No Waste
In my recent Amish Friends No Waste Cookbook, I mentioned in the introduction that my mother was always frugal when it came to using the food she cooked for more than one meal. Leftover baked meatloaf that we’d eaten for supper became cold meatloaf sandwiches for lunch the following day. Leftovers from chicken dishes became a tasty casserole, or the meat was sliced and used to make sandwiches.
My Amish friends are also prudent when it comes to not being wasteful with the food they prepare for their families. Leftovers are used wisely and a meat dish for supper might end up being used the following day in a tasty soup, potpie, casserole dish, or for sandwiches. On numerous occasions my husband and I have been invited to share in some of those delicious meals at our Amish friends’ homes.
What are some ways you have used leftover food from a supper meal to create something else to eat the following day? Do you have any “no-waste” tips to share?
We use our leftovers for my husband to take the next night or one night during the week for dinner. I make chicken cutlets and we will eat with rice or a side, then he will take it one night as chicken parm maybe with pasta or alone and then another night we had Italian bread that he made a chicken cutlet parm hero.
I love not wasting things. I have used left over mashed potatoes for fried potato patties, leftover ham and chicken for casseroles, sandwiches, for breakfast omelette and biscuits. I love reading your journal posts Wanda. Thanks for sharing.
I share the leftovers with my neighbor. And I take some left overs for my lunch.
I use leftover meats for sandwiches or casseroles. We also enjoy dicing leftover ham and adding it to scrambled eggs for a tasty breakfast. Leftover meatloaf sandwiches are a popular choice in our house. If we have several days of leftovers that have not been repurposed, we will have “leftover night” for the evening meal, setting out all leftovers for everyone to fill a plate that is then heated in the microwave. It’s a great way to use up all the leftovers at once and everyone can get another helping of a favorite meat, side, or vegetable.
We have done the same things casseroles,we have eaten the same food items as is for a few days after they are made,put leftover chicken in salad.
I use left over taco meat in with mac and cheese.
Hi Wanda,
With four growing children, its sometimes hard to find any leftovers! However, we served God overseas early in our marriage in Asia and learned a trick about no-waste. In China, no meal would be complete without rice and a warm soup. At first this was a cumbersome chore to prepare a soup and a meal each time we ate. Over time, we began to really enjoy the warming and comforting aroma and taste of a vegetable broth or other type of soup before eating a main meal. If there were any left over meats or veggies from the main meal it was incorporated into the next days’ soup! NO waste-ever! Also, if there was any left over rice, it was kept and rewarmed or put in tomorrow’s soup. On occasion, we added sugar and milk and cinnamon to made a tasty desert- or homemade rice pudding. We now live in Sarasota/Bradenton area, but the lessons we learned from our time overseas have continued in our family life to this day.
With having such a large family, leftovers are rare. If we do have any then my husband will take it to work the next day for lunch. I also don’t like to waste food. There have been times when something will expire and I feel so guilty for throwing it out.
I like to get a beef or pork roast and cook them in my crockpot with carrots, potatoes, onion and garlic. Once we have this for dinner the leftovers will go into a stew by adding broth that I thicken. I love to serve the stew in homemade bread bowls.
I will often reheat homemade soup to take in my lunch. We always eat leftovers until they are gone.
Your post brought back a great memory of my dad saying that he thought “leftovers” were a food group since we had them so often.
I never thought of myself being frugal with saving leftover food but I guess I need to join that group of frugal cooks!
Since we love Mexican food, I use leftover beef roast for delicious Beef burritos, chicken for Chicken Burrito Bowls. I do these frequently and there’s never any waste.
With the never-ending rise in food costs, it’s only smart to use leftovers.
I use left over lightly steamed fresh vegetables in salads or omelette. Also left over mashed potatoes to make candy.
Hi Wanda,
mostly, since there are the 2 of us now, we normally simply use the left overs in the same way the second meal. however, when it comes to turkey, which we enjoy often, we will enjoy the first evening almost the same as a Christmas feast. we have it with stuffing, cranberry sauce…..the second evening, i may make a stroganoff or simply add the turkey to a soup recipe. we also enjoy soup with turkey sandwiches; the sandwiches topped with mayo and mustard. now i am getting hungry! i think i have a turkey left in the freezer…….gotta go check! lol….Judi
I use leftover baked or even fried chicken to make chicken salad. When I cook up ground beef I generally have extra and that goes in freezer for whatever I need it next.
I like to make spaghetti sauce and then turn the leftovers into chili. We also love using leftover meatloaf for sandwiches.
Once I used my crockpot to make broth. Pick your chicken bones as much as you can, but then rather than during the bones away, put them back in the pot and use about 6 cups of water, and keep it on low all day. let it cool, and skim if there is any fat on the top.
