I hate leftovers! whine

[vbak]

Many of you love having leftovers for the next night's dinner, but I hate them. I have a perfectly good pot of chicken tortilla soup in the fridge[can't remember who posted, but it is a popular one] that I made yesterday. I don't want to eat it. We ate it yesterday. When the kids come over for dinner, I urge them to eat everything up or send it home with them because I don't want leftovers. I need something to chew for supper tonight. Something that requires a knife and fork, but since I had started on school work as soon as I got home, and it is now 6:55,the odds of using a knife and fork seem pretty slim. I am going to b e so unhappy and annoyed if I have to eat that soup again. :mad: [sob, sob]

So, who doesn't like leftovers? Please don't let me be the only one.

Vicky

[ sounds like I don't have a life]

[LivingLowfat]

Yeah, I always have really good intentions with leftovers (lunches! dinner tomorrow! I'll share it at work!), but I almost never do anything with them but let them sit in the fridge until they get a little smelly and then toss them! :rolleyes:

[vbak]

yeah, so you like them,too. :)

[colleency]

I like leftovers, but DH hates them. I try to make meals that will serve 3, 2 for our dinner and 1 for lunch the next day. Maybe you could pick up a copy of Cooking For Two?

[zwieback]

I'm not a fan of leftovers, either. I'm not at the point that I'll never eat them but, I start thinking about how long they've sat in the fridge - even if it is just overnight. :rolleyes: Some things are worse as leftovers than others. I can't eat any kind of sandwich leftover. When I worked, I couldn't even make a sandwich in the morning to have for lunch. It just sat too long. Ick.

One thing, though, that I do like as leftovers is turkey, homemade stuffing and gravy. Yum. I could even eat the stuffing cold.

[Canice]

I might choke 'em down for lunch if I feel guilty (wasting food/spending money). There's no getting DBF near them, except maybe leftover casserole if I'm not around at dinner time. So no, no happy rumaging in the 'fridge for us!

[ADM]

Does it bother you if a recipe says: "Chill for 24 hours, before serving?"
Or, "Flavors improve, if made a day ahead?"

[valchemist]

just wondering: what is wrong with them? is it that you don't like how they taste or that you don't like having something two days in a row or something else?

I'd go insane if we didn't eat leftovers.

[Kayaksoup]

I love reinventing leftovers... of course, that doesn't work with soup, but I like to turn leftoevrs into soup, wraps, fritatta, casseroles etc..

[JackieO]

My family is selectively allergic to leftovers....if it's leftover from a restaurant the night before, fine; if it's leftover from a homemade dinner, it's poison. :rolleyes: I'll admit that I am not terribly fond of re-heated food, no matter what the source. But I love getting inventive and creating "planned-overs" -- grilling more chicken breasts than necessary for the first night's dinner and then tossing re-heated sliced chicken strips on a Caesar salad the next night, for instance.

Given a family size of three...there's always leftover soup, chili or stew. I can keep those leftovers around for several days without too many complaints (you can always serve chili on top of a baked potato to make it seem like a different meal).

Personally, I'd rather eat "fresh" leftovers than a de-frosted, made-ahead and frozen dish. Somehow, things that end up in my freezer ultimately end up in the garbage with huge coats of freezer-burn. :confused: :eek:

[mrswaz]

Actual leftovers- can't stand 'em. But leftovers turned into something completely different is okay with me.

My kids are the same way- I can't give them the same kind of sandwich for lunch two days in a row- they won't eat it. Every meal is like that.

DH on the other hand, when I married him he would eat the unidentifiable remains in the corner of the fridge. Maybe that's where I get my aversion from? :p

[Goin' Coastal]

I think they are a great time saver. When the kids were living at home and I was cooking more, I almost always cooked extra. They had part time jobs and activities, I had places to be some nights, or DH might have a meeting. With leftovers, there was always a decent, quick meal to be found in the refrigerator. Not to mention the fact my one DD always preferred leftover dinner to any breakfast food in the morning. Leftovers were a lifesaver at our house!

[Kathy B]

If we didn't eat leftovers, we would never have "Every man for himself" for dinner! (One of my personal favorite menus.... :p )

[stacy7272]

I hate leftovers! I almost always halve recipes to ensure that I don't have leftovers. If I do end up with leftovers DH brings them to work for lunch. If it happens to be a particularly yummy dish I will have the leftovers for my lunch.

The reason I don't like leftovers is because it keeps me from cooking something new that night. If I have a full dinner worth of leftovers (like if I've roasted a chicken) then I will try to find something new to make for a side or a new salad. Or, DH will just have to take it for lunch for two days. :D DH loves leftovers. He especially loves when I use leftovers for dinner (it is rare) because he has fewer dishes to wash.

