BristolUK

My stepdaughter reads the comics, Dear Abby etc at breakfast before work. Today:
Putting aside describing her own cooking as delicious I wondered about the casserole aspect.

We've always used leftovers and while I try to make it "not just the same thing again", I wouldn't make a casserole from it. Too much cooking of the ingredients.

I might use something from the leftovers to pad out a casserole but they wouldn't be the casserole itself.

One of the great delights about Christmas Turkey Dinner is using some (not all) of the leftovers together with other things to make something entirely different on Boxing Day but still involving Turkey.

Anyway, what do "you" do with leftovers or do you make the right amount?

magnumpi

We have a dog, we never have leftovers, therefore, we never use the green bin

DandNHill

We have two giant dogs. So in fact they need their own portion...

The other option we have is to put it in the back of the fridge until it's green and hairy then we throw it out! 🤣

BristolUK

Well that's better than opening the fridge and finding it morphed into a monster and it eats you before throwing out your bones.
Although maybe the monster makes a nice stock with your leftovers

dbd33

Chickens.

BristolUK

I can see I have the wrong title. It should have been what do you make from leftovers

Dorothy

It depends on what's left over. Some things I'll make extra so we have leftovers (curries or lasagna, etc) for tomorrow's work lunches. Other stuff I make extra (stews, soup) so we can have it again the next night, 'cause you know some things are better the second day. Generally, though I'm pretty good with cooking the right sized portions if it's something we don't want again.

Shakyuk

If it's on my plate.. it's getting eaten


I make stews, curries and various things like that, slow cooked in big pots. I normally make loads knowing it'll last a few days and I normally leave the dish on the hob or in the oven as my grand parents used to do. For me it was normal to leave food out but covered for a few days (obviously depending on what it is). My girlfriend was initially shocked by this as she felt everything had to go in the fridge. She quickly realised that stews, curries and things get better after a few days left on the stove.


If my bread has mould on it, I cut the mould off, if the meat has gone out of date, I smell it and feel it before I throw it. I use my judgement and so far I've never got ill from doing this.

DandNHill

It can be hard to get portions right though.

In the last 6 years we've gone from a family of 7 to 6 to 4 to 3... just when I get used to the new quantities I need to cook somebody moves out... Obviously they don't like my cooking!!

Teaandtoday5

Three teenagers. No leftovers. In fact most of the ridiculous amount of food I buy just seems to disappear.

Almost Canadian

This. They have to be the world's greatest recyclers of food.

Oakvillian

Not much gets thrown out in our household. Like Dorothy, we'll often make a double quantity so we can have it again later in the week, or - for example - make a bit vat of chili that we'll have with rice on a Tuesday and then in tacos with salad on Thursday, with anything left after that probably serving as my work lunch on Friday. That's the destination for most smaller quantities of leftovers, too - thrown in the microwave at work the next day. Larger quantities that we have no immediate plans to eat go either in the freezer or, if we're feeling generous and he's hungry, in the dog.

Chicken carcasses, ham bones, etc, tend to be boiled for stock, which is then used with leftover veggies and odds and ends of meat to make soup.

Atlantic Xpat

Curries (Chicken, Pork)
Leftover Stroganoff (Beef)
Stirfrys (all three)
Sarnies
Dog!

BristolUK

Oh yes! Things with pasta in particular.

BristolUK

Chickens are small here. I roast two together and the four leg/thigh portions form part of the roast dinner.

The breast is then available for sandwiches, club sandwiches, cold chicken, salads, curries or other chickeny things with rice.

Those lovely ham things that they call picnic shoulder or whatever. That leftover - a big piece - does melted cheese and ham on crusty bread to go with the day after salad and the rest makes a Ham Alfredo or Ham and Egg or even all four if it's the bigger ones. Ridiculously cheap too @ 99p lb. They're all so different it doesn't feel like 'ham again'

Feed the leftovers to the dog or chickens? Outrageous.