When I cook a roast whatever is left over the next day I will add vegetables and tomato sauce to make a vegetable soup. I use leftover meatloaf to make a hamburger pasta casserole. I use left over baked chicken to make chicken salad sandwiches or cut it up in a green salad.
I will say I do not waste food. I’ve always tried to be as frugal as possible. I will buy value packs of meats and separate into portions and freeze. This way when I thaw, it will be the right amount for a meal. I also buy in bulk when I can so I pay less and out in order by expiration dates.
Since I work at an after-school learning center, I don’t get home from work until about 7:20 at night. Making large batches of a recipe and then using the leftovers a day or two later helps me put dinner on the table fairly quickly once I return home from work. The crock pot and the microwave provide great ways to speed up meal preparation.
I will cook pineapple if I see it is not being eaten. Cooking any fruits will make it last longer ….cooked blueberries go well on yogurt…..
Bread scraps I never through out….. bread scraps can be dried and made into bread crumbs.
I am the queen of “leftover makeovers” for our dinners. My husband is a gem & will eat whatever I put in front of him without complaint, but I know he’s not fond of eating the same thing to nights in a row. My favorite thing to do is roast a chicken in the oven one night & serve it as-is with sides, and then chop up the leftover chicken to make a soup or casserole the next night. I often throw in the leftover veggies as well 😊
I love using leftovers! They are usually better the second day!
I love reading your journal and all of your books. I made soup with leftover v
I have used leftovers to create another supper alot, with the high costs of food I try not to waste or over buy produce because it does not hold up well at all. I recently cooked two roasts in the oven, the smaller one was used for roast sandwiches for lunch, much cheaper than lunch meat besides I knew what all was in it, the other made a great supper with potatoes & carrots for a side, much healthier. It upsets me to see all that people waste at restaurants with the cost of the meals, I rather take leftovers home to warm up for lunch the next day.
Happy 60th Anniversary also, so happy for both of you. I wish more people put God at the center instead of money or worldly ways that never last or fully satisfy. God Bless you both❤️
I love to have meatloaf left over for sandwiches the next day!
I usually give my leftovers to my daughter who is a single Mom. She appreciates that she doesn’t have to cook for her and my grandson. If I don’t see her for a few days I will use them on salads, in soups, sandwiches and as lunches at work. I hate throwing away good food.
We always eat left overs but we don’t recreate. We just eat the same thing twice. I really like to cook a lot of something and then portion in containers for easy grab meals.
Yes – this seemed to be the way years ago!
Congratulations on your 60th anniversary- what a blessing! We will celebrate our 50th anniversary in June!
I usually don’t have many leftovers with my teenager son around. When we do we pick one night a week to have leftover night and clean out the fridge or make something new with the leftovers.
We never have to many leftovers since it is just hubby and I but when I have left over spaghetti I will make chili I pour it over the spaghetti it is so good.
Happy, happy anniversary.
Thanks Wanda for all your great books. I love reading them and the ending is always amazing in some way.
We usually just heat most of our leftovers but occasionally I will make another dish with leftovers such as chicken or whatever I have.
Look forward to more of your amazing books. It would be awesome to win the next book series. I look forward to reading them.
Have a wonderful and blessed day,
Sincerely,
Glenna
I like to make a pot toast, then next day use the broth and shred the meat for homemade vegetable soup.
Blessings on your 60th Anniversary!!
Growing up in a very poor household, we always found a use for any leftovers we may have had. I can remember many cold meatloaf sandwiches and believe it or not, sometimes we had the meatloaf with eggs in the morning. Anytime Turkey’s would go on sale for the unbelievable price of .22 a pound, my mother would buy a 25 pound one! We would have roast turkey, turkey sandwiches, turkey soup, hot turkey sandwiches and Turkey salad until we felt like clucking. My mother could take any old scrap and make something delicious out of it God rest her soul.
We make hot dishes too and eat leftovers during the week.
Our menu plan last 2 weeks instead of one.
My mom was/is that way too! Even at 93 years of age. She was a German who experienced several refugee camps during WWII and due to her many difficult experiences, she was always frugal, with food, electricity, you name it! So a lot of that has passed on to me! Always trying to save money on things that aren’t really that necessary. But occasionally I like to still treat myself to something nice either wanted or needed. As well as for my family. Her teaching me to handle my money carefully has made it so that I was very budget conscious and throughout our married life of 48 1/2 years, we never were late for payments, despite the small amount of money we had in those early years. So my tip would be to always try your best to live within your means and keep the credit accounts paid quickly before the interest mounts up. And as for food tips, when you cook, make a little extra and freeze for another quick meal for those busy days when you have little time.
Happy Anniversary to you and your husband!! We usually eat all the food I make or I just put it in the fridge and re warm..I can’t think of anything I make into something else for the next day..my mother in law used to take a roast and turn it into sandwiches the next day!
Rachel Maples
Monett Mo
Leftover chicken, chicken salad sandwiches the next day. Meatloaf one night becomes meatloaf sandwiches the next day. Often, I will take left over fruits, vegetables and sometimes meat and make a mixed up salad.
We have very little food waste, I like to make large dishes so we can just reheat the next day so I have a day off from cooking. I make chili, beef stew, clam chowder, meatloaf and a couple of chicken casseroles that are good leftover and reheated.
I look forward to this newsletter and journal entry
I too like to cook for more than one meal at a time. Meatloaf sandwiches are good as well as chicken soup or chicken salad sandwiches the next lunch meal.
Buying in bulk and portion out meats is something I’ve done for years.
Sometimes we have ‘grand review’ meals, which are all leftovers
Thank you for sharing.
You are such a talented lady. I enjoy reading your books and cooking some of the Amish recipes you share. I also enjoy hearing about your life. I too married my husband after knowing him only a few months. We will be celebrating 34 yrs this August. We were blessed with two sons. Happy anniversary!!!
Your books are instrumental in learning about Amish life and thoroughly draw in your readers!
I love to read your books and your journals
Being single I always try to make meals that I will eat for either another dinner or for lunch. I make some things that I freeze to eat later in the month.
Hello,
When I was growing up, we rarely had leftovers. My mom and dad were such good cooks, that we clean our plates and pots. lol
Now that my kids are grown and gone, it’s just me. So, I don’t have leftovers. I cook just enough for my meal. But, I long for the days when my family was around the table saying how good everything taste. If anyone out there has small kids…enjoy them because they grow up fast.
Thanks for sharing. Also, congratulations to you, Ms. Wanda on your anniversary. Have FUN!
Wanda W.
I love to read your books and your journals Happy Anniversary
I will also use for soups, casseroles, sandwiches, or freeze for something later. Depending on what I make.
One of my favorite dishes to make with leftovers is Chilaquiles. With just the two of us, I always have extra tortillas that would sit in the fridge and get stale. The great thing about chilaquiles is that you can also add leftover meats, eggs and cheese that need to be used up.
We always used leftover mashed potatoes to make potato cakes.
Leftover cereal crumbs are added to cookie recipes to give them a different taste and texture.
We never waste leftover pizza. We eat it cold, my favorite or heat it in a skillet for my husband.
I love your books. Thanks for sharing your talents.
Hi Wanda
I love using leftovers and convert into a different meal the next day. Left over meatballs and sausage from my homemade spaghetti will be used for sandwiches. Seems they taste better the next day anyway.
I love reading your books and meeting with you at Der Dutchman in Sarasota. See you soon
I love to put chicken breasts in the crockpot on low. Once done, I shared the chicken in the crockpot. I use some of the chicken and make soup, dumplings, or noodles. Some of the chicken gets taco seasoning added to it. The remainder gets BBQ sauce. My husband loves a baked potato topped with bbq chicken and cheese.
*shred the chicken
We’ve been married for almost 54 years now (Oct 2023) and only knew one another 6 mo when we married.
As far as no waste in cooking, I guess I’ve done my share of waste, but I truly try to mostly fix enough for that particular meal. I do usually cook a meat or extra veggies that can be heated again on Monday so I’ll have less work that day. Sundays is generally a McDs day as with being in our 70’s now, our children gone, my husband a pastor, and several church services, Sunday is a very busy day. We tend to take the easier way out. My husband always accommodated me with that leisure moment.
But I remember my Mama cooking a pot of beans almost every Saturday with cornbread and we’d eat that for several days. She worked a public job so she heated a lot of meals over.
When I have leftover mashed potatoes I make potato pancakes with them.
I try not to waste any food l cook. My husband and I love ham, I bake a whole one and make sandwiches, biscuits and ham, and many other dishes. We are so thankful that the Lord blesses us. Happy 60th Anniversary!!
Hi Wanda and friends,
First of all congratulations on your upcoming 60 year anniversary. That is so cool. I’m 59 yrs old and newly married an old friend of the family as I was a widow before that. I never understood why people would mock longevity in marriage and say, “how can you stay with only one person?” A person thrives in a trusting relationship…I say how CAN”T you stay with a person that long? Right?
I like to use leftover chicken in what I call a chicken wrap. It’s a tortilla with chicken and cheese and salsa with other little things like lettuce and tomatoes. YUM!
Leftovers do not go to waste in our home… they are usually used for lunches or frozen for a meal when we don’t feel like cooking.. they might even be used to create a new dish the next day…
I am still learning how to “reuse” leftovers! One of my favorite for leftover chicken is to make chicken and gravy over waffles. I’ve also cut the chicken up for soup, although lately I’ve had a hard time finding our favorite style of noodles for soup. I’m looking forward to hopefully gaining some new ideas from other comments!
HAPPY ANNIVERSARY to you both!! Judi
My husband and I were married 60 years. He was a pastor and I was the pastor’s wife. We worked together as a team until his health was so bad that he could no longer pastor. WE were committed to God through thick and thin even during times of testing, sickness, and in health. Yes, we had a happy marriage even through imperfect times.
