Looking Forward To Leftovers?

When you grill and smoke as much meat as I do, you’re bound to run into the dilemma of what do to with all of the leftover meat. Unfortunately, this used to be a problem for my family. A few issues existed. First, we typically put the leftovers in the fridge with intentions of reheating it in its original form. Second, I was the only family member who seemed willing to eat the same reheated meal day-after-day until it was gone. In some cases, I was unable to get this done in time, which turned into wasted food that had to be thrown out. Fortunately, there’s a better solution to leftovers.

I recommend giving your leftovers a break by putting it in the freezer and coming back to it in a week or so with a new plan. This can be done by simply breaking the meat down into a user-friendly format by dicing, cubing or shredding it and then placing it in quart size bags in the freezer. By flattening the bag and laying it in the freezer this way you can shorten the time it takes to thaw out the meat. The flattened bag can be thawed fairly quickly by placing it in a bowl with cold tap water running over it. If you’re a better planner than me, just put the frozen bag in the fridge the day before you plan to use it.

This approach to dealing with leftovