Let's Have A Very Controversial Conversation About: Leftovers (Yummy or Yikes??!)

[seoulsearch]

Hey Everyone,

It's that time again!

Time to kick over a hornet's nest and talk about a VERY controversial topic -- leftovers!

I am currently trying to do more cooking. I am admittedly not a cook, mostly because when I did try, I gravitated towards, and became obsessed with, trying to perfect recipes for things like sugar cookies and fettucine alfredo. I went on a stretch of eating alfredo every night for months (same thing with the cookies,) and soon realized that cooking does NOT fit well with my apparent OCD tendencies.

And while I love and admire several very talented home cooks I've known, I also can't help but notice that most also have weight and health issues. I was once in a church cooking glass with a wonderful woman of God, but she told us she'd lost 40 pounds the previous year, was in the process of losing 40 this year, then had another 40 to go the next -- to finally be within her healthy, recommended weight.

I know that if I spend too much time cooking, I would most likely find myself in the predicament, too.

Therefore, I've made the rule that any recipe I try has to meet the requirements to keep weight down and health measures in check (cholesterol, blood pressure, blood sugar,) and must be suitable for delivering to family (who have various health concerns, too.)

In other words... Most of my cooking experiments have NOT been very yummy AT ALL. I cook small test batches, but still wind up with leftovers -- and let's be honest -- most of the time, I DREAD choking them down.

However, I still eat them because I don't want to waste food, or money. It sure is dampening any enthusiasm I had for cooking!

But now I would like to hear about how YOU and your family feel regarding leftovers!

Do you loathe -- or look forward to them?

Just for fun, I'm going to create a multiple-choice poll where you can see people's answers.

I mean, you never REALLY know someone -- until you know how they feel about leftovers!!!

And I know this topic can have a JUNGLE of different answers, so the poll is JUST the starting point!! Go ahead and vote in the poll, then come back and tell us WHY you picked what you did -- then add any other thoughts and answers.

I know this is a VERY controversial topic, so let's all buckle up for some SUPER SPICY debates!!

I'm looking forward to reading YOUR very controversial opinions!

And if anyone has tips on healthy recipes that ACTUALLY TASTE GOOD -- keto recipes often have too much fat for me -- I am ALL EARS (and stomach.)

 

[RodB651]

I make extra on purpose. I'm all about some leftovers!

 

[cinder]

I usually say I cook for one.......week at a time. So being single I'll cook up a family size + portion of a meal ( a whole roast, or chicken, or casserole) and eat that for dinner every night for a week meaning that my meal planning looks like a meal per week since I've decided to do the same thing for lunch every day. Yeah one thing about being single: if you come to my house unexpectedly the food selection can leave a bit to be desired and you'd better like tea.

 

[Tall_Timbers]

When my kids were still at home, any leftovers were devoured, even leftovers I may have hidden because I wanted them for myself.

Now that it's just me and my wife, my wife almost never touches the leftovers, unless it's something I can't live without, then she'll consume it before I have a chance. She prefers to snack on junk food non-stop while pretending that she's eating healthy.

I like to cook and generally speaking, I prefer to leave the leftovers to others as I work on planning and preparing the next meal. However, if the leftovers aren't getting eaten then I do my best to polish them off myself. When there is plenty, I will turn them into a 2nd dinner to help with consuming it all before it's too late.

At the moment I've got half a Cornish game hen and a container of red rice and beans with Andouille sausage and the trinity. I won't let either of those go to waste.

Most things I'll toss out after 5 days if it's not eaten, for safety's sake, but I don't like wasting.

 

[Lanolin]

If it's a roast, it can last a whole week plus bones can be used to make soup
Otherwise, I usually make enough for the day, and any leftovers must be eaten within 3 days.

Some things like stew or curries develop better flavour leftover, and its best to make a large batch but in general I just make enough for two. I don't cook huge amounts and then freeze though. I'm not a fan of microwaved food.

The controversy is actually the microwaving of food. I'd rather buy fresh. When I was working, (not at home) I'd rather buy a hot meal than have to microwave a leftover one. And it's messy and explosive, and you have to be careful of the timing of microwaved food...and have a proper microwave safe container etc.

