Meal Saving Tip #1 - Rethink Leftovers

Leftovers have gotten a bad rap over the years. And I understand. There have been many times where I've poked around in the back of the fridge and screwed up the courage to peek under the lids of the Tupperware containers. Often the contents inspire horror movie titles.

But, what if you could use leftovers. . .really use leftovers, without the mold growing experiments or groans from your family, "Not tuna casserole AGAIN."

The trick is to recycle the food item into a completely new food dish. Take this last Father's day. I splurged and bought petite sirloin steak for a big family gathering (on sale $3.50 a lb for ten pounds. Still WAY cheaper than your overpriced crowded restaurant) My brother grilled up all the steak, and we had about 4 pounds left over.

Took the steak leftovers home, sliced them up, and bagged them for a few separate meals. Later that week, had broccoli and beef stir fry with pea pods. Delicious. And sooo easy, because the meat was already precooked. Got dinner on the table in 20 minutes.

Now if this idea of reusing food in other dishes grosses you out, I strongly suggest that you NEVER eat out again. Because this is a very common restaurant practice. (Restaurants should only recycle the food leftover after cooking each evening. . not leftovers from patrons' dishes, because that would be gross)

Wendy's chili is a prime example of leftover usage. Every day, the grill person overcooks hamburger patties or cooks too many patties for the demand. These unused cooked patties go into the chili for the next day.

There are a few steps to managing your food leftovers, so you can recycle them for a later date.

1.Freeze anything that can be frozen. Don't stick a leftover into the fridge. This almost guarantees a one way trip to the garbage can. I freeze heels of bread, meats, meat bones, broth, sauces. . almost anything except eggs, potatoes, mayo based products. If al dente, rice and pasta can also be frozen.

2. Store leftovers with a plan. Notice when I froze the steak, I sliced it up with meals in mind. I know that with leftover steak, I can make beef and broccoli, steak sandwiches, fajitas, and stroganoff. If I put anything in the freezer, I think ahead to what to what I can make with it. Bread heels either get ground for bread crumbs or cubed for stuffing/croutons.

If I have enough of an item to make a meal, I freeze in containers and mark with a sharpie what it is. Only have enough for one or two servings? I put it together TV dinner style in those plastic containers with compartments. These are great for : lunches at work, when kids are running to activities and won't be home for dinner, or when someone REALLY can't handle what we are having for dinner.

For leftover makeover for lunches the next day, I strongly suggest going to http://lunchinabox.net/ (see link at side). She makes leftover packing lunches a visual feast.

Hope that you'll start putting your leftovers to good use!