Off-topic--Meal Planning for extras!

 Leftovers, again?

Are you having leftovers for a meal, multiple times during the same week? Is someone complaining? Perhaps, you need a multiple-use, leftover planning solution.

If you have someone who will eat the leftovers from a meal one time, but not a second time, you should consider freezing the leftovers from your meals.

A shallow 3-cup container by Glad can contain one of the following combinations.

• 4-servings of a vegetable or dessert
• A TV dinner for one
• one serving of a low-calorie soup
• the base ingredient for another dish

Raw hamburger (when freezing it, divide it with a doubled separator of waxed paper) can make any of the following meals.

• hamburgers
• hamburger steaks
• hamburger steak and gravy
• beef for soups
• chili
• spaghetti sauce

Leftover chili has a variety of uses

• chili for hamburgers or hot dogs
• chili for beans
• chili with cheese for dips
• chili beans can be served over rice/potatoes/bread

Stewed chicken breasts are a staple for many different meals. Try putting the basic stewed chicken with broth in the 3-cup containers for quick meals.

• make chicken salad
• chicken and rice
• chicken and noodles
• chicken and gravy
• chicken sandwiches
• lightly floured and fried chicken breasts

Change up your meals by freezing leftovers or portioning your base meats for different menu choices. If you vary the vegetables and spices that you use, you can give meals a lift from the tedious regularity. Getting into the habit of fixing meals using base ingredients for different types of meals is awesome.

Who wants the same leftovers twice in one week?

Have you considered freezing the leftovers for later use?

Prepare different meals instead of serving the same leftovers back-to-back. If you think ahead, you can repurpose the leftovers into a brand new dish.

Consider fixing breakfast menu choices for your supper. Here are great mix-and-match menu choices for a novice cook.

• eggs
• bacon/ham
• grits/rice
• toast/bun/biscuit
• pancakes/waffles
• oatmeal with jelly or jelly/peanut butter

Do the above solutions offer sufficient alternatives to address the “what again” reactions to your menu choices?

Let the person who is complaining about the leftovers fix a meal to break the perceived monotony. He or she does not get to purchase take-out, order a meal delivery, or buy junk food for alternative meals. The available ingredients are limited to those in the house.