[Gail]

Leftovers, I think, have a stigma. They're like undesirables, stuff to shove in the back of the fridge and use as science experiments. Or at least that's what they are in this household. The term "leftovers" to me conjures up some half-congealed, oodgy substance collecting condensation under plastic wrap-- one of those things which looks good piping hot from the oven but makes your stomach churcn once it's cold. I confess that I'll just as soon toss that sort of stuff as shove it in the fridge. Some things, I think, just aren't meant to reheat.

Strangely enough, there are certain leftovers I relish-- but I don't think of them as "leftovers." If anything, I think that the night I made them, they weren't quite ready, and that they're things to be relished on the next day. Some things I won't even EAT the night I make them-- does that qualify them as leftovers? Freshly made chicken soup, no thanks. It's much better the next day. Ditto for stews-- let them sit overnight.

Then there are those strange little treasures I have to cook but prefer eating cold. Flank steak is one. It's good when I make it, but I ADORE it cold, wrapped in a nice warm tortilla. Salmon patties are another. Or chicken cutlets...

Okay, I'm probably turning your stomach. Will stop. :)

[vbak]

Well, I'm glad that I am not the only one here who doesn't like them. Maybe it's the fact it prevents me from cooking something new or just cooking something. When I make beef or chicken soup it is refrigerated first and then we eat it the next day so that is not the problem. So, I will just freeze the soup and pull it out in a month or so . That doesn't bother me because it seems like a new meal. I wish I didn't like to cook so much then I wouldn't have this problem. BTW, supper last night was Schoops! YUM :)

Vicky

[newtricks]

BTW, supper last night was Schoops! YUM :)

Vicky

You won't eat perfectly good leftover tortilla soup but you'll eat something called Schoops??? ;)

We are good leftover eaters here. The only thing I can't stand reheated is pork - which is a bummer because pork roast is always featured in those articles where you make a roast and then eat it for, I don't know, a week.

Tortilla soup, especially if it's that delicious one from the bb (can't remember who posted it either!) we can eat for days. :)

(what are/is Schoops?)

[lindrusso]

There are some leftovers I'm not keen on - almost anything with seafood - seafood dishes are almost always better fresh (except for maybe a gumbo or something like that) and I just have a mental block with seafood for some reason.

But just about anything else and I'm a happy camper at lunch because I know I'll eat something way better than what I'd normally get around to fixing at lunchtime. And usually it's healthier than what I'd fix too.

I never did understand the whole avoiding leftovers thing..... :confused:

Today for lunch - leftover fajitas......yummy!!! :D :D

[greysangel]

I like leftovers though I think I'm more of a "lunch leftover" person...I dont think I would have the same thing two nights in a row. And I think that has more to do with liking to create the meal that night. But there are some things I like leftover like Gail...roasted chicken for enchiladas, flank steak for...well cold actually :eek: , stews and soups etc. And of course Thanksgiving dinner :D

[ClaireBenMom]

My husband is a late night eater, often raiding the refrigerator and eating the leftovers. Early in our marriage my mom said, "Another good thing about Tom is that you never have to worry about what to do with the leftovers." He took this as an insult. I had to explain that it actually was a complement because my mom would worry about what to do with the leftovers. She didn't like leftovers either, but was too frugal to waste them.

[HDgirl]

Our leftovers become lunch. We will rarely eat the leftovers for dinner the next night. Sometimes I will just freeze the leftovers for a quick dinner the next week.

[Peggy]

We love leftovers, but like some others, we only use them for lunch the next day. I always cook something new for dinner every night. DH hates sandwiches so he likes to eat the leftovers for his lunch. I especially like leftovers on weekends when we have three people home for lunch. Then it's an "every man for himself" meal, like at Kathy's house! :) First person to the refrigerator gets the best selection!

Peggy

[gertdog]

I like leftovers though I think I'm more of a "lunch leftover" person...I dont think I would have the same thing two nights in a row. And I think that has more to do with liking to create the meal that night. But there are some things I like leftover like Gail...roasted chicken for enchiladas, flank steak for...well cold actually :eek: , stews and soups etc. And of course Thanksgiving dinner :D

This is my take on leftovers too. I hate making lunches and am always happy to just be able to heat up a dish of pasta or soup or whatever we had the night before, but we very, very rarely have leftovers for dinner.

The two best "leftovers" in the world, IMO- cold takeout pizza for breakfast, and mashed potatoes from Thanksgiving dinner. :D

[Kathy F]

My husband is great about leftovers. I usually don't have to worry about what will happen to them because he'll take them for lunch. He definitely does not mind eating the same thing over and over!