 

[Lanolin]

Please don't get me started on cafes that serve leftovers/microwaved food! arrgh

No if you gonna go out for a meal, don't buy leftovers!! If they gonna do that, they may as well give it away for free.

 

[seoulsearch]

I make extra on purpose. I'm all about some leftovers!

If some of those leftovers include Rodney Burgers, I advise everyone here to grab a plate and stand in line!

I usually say I cook for one.......week at a time. So being single I'll cook up a family size + portion of a meal ( a whole roast, or chicken, or casserole) and eat that for dinner every night for a week meaning that my meal planning looks like a meal per week since I've decided to do the same thing for lunch every day. Yeah one thing about being single: if you come to my house unexpectedly the food selection can leave a bit to be desired and you'd better like tea.

Thank you for making me laugh out loud!!!

I've done some experiments with batch cooking... So far my only real successes have been soups (spinach, bean & ham, chicken vegetable,) but this post is motivation to keep on trying!

I like to cook and generally speaking, I prefer to leave the leftovers to others as I work on planning and preparing the next meal. However, if the leftovers aren't getting eaten then I do my best to polish them off myself. When there is plenty, I will turn them into a 2nd dinner to help with consuming it all before it's too late.

At the moment I've got half a Cornish game hen and a container of red rice and beans with Andouille sausage and the trinity. I won't let either of those go to waste.

Most things I'll toss out after 5 days if it's not eaten, for safety's sake, but I don't like wasting.

Now this sounds like my kind of household -- the kind with a VERY ACTIVE home chef!!


By the way, do the three of you (@RodB651 @cinder @Tall_Timbers) happen to send out weekly/monthly menu cards, by chance?

Er... just asking... for a friend.

Also, hope you don't mind extra guests.

I'll just let Cinder know I'm coming in advance, so she'll have plenty of reason to stock the fridge. (Plus, even a coffee drinker like me has to admit her tea library is pretty amazing.)

 

[CarriePie]

I haven't been cooking much now that I'm back home. I'm back in my season of repairs and power tools instead! But when I get into a kitchen that I'm going to be doing a lot of cooking in, I get it stocked with all the seasonings I like and all the baking goods I need, and the fridge stocked with meats and produce. I write out a menu, that way I can look over it and rearrange it to get the most use out of what I got with the least amount of waste. For example, if I cook a whole chicken, I will portion it out for various things. The portion that I will be using in the next 2 -3 days, I will put in the fridge. The rest I will put in portioned out amounts in the freezer (as I already know what I'm going to do with it). It'll be used to make a variety of things, which could include enchiladas, potpie, chicken divan, casseroles, etc.

I've been told that I'm an excellent cook, so of course my leftovers taste amazing lol. However, in a past relationship, I was told that I made too many leftovers for them to consume (I guess I foolishly thought it would be better than frozen meals!). It was especially emphasized that I had made too many pancakes! Yes, folks, leftovers could very well mean the end of a relationship

I wasn't taught how to cook, not much at least. I just took to it. A skill the Lord gave me. He also gave me a voice like Julia Child. I should do a show called Controversial Cooking with Leftovers. And really get my Julia Child voice going! "I'm going to chop up this ugly chicken with my big knife!"

If anything goes wrong, my raccoon/Fuzz Butt buddies will fight over the leftovers and any food mishaps

 

[tourist]

As a rule, I'm not a big fan of leftovers. If my wife doesn't eat them, I sneak them in the trash. There are a few exceptions though, such as meatloaf or pot roast. Otherwise, I really don't look forward to eating leftovers for dinner.

 

[dkontner]

I know folks who cook with leftovers in mind.

 

[seoulsearch]

I haven't been cooking much now that I'm back home. I'm back in my season of repairs and power tools instead! But when I get into a kitchen that I'm going to be doing a lot of cooking in, I get it stocked with all the seasonings I like and all the baking goods I need, and the fridge stocked with meats and produce. I write out a menu, that way I can look over it and rearrange it to get the most use out of what I got with the least amount of waste. For example, if I cook a whole chicken, I will portion it out for various things. The portion that I will be using in the next 2 -3 days, I will put in the fridge. The rest I will put in portioned out amounts in the freezer (as I already know what I'm going to do with it). It'll be used to make a variety of things, which could include enchiladas, potpie, chicken divan, casseroles, etc.