I almost always make a bigger portion than the two of us will eat in one meal so I can make casseroles or sandwiches later in the week. I have an elderly sister who lives near me and I share a lot of dinner meals with her. She is a widow and 87 years old. She really appreciates all I take to her.
Always love ideas for left overs. sometimes when I make pork roast and have left overs I either shred it and make sauerkraut soup or add bar-b-que sauce and make pulled pork. there are so many different ways to use left overs ! Happy anniversary. Love your books!
I’ve always been careful with leftovers. As you said, meatloaf becomes sandwiches. Left over pot roast becomes beef stew for another meal. Likewise, leftover chicken becomes chicken pot pie. I always kept a container in the freezer for small bits of leftover vegetables. Then they went into soup or casseroles.
My husband loves leftovers for lunch the following day , just the way it was the night before!If there is a big portion leftover I often freeze it for another meal a week or so later.
One of my favorite things to do with leftover fresh vegetables is make a stir fry. The salad and fresh fixings are never great after a day or so, and stir fry takes them to that next level.
First off—Happy 60th Anniversary! What a milestone. My grandparents were married 60 years and Patsy and Les Clairmont were married 60 years last year. Congratulations!!
If we have leftovers, my husband either takes some to work or has it again in a night or 2. I’m on low carb so I don’t eat it.
love your books
My husband is not a fan of leftovers…but I am. I’m always glad to have leftover chicken that turns in chicken salad the next day, and my husband enjoys the disguised leftover. Who doesn’t agree chili soup is better the second day!
I have just started reading your books at 72..i love them, its good clean reading and has scripture in them, you dont find that in todays world. I just got finishes with the Walnut Creek series, and getting ready to read The Brides of Lancaster series..
My husband and i will be married 53 years on May 2.. you are so right it take commitment to God and each other.. we only dated two months also..God Bless you and your husband…HAPPY ANNIVERSARY…
Betty Sonny
Cincinnati , Ohio
Leftover mashed potatoes become a breakfast treat next day with egg, cut up ham/bacon, onion and parsley and fried
My family will either keep it as leftovers which we warm up and eat or add something else to it to make it something different. It just depends on what is left.
My Mama taught me to keep a freezer container for leftover veggies. I save corn, beans, peas, carrots etc. And when it’s full, I make a pot of vegetable soup and have a nice place to build on.
If we have grilled chicken left over, we’ll make a salad with it the next day. Most days we eat the leftovers as lunch the next day or so until it’s gone.
With it being just 2 of us not many leftovers. When I roast meat always use the broth for soups or noodles. My parents always saved too. I guess I was taught to not waste food cause there is a hungry child somewhere who would eat that. Happy Anniversary Wanda and Richard.
This cook book brings back sweet memories of my memaw. She would never waste anything and always made another meal with what she cooked. I learned so much from her and I still do the same today. She would use veggie scraps and make broth, then when she strained it she would take out the scraps to the wildlife. She would make many meals from leftover potatoes and meats. I rember make cinnamon rasins monkey bread with left over biscuits and other things. We should all learn from the old ways and the amish. Thank you Ms Wanda. Lieb all of your novels. I would really love to read the book in your contest. God Bless
I use left overs for salads, sandwiches and casserole. I love chicken casserole
Yes I grew up on a small farm. My parents were hard workers—mother had a large garden and canned and raised chickens and even canned some of them for use in winter. She used everything and we ate leftovers and never complained. I raised my family eating what I cooked and they are not picky eaters. One of my favorite leftovers is using roast for stew.
We love leftover here and it always makes me feel good to know I am not wasting food.
I love to read about the Amish community. Makes me feel like I have warm Christian friends and would love to win the new contest.
My parents taught me the art of making do with what you have, or “waste not, want not.” If I make leftovers, we eat them. Turkey dinners turned into turkey sandwiches the next day. Left-over ham would turn into a casserole. I still live that way. My parents taught me well.
I like chicken salad made from left over chicken. I love making things from leftovers. Mashed potatoes makes great potato cakes ,potato candy . I like reading your stories each month.
May God Bless you and your husband!! Happy Anniversary 😊
We usually have leftovers but we always eat them. We very rarely throw away. Hot meatloaf sandwiches, potato cakes fried, leftover sloppy joes, or anything else. Leftovers are sometimes better than the first time eaten.
Left over roast makes wonderful beef stew.
Congratulations on your 60th Anniversary and may God grant you more anniversaries.
I love leftovers in this home it’s so nice to just reheat and serve my husband get’s them in his lunch for work,
I have used leftover pot roast as an addition to pasta sauce. Most of the time, any leftover meat is used in a sandwich the next day. Leftover ham and veggies go into omelets!