I'm a little more selective about my leftovers. Some things I just don't like heated up again, like fish, or most kinds of pasta. Although lasagna or something like that is okay. My way of knowing when I've found a really good recipe is when I WILL eat the leftovers! :) Some of the leftovers I will fight my husband over are the Black Bean and Spinach Pizza, Grilled Chicken and Roasted Red Pepper Sandwiches with Fontina Cheese (known around our house as "The Sandwich"!),and the Black Bean and Fresh Cheese Enchiladas with Warm Tomatillo Salsa.

His grandmother is probably the most anti-leftover person I know, though. She doesn't like to have anything left, so we go through these conversations like, "Have another potato!" "But I've already had two!" "That doesn't matter, have one more!" :D

Kathy

[catharine]

I LOVE leftovers. I always have. There are only two of us in my house. I usually cook 2-3 times/week and we have leftovers the other nights.

I have to say I understand that certain foods just don't reheat that well but for me that isn't a big deal. I had a roommate when I studied abroad who was a good cook and always made too much food. He refused to eat leftovers. I benefited greatly from that.

[greysangel]

The two best "leftovers" in the world, IMO- cold takeout pizza for breakfast, and mashed potatoes from Thanksgiving dinner. :D

I'll trade you my mashed potatoes for your stuffing :D I love cold stuffing sandwiched between white bread with some Hellman's :o

[Curleytop]

Another leftovers HATER! DH sometimes will eat leftover casserole dishes. I will eat leftover steak or chicken at lunch! I was brought up NOT TO WASTE FOOD!
:D

[acginkc]

I will eat leftovers out of pure desperation. Even Thanksgiving turkey I get sick of after about 2 sandwiches. To me they just never taste as good as they did the 1st time. I will eat them, don't get me wrong, but I don't typically get too excited for them (possibly because I am so often disappointed). I have gotten much better at making recipes that only feed 2, but there are times that just doesn't seem to work out.

[SDMomChef]

I'm not a big fan of leftovers - to me, they rarely taste as good as the first time around. That being said, I do like leftover pasta dishes (generally) and leftover soup and Chili. I often make a pot of soup on the weekends so I have food to bring to work for lunches.

[Laurielee]

I dont like leftovers either, a few exceptions are chili and maybe a few casseroles, luckily DH likes to eat them for lunch. I wish I did because there are nights I dont feel like cooking and it would be great to say oh lets just eat this leftover and I dont have to cook! Like others, I will grill extra chicken or steak to use in other dishes later in the week, I dont see that as leftovers


Laurie

[vbak]

Schoops might be local or regional. They make the most delicious cheeseburgers and um onion rings. :)

[lala7625]

i love leftovers!! i try to kinda plan ahead with them though...spagetti and meatballs one night turns into meatball subs the next etc. i'm not a big fan of eating the same thing over and over again until there's no more. if i'm not cooking for friends & family then it's just up to me to finish them off! variety is a must!

[springsgourmet9]

I don't like leftovers either! My husband usually takes them for lunch but I prefer to make a fresh dinner every night. I think it's the taste of old food that makes me detest them. My family makes fun of me for this but I can take it. I grew up with 5 brothers & sisters so I guess there was never any food left over or Mom made so much we always had leftovers, don't remember.

My sister on the other hand will cook hot dogs and hamburgers either the night before or early on the morning of a cookout! Yuck, who wants leftovers for a barbeque. Anything to get the job done.

Now that the boys are in college, I try to cook smaller portions so we don't waste food.

p.s. I also warm my plates before serving, another brunt of jokes from family members. Also, I will not eat Thanksgiving dinner on paper plates, so I always have Thanksgiving dinner and we use real plates and I'm happy even after all the work to serve 24 people.

Wow, I guess they have reason to make jokes!

[doggerham]

If we didn't eat leftovers, we would never have "Every man for himself" for dinner! (One of my personal favorite menus.... :p )

You are much more genteel than I am. I refer to this as "Make your own **** dinner" night. DH refers to it as "foraging".

[MISSINDI]

My DH hates leftovers too, and will tell me there's "nothing for dinner," when the fridge most certainly overfloweth. His biggest dislike is leftover pizza though... men.

[Minky]

I refer to this as "Make your own **** dinner" night.

This cracked me up :D Mostly because I have wanted to say this on several occasions :rolleyes:

We rarely have leftovers, mainly because we have two teenage boys who are always hungry and constantly eating. Even when I try to plan for having some ingredients left over, it doesn't seem to happen very often...

Sheila

[CathyT]

You are much more genteel than I am. I refer to this as "Make your own **** dinner" night. DH refers to it as "foraging".

In our house, it's "scrounging." :D

DH and I can handle one round of leftovers - i.e., leftovers from dinner for lunch the following day is fine, and thankfully so, because it's one of best money-savers. But the rule is no more than two days in a row of the same thing.