I've been told that I'm an excellent cook, so of course my leftovers taste amazing lol. However, in a past relationship, I was told that I made too many leftovers for them to consume (I guess I foolishly thought it would be better than frozen meals!). It was especially emphasized that I had made too many pancakes! Yes, folks, leftovers could very well mean the end of a relationship

I wasn't taught how to cook, not much at least. I just took to it. A skill the Lord gave me. He also gave me a voice like Julia Child. I should do a show called Controversial Cooking with Leftovers. And really get my Julia Child voice going! "I'm going to chop up this ugly chicken with my big knife!"

If anything goes wrong, my raccoon/Fuzz Butt buddies will fight over the leftovers and any food mishaps

As a rule, I'm not a big fan of leftovers. If my wife doesn't eat them, I sneak them in the trash. There are a few exceptions though, such as meatloaf or pot roast. Otherwise, I really don't look forward to eating leftovers for dinner.

I had NO IDEA that leftovers -- both good and bad -- could be the make-or-break factor in a relationship!!!

See? This is why I have to keep posting these threads! I obviously know NOTHING about relationships and am relying on on of you good people to teach me!!

Carrie, your story of being in a season of power tools rather than cooking reminded me of a friend.

She cooks and bakes in such large batches for so many people, she attached a whisk to the (?) base of her power drill:





And only our @CarriePie could combine Julia Child with Tim the Tool Man Taylor!!

 

[seoulsearch]

I know folks who cook with leftovers in mind.

I've seen articles/videos called "PlannedOvers" -- when cooks make recipes with leftovers on purpose, whether for future meals or as bases for other dishes.

I know that cooking is a genuine craft -- I'm basically a beginner, but I am hoping to level up my game!

 

[CarriePie]

I've seen articles/videos called "PlannedOvers" -- when cooks make recipes with leftovers on purpose, whether for future meals or as bases for other dishes.

I know that cooking is a genuine craft -- I'm basically a beginner, but I am hoping to level up my game!


View attachment 291714

I do this, but in my own way. When I have a well run kitchen going, I make use of everything I have. Happy tastebuds and less waste in my kitchen.
I kinda do the same thing with my repairs, which is probably why I call them "redneck repairs" lol.

 

[Lynx]

Once upon a time, back in the days when families sat down together for meals, a father looked over the supper he had already seen multiple times and started eating.

"Daddy aren't you going to say grace before dinner?"

"Show me one thing I haven't said grace over twice already and I'll grace it."

 

[LoProfile]

We keep them with every intention of eating them .... Mostly my wife. A week later I throw them out.

Me, I just toss them at the beginning

 

[Tall_Timbers]

Er... just asking... for a friend.

Tell your friend she's welcome to stop by at dinner time if/when she's passing through my town.

 

[seoulsearch]

Tell your friend she's welcome to stop by at dinner time if/when she's passing through my town.

I -- er, I mean my friend -- just might have to get myself a new bib for the occasion!!

(Have I mentioned I can be a messy eater. But I do my best not to let anything hit the floor!)

 

[Godsgirl1983]

"I have something else very controversial to say in my post"

What's a left-over?

See, sometimes the food doesn't make it to leftover stage - and by golly by gosh, wouldn't you know those are the nights I intentionally make a lot of extra so that there will be left overs so I either don't have to cook another night or so that there is a head start to turn one dish into something different?

 

[Godsgirl1983]

If my wife doesn't eat them, I sneak them in the trash.

Uh-oh...
What happens when she reads this?

 

[tourist]

Uh-oh...
What happens when she reads this?

I guess that it pays to think a few steps ahead before carrying out any scheme. She may indeed read this so I will do what I always do, nod my head yes and tell her that I'm sorry. My bad per usual.