When my boys were younger and lived at home (and I was working) I always cooked enough to make 2-3 meals. The slow cooker and cream of mushroom and/or cream of chicken soup were my friends. Example: left over chicken (meat cut from the bone), cream soup, rice, frozen veggies cooked in crockpot all day was a wonderful meal. Now, however, it’s just my husband and I. We certainly eat leftovers (spaghetti is so much better the next day!) but sometimes life gets busy and you don’t want any food to go to waste. Sooo…my chickens get a treat! If food has spoiled it goes in the compost pile.
I simply love your Amish novels wanda, on cold rainy days when I can’t get outside,I curl up with one of your novels and a cup of hot tea ,you are truly a gifted writer!
I love to read your books..can’t wait for the new release..thank you so much..I love Jesus and the books you write are so inspiring. Thank you and God bless. I want to try some of the recipes that you share in your books also
I come from a family of 12 kids, so I can relate to being frugal. My mother was the same way. We dried apples to make them last longer in winter.
As a very young wife in early 1964 (married in Dec 1963), I traveled to Germany to be with my Army husband. I had to be frugal with my grocery shopping and never waste if possible. I learned early to make use of leftovers!! Still do at age almost 78. Last night I made my “hamburger hash”. Tomorrow the leftovers will be the base of a good creamy vegetable soup! Love your books. Sharon B.
Thank you for all your devotion in your research, writings, and time to share the Amish life style.
Historically is wonderfully illustrated, thank you
Your faithful reader
Barbara Shields
I love leftovers! Just to have as a reheated meal or a sandwich. Used in a soup or a casserole is good too. I try not to waste any food at this house. I even get some leftovers from my daughter!!
From the time I was a young girl , my Mom and Grandma’s used leftovers in different ways such a salads , casseroles and sandwiches. Making lunches for my dad when he worked days and nights. Now I use leftover meats . When we buy a rotisserie chicken, I can use use the leftovers for sandwiches . And then shred the chicken for bbq chicken, using a favorite bbq sauce. In the fall I use cut up vegetables in soups and stews. Using the tops of lettuce and carrots gives great flavor. Leftover pork chops are great shredded as well. And hot meatloaf sandwiches served on a piece of bread with mashed potatoes and gravy is so delicious. My family loves it.
I have used left over stew to make pot pie before and chili to make chili Mac I hate to waste left overs just the other day I took a roasted chicken and made chicken soup love your books
I love this topic because I am no novice when it comes to “refurbished meals”!! My now grown children still say” Mama adds cheese to anything and it is a new meal.” i can take any meat and make into jambalaya, add to beans for a soup, or make frittatas. I use leftover squash,eggplant,greens or any similar vegetable as a filler to bulk up chilis or stews. These cook to a mush state and no one will know they are an ingredient unless told. Starchy vegetables such as potatoes can quickly transform into potato soup(along with broccoli or cauliflower) or make a great potato and egg stew. I do not believe in waste. Mainly we eat what we grow and eat what we cook. Thanks for sharing.
I feel so bad when food does spoil either by finding it too late in the back of the fridge or maybe burning it or somehow making it not eatable and need to get rid of it. Because we didn’t waste food at our house and my parents were frugal I am that way, as is my husband and the family he came from. I’m glad we were taught to eat it up, wear it out, don’t throw it out, or do without. There are so many different ways to live without wasting with our food, our clothing, and many other things in our lives. I believe our Savior wants us to be frugal also.
I have always loved finding clever ways to use leftovers. Leftover turkey turns into turkey tetrazzini or turkey salad. Leftover hamburger or meatloaf becomes meat sauce for pasta. Leftover fish gets a Newburg sauce. Leftover veggies go into soups. And absolutely anything can be turned into a sandwich, and it’s fun to think of interesting sauces to use as toppings.
if we have any kind of beef left over, we put it on Italian or French bread make garlic bread then put meat on top of it and mozzarella cheese on top of that then put it in the oven for the cheese to melt.
I never waste food either. I use left over chicken to make soup. I use left over vegetables for soup too. If I buy a rotisserie chicken we eat off it while it’s fresh then I make either chicken spaghetti, chicken tacos or soup.
It’s a little harder for me now because my husband passed away 17 months ago and I haven’t learned how to cut my cooking down. I have to eat on it more times than I want or freeze it.
Whenever we have a roast and we have leftovers, after packing a lunch for my husband, I either shred it up & and add BBQ sauce to make BBQ sandwiches for a quick next day meal or cut the leftover roast in bite size pieces & add vegetable broth, diced tomatoes & juice and mixed vegetables to make a yummy beef stew.
I enjoy making Italian chicken that is chicken marinated in Italian dressing. Fresh steamed broccoli and potatoes. If there is leftovers of chicken and broccoli. I make a salad and toss in the Italian chicken and broccoli along with other ingredients for the salad. The salad usually becomes a lunch or dinner for my family. The potatoes become hash browns and served with eggs for breakfast. I’m not a fan of wasting food. I always try to reinvent my dishes to use up the food.