Vicky (and other leftovers haters) - I'm just curious. If someone made a lasagna and froze it to have on a night when they were too busy to cook, would that qualify as leftovers? (I realize that technically it's not leftovers, but I'm wondering if the aversion is to leftovers per se, or simply the concept of something that's been sitting in the fridge ...)

Cathy
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[ADM]

Re: "I don't want leftovers. I need something to chew for supper tonight. Something that requires a knife and fork, but since I had started on school work as soon as I got home, and it is now 6:55, the odds of using a knife and fork seem pretty slim. I am going to be so unhappy and annoyed if I have to eat that soup again!"

Well, What did you eat?

[vbak]

ADM we had Schoops. As I posted in an earlier post they make the BEST cheeseburgers and ,um ,onion rings. DH got 2 doubles because he had a coupon, BUT I only ate half . I love those things. Tonight I am making a fork and knife dinner. It 's the slow cooker Thai pork stew, however, it is in the oven and it smellls divine.

The tortilla soup is in the freezer and will be revisted at a later date. Maybe I will invite some unsuspecting friends over for soup and whatever. :) We really like the soup, but ...ya know.

Vicky

[vbak]

MISSINDI, I love leftover pizza as long it is warmed in the oven on a stone. I frequently freeze the leftovers, and what can I say , but YUM. DH puts it in the micro. Disgusting with htat soggy crust. Men. Some of them don't know nothin! :rolleyes:

Vicky

[ADM]

Vicky,

Re: "The tortilla soup is in the freezer and will be revisted at a later date."

Right on! Thumbs up! When I make soup, I, deliberately, make large quantities. Even before I serve the meal, I fill freezer containers. That way you only cook ONCE, and have a meal for later when you are feeling like an apathetic cook, or for serving unplanned guests!

When you cook, to freeze, that can't -- even remotely, be compared to serving "leftovers".

[mundy]

Sounds like many of us need to learn to cook smaller portions. How about a thread of recipes that we've successfully cut down to serve one or two? I live alone and although I don't mind leftovers, I will not eat them day after day to finish a recipe that was for 4 or 6 people! I'd love to hear what recipes you're making that serve one or two.

[mbrogier]

I like some leftovers. Tonight we had taco salad, and I purposefully made extra taco meat to freeze for later.

Leftovers I don't like are mushy potatoes. I will use leftover baked potatoes for cottage potatoes in the morning, but other potatoes get soggy and taste like the refrigerator. I will eat leftover fried chicken cold out of the fridge (mmm), but it isn't showing up at the dinner table again. Anything that is supposed to be crispy should be crispy if it shows up again. Not many things meet that criteria.

I try not to make extra vegetables that won't reheat well.

Leftovers I love:
stir fry--it's good cold, and better reheated.
spaghetti--I prefer it leftover
soups

[Kalna]

As a kid I hated leftovers. My mother would put 2 Tablespoons of leftover peas in a oven proof dish and than do the same with meatloaf and mashed potatoes. Than she would heat at 350 for one hour and serve. It was hard to swallow!

Fast forward to my adult like, working full time and getting home at 5:30. I quickly gave myself permission not to cook a new meal every night. It was not going to happen. Instead I would cook one night with extra food to make another dish for the next night ( or the second night). Here are a few examples. First night meatloaf ( often done on the weekend), next meal add pasta sauce and call it square meatballs - serve with pasta.

Bake extra chicken breast, first night serve as baked chicken, next night chicken tacos, or hot chicken sandwiches.

When I brown ground beef I also cook more than I need. Drain all and freeze the remaining. I usually do this in 1 pound packages. I later use it for chili or soup recipes.

Carolyn

[karenv]

I think leftovers are great. Mind you that I am single and cook the recipe for usually 4 servings so, therefore, I always have something already prepared for lunch the next day or changed into something else the next night. I HATE wasting food especially when there are so many that go without. Here is a good one for you - sometimes if I know I will have a busy week but want to make the dish anyway, I will freeze the leftovers into individual portions so I can just whip it out of the freezer and have dinner already made. How many of you eat frozen dinners? - that is the same thing.

there are some things that I don't eat left overs of and that is salad, vegetables (some), or fish.

Karen

[Varaile]

We actually enjoy leftovers in our house for several reasons - sometimes the flavors are better the next day; I don't have to prep a full meal, just reheat and serve; DH has something ready to eat if I'm gone; I can make something new using something old; no wasting food so I'm saving $$; oh, and often dinner one night is DH's lunch the next day; etc.

I'll plan the leftovers right into the weeks meal plan which makes a big difference - I'm not faced with a fidge of leftovers at the end of the week!

[BetsyS]

Leftovers I love:
stir fry--it's good cold, and better reheated.
spaghetti--I prefer it leftover
soups

This is funny to me, cause I love leftovers, EXCEPT stir fry and spaghetti. ROFL.