Seniors, singles and empty-nesters who are cooking for one or two can find mealtime a frustrating event. Many recipes are made for servings for 4, 6 or more. Many foods need to be bought in bulk. Leftovers can certainly lose their appeal if that’s what you’ve eaten three days in row. And throwing away food because it’s more than you can eat is wasteful and expensive.
Here are some tips to keep your deliciously cooked Saladmaster foods taste just as good the second time around:
- Pre-planning is a key to giving leftovers a facelift.
- Plan meals so you can use the extra food in news dishes. For example, cook rice as a side dish for one meal, then use the remainder in a casserole or rice pudding the following day. If you bake chicken for a meal one day, use it later in sandwiches, soups or a green salad with dried fruit and nuts.
- Make your freezer your new best friend.
- Many foods freeze well including vegetables, whole grains, nuts and seeds, meat and breads. You can freeze and bring out at a later date. This enables you to buy in bulk or on-sale and still keep food fresh and delicious. Take out of freezer only the amount needed; do not thaw and refreeze.
- For foods that may be too large for 1 or 2 meals, such as meats, cut into single serving sizes; cut into serving sizes prior to freezing.
- When you’ve cooked a batch, such as a casserole or stew, separate into single servings before freezing. Label and date.
- Be creative. For example, put leftover breads that are getting stale in food processor to create breadcrumbs. Freeze in ziplock bag and continue to add to it until needed in a recipe.