I enjoy these emails twice a month and forward to them every month
One of my favorite meal is Italian chicken, steamed broccoli and potatoes. If there is leftover Italian chicken and broccoli. I make a salad and toss in the Italian chicken and broccoli along with other ingredients for the salad. If potatoes are left. I make hash browns from the potatoes. Along with eggs for breakfast. I’m not one for wasting food. I always try to add my leftovers to new dishes.
I like the picture of you with your husband, in front of your Amish buggy!
Your notes about being frugal are good…I try to be, too, but not always successful!!!
Wanda Grisham/Indiana.
Hi Wanda, it’s a very cold day here in Cornwall Ontario Canada….I share the food I make since I always have more than I need..I was also taught to never waste food. Soup is always good , you can’t go wrong with a thick hearty soup filled leftovers…I have a friend who doesn’t do a lot of home cooking who appreciates anything homemade….Sheppard’s pie is one I make and share. My grandson loves this dish when he visits…There is no waste with this dish. If I buy too much ground beef, I will usually make a big pot of Hamburger Soup, with lots of veggies…always so good when it’s cold out side… I would like to wish you and Richard , Happy 60 t h Anniversary, and many more happy years.
Talking the left over chicken of the bones. Boiling the left over chicken bones. Then you can make breakfast meat patty’s.
Leftovers were another meal later in the week
Happy 60th Anniversary! Congratulations! Thank you for sharing your thoughts with us in your Journals. Leftovers are a big part of our eating habits, I don’t seem to be able to cook for two. Fortunately, my husband is fine having left overs. Sometimes, I use left over chicken to make soup, chicken noodles and chicken salad for sandwiches. We eat more chicken than beef or pork, and usually make casseroles with them. If we don’t want the leftovers the next day I freeze them for a later time. God has been good to us and we have the luxury of having leftovers.
I never throw leftovers away. I learned from the best-my Mom. She knew how to make food for 2 adults and 6 kids and knew how to make good healthy meals for all of us.She was the best cook and always made do with whatever leftovers she had.I do the same thing.I learned a lot working in restaurants too.I think the best leftovers are cold meatloaf sandwiches or vegetable beef soup.
My favorite is to use baked chicken and shred it for salads or, tacos, or chicken noodle soup which is my favorite soup. Coming from a family of 14 my mother always cooked enough to feed us twice off that meal. We call that meal prepping now but it was just a way to save time.
Happy 60th Anniversary May you have many more! Looking forward to reading more books. Hoping to get your book from your give a way. God Bless!
After a few days of big meals, we will serve a smorgasbord of all the leftovers and you create the meal that you want by selecting various types of food from the smorgasbord. Also I have created a soup with all the leftover by placing the meat and vegetable and some beef broth in a pot. Some leftovers are better served the second time due to the flavor is baked in better.
I like be to have left over chili. Chili and spaghetti noodle the first night. The second night is chili with cornbread mix on top.(chili pie)
Since we are empty nesters, it is hard for us to not to have leftovers! When we do, they are either lunch for my husband the next day or supper for us the next night.
My husband and I tend to simply reheat leftovers, but when I was a child, my favorite meal was my mom’s potato-rutabaga “patties” formed from leftover mashed potatoes and mashed rutabaga. She lightly fried them in a pan, and I loved them!
I just bought this cookbook and can not wait to look through it and put it to good use! I’m more of a baker so planning different meals every week isn’t that fun for me. So excited to get some new ideas! I have 5 of your cookbooks and I plan to buy every one you put out. I absolutely love them!!!
I love your books I have over a 100 books
My husband and I eat our leftovers all of the time. Sometimes, the leftovers are better the next day. My mom taught me to use leftovers the next day to make delicious casseroles, sandwiches, breakfast, etc. Thank you for letting us all know that we are not along in using our leftovers. It is so wasteful not to use them!
Cathy Garnett
I dont waste anything. It makes me crazy when people
throw out perfectly good food!
Most times when eating out, I take half of it home. Many times, it is the fried potatoes from having eggs with toast. I mix it with salsa and microwave it then add cheese. It is so good and gives the potatoes a new life. Yummy!
I will use left over turkey or chicken and make chicken and noodles(like tuna but with chicken). I use left over ham to make au gratin ham and potatoes, or scrambled eggs and ham. It’s always good to add the meat to a pot and make soup especially in winter!
I often use extra meat on pizza or in sandwiches, or meat sauces can be mixed into different dishes easily.
I love the cold meatloaf sandwhich the day after having it for dinner, and potato pancakes for breakfast with left over potatoes. Pulled pork bbq from leftover porkloin, always try to come up with another meal from leftovers.Also like chicken sandwhiches from rotiserie chicken, or chicken salad. So many things. Thank you Wanda.
