freezer pops

• MEAT, POULTRY or FISH (cooked): soups, stew, salad, quiche, enchiladas, stir fry, sandwiches, pot pies

• POTATOES (cooked): meat pie, salads, soups, stew

• RICE, PASTA (cooked): casseroles, soups

• VEGETABLES (cooked): casseroles, quiche, salads, soups, over a baked potato, pot pies

OTHER ODDS AND ENDS

1. Whenever you have leftover pancakes, French toast, or waffles, pop them into a sealed bag in your freezer. When you have enough assorted breakfast leftovers to make a meal, each person can have a variety of different items. To reheat, toast in the toaster on the Pastry setting.

2. Freeze leftover coffee and tea in ice cube trays, then transfer the frozen coffee/tea cubes to plastic freezer bags. These work well for iced coffee or tea, and won't dilute the drink when the cubes melt.

3. Syrup drained from canned fruits can be mixed with a bit of milk and made into creamy freezer pops for a refreshing hot-weather treat. The leftover fruit syrup can also be frozen into cubes and used in cold summertime drinks.
   The copyright of the article Using Up Leftovers in Debt-Free Family is owned by Deborah Taylor-Hough. Permission to republish Using Up Leftovers in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

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