Speaking of no waste, my mom & dad made baked potatoes one day this week. Next day, we were eating slice potatoes & potato cakes.
I just want you to know that I love reading your books and I am addicted to reading.
Happy Anniversary to the both of you & many more to come! God Bless!! 🙏💖🎉
Love this!
My mom would take leftover macaroni and add other leftover items to make a macaroni salad. I have used leftover mashed potatoes and salmon to make salmon patties. My mother took rice that was leftover and made rice pudding. I used to take leftover beans or spaghetti and wrap in a lettuce leaf to make a sandwich. Sometimes the leftovers are better than the first time around.
We used leftovers, if we had any ,to create other dishes. Leftover macaroni and cheese with pickles and mayo added made a good salad. Leftover rice used to make rice pudding. Old bread used to make bread pudding. Leftover spaghetti or beans wrapped in a lettuce leaf made good sandwiches.
I have several of your cookbooks. I have made many of the recipes from these books. Very good recipes and easy to make. I plan on buying more .
I will make a roast with potatoes,carrots and onions and the next day I’ll cut up the roast into bite size pieces along with the potatoes carrots and onions put them in a skillet and warm up
I do not usually cook. Well to be honest I burn water. However I LOVE your books. Thank you!!!
My husband does not like leftovers, so not much of those around here. One thing that I have done in the past, is I have kept a Tupperware canister in the freezer. Whenever I have leftover vegetables (just seasoned…nothing with any type of breading or cheese), I dump them into the canister. When the canister is full, simmer some chicken or other meat. When cooked, dump in the canister full of vegetables, and you have a soup.
Good morning Wanda! Yes, I definitely cook with multiple meals in mind. A chicken next becomes chicken pesto pasta or chicken pizza on homemade sourdough pizza crust, etc. I think my favorite it using leftover scrambled eggs with onions, peppers, and cheese to next become breakfast burritos that I freeze to make an easy quick breakfast later.
Happy 60th anniversary!!! What a beautiful milestone! I loved seeing the picture of you and your husband. What an encouragement you both are to so many others! Thank you for sharing your love of the Lord with all of us! Blessings!❤️
This is a great subject…I enjoyed reading all of the replys. To be honest I’m horrible with leftovers. This is something I’ve been trying to work on!
Love all your books. I like to make large pans of soups, chili, and sauces and them freeze part to use later. We eat a lot of leftovers.
My family this past Sunday had ham for the family get together meal we always share after church. We love soup beans and ham so the left overs were put in the refrigerator then this morning I put it all together to make soup for this cold evenings dinner. I’ll be making some corn bread to go with it too.
We have taken left over hamburgers or meatloaf and ground it up in the food processor and made hamburger gravy out of it. My boys like to take macaroni and cheese leftovers and we cook up some brocolli and make brocolli cheese soup with it, too.
Yes, I use leftovers often. Just cooked some pork, for pulled pork and have been enjoying that several times.
We are light eaters so we have leftovers for many days. We often add something new to the leftovers for the next day.
Marilyn
When we have left overs we usually save them for the weekend. With meatloaf we make sandwiches with a bowl of soup.
Left overs can be added to a main dish. We usually have pot roast left and we make a nice sandwich for light meal.
Marion
We always save leftovers for lunch during the week, or we have “leftovers night” for dinner when everyone in the family can pick their favorite leftover!
If I have leftover I just eat them the same way I fixed them the night before.
Happy 60th wedding anniversary. Love your books and born in Switzerland seeing the little phrases you use brings a smile. I live in Australia now but adore the simple life and the thought of wasting food when many go without means nothing goes to waste here. I grow as much as I can and preserve as much as I can. One little thing I do when cooking let’s say chicken in the crockpot is I add a little water then a layer of wax paper then the chicken. Once the chicken is thoroughly cooked I save the meat for the dogs and then pour the liquid into a container. This gelatinous goodness then becomes the cats and keeps them healthy. Having said this all I make is for human consumption as well. The fat skimmed off once chilled leaves goodness that can also be used in soups, stews etc. Also all vegetable peelings can be saved, frozen and added to soups, stews or for home made dog food I make weekly for added fibre. What many from your generation Wanda taught me is if working to make all meals for the week and divide it up into sealed containers to just take out as needed. If I make a big pot of some stew in the crackpot the first day has one taste but then the next several days I either add herbs and spices to alter that taste or add different things each day like rice, pulses or pasta. It’s amazing how it evolves and my husband of 30 years this year always has a joke with me because I never follow a recipe and what started out as a variation of let’s say pea and ham soup ends up being completely different by day four. I will add my dad who served in the Swiss army helping in the kitchen after he sustained an injury has been my inspiration and could turn whatever was on hand into something delicious. Growing up he made the most delicious hafferflocken suppe which I might just make tomorrow as the weather here has taken a dip in temperature. God Bless
Some individuals intentionally make extra food so they may use it later as is or as another dish.
I don’t generally recreate a meal using leftovers but will often have the leftovers as my lunch or the children’s lunches the next day. Some meals just taste so much better the next day. Or I might take the leftover meat to make sandwiches the next day. I try to encourage my family to eat up the leftovers so we aren’t throwing out a lot of food. Some members do much better about helping me eat up leftovers then others. 😊
I love left overs, howei, my family is not very keen on them. So, I have to be very creative. When I have left over taco meat I use it for beef burritos and when I have left over meat from French bread pizza I use that for a special taco. A lot of my left overs are used for my lunches the next day for work.
i don’t like to be wasteful with food. I eat any leftovers the next day for lunch or dinner. When I worked, I would bring them for lunch. I usually look in the refrigerator and see what I have and what interesting things can be made from them. Even a small amount of vegetables can be made into a nice vegetable soup or in a stew with meat. This is something I’ve been doing all my life as my mother did this while I was growing up.
Fried spaghetti, my best friend of 20+ years had shared that with me few years back. My daughter had just went to stay with her for a week & she taught my daughter. That meant a lot to me!
On certain nights I intentionally cook enough food for two meals, this way if I’m working the next day it is easy to take out of the refrigerator and quickly reheat for an easy meal with little cleanup. My tip: try to cook only what you know you can and will eat in a couple of sittings.
I try to use as much as I am able too with leftovers, not in any specific manner. It is what comes to mind, and what hits me at that moment.
I also can, freeze, and dehydrate many goods as to not waste when possible. It’s what works for me so far.
I don’t have any good tips to share, however I will say that our family loves left overs and I hate for food to ever be wasted. We do the same things and make either sandwiches or soups or we just heat it all back up and have it the next day for supper.
Growing up in a large family we ate a lot of leftovers and home made food. My Dad sure liked sour dough pancakes and had that every morning for most of his adult life.
We usually use leftover turkey from Thanksgiving dinner to make cold turkey-and-gravy sandwiches the following day. Not wasting food is important in our family of thirteen and we often use leftover food to create something else.
We use leftovers in casseroles, sandwiches and soups. Depending on what it is, we will also put some leftovers in containers and freeze it. When we need a quick meal, just get it out of the freezer and reheat.
I enjoy reading ALL of your books!
Hi Wanda! I LOVE your books & Happy Anniversary! My mother was also very frugal and taught me to be the same! Some foods are actually better the second day, as the flavors have had a chance to mingle! Such is the case with my lasagna and meatloaf. I love herbed, roasted chicken on day 1 but on day 2 it makes amazing baked or cold chicken salad or chicken enchiladas! I have a recipe for turkey strata that layers my leftover turkey and stuffing, eggs and milk mixed and poured over the layers, a can of cream of mushroom soup spread over the top and baked. Add shredded cheese over the top for the last 5 minutes of baking. So, so good! Serve with leftover cranberry relish and a side of green beans! Delicious!
Hi Wanda! I LOVE your books & Happy Anniversary! My mother was also very frugal and taught me to be the same! Some foods are actually better the second day, as the flavors have had a chance to mingle! Such is the case with my lasagna and meatloaf. I love herbed, roasted chicken on day 1 but on day 2 it makes amazing baked or cold chicken salad or chicken enchiladas! I have a recipe for turkey strata that layers my leftover turkey and stuffing, eggs and milk mixed and poured over the layers, a can of cream of mushroom soup spread over the top and baked. Add shredded cheese over the top for the last 5 minutes of baking. So, so good! Serve with leftover cranberry relish and a side of green beans! Delicious!
It’s just me at home so when I make a casserole or make more then I need to ( I get to cooking and forget my 3 plus their friends aren’t eating that night because they are all grown with families). No matter what point in my life starting with 27 years ago when my oldest was born I always had more then my family. First it started with to very hungry boy cousin of mine that was just a few years older then my Allison. Then I also had a nephew that basically lived at my house that was always hungry. As each one of my kids, my cousin and my nephew grew w up I had friends, girlfriends or boyfriends of all 6 of them at my table. I never had leftovers till I was on my own. Sometimes I have food for dinner and lunch for 3 days.
We share our leftovers with my friend who is 81 and lives alone. we also buy extra groceries and put them in our church food drive.
Living alone, I don’t usually make leftovers into something else. I make small portions usually one or two meals at most. But growing up, meatloaf would be meatloaf sandwiches.
I find many times I do not need a full paper towel when I need one so I cut the paper towel in half.
my family likes to make chicken broth with the bones, then add different veggies, like celery and onions. after we use the bones for that, we usually give them to our chickens if their is anything left, or in our compost pile!
Thank you for sharing your experiences with us.
Kim Graeber
I love this cookbook it has so many good and easy recipes. Including how to make your own laundry soap which is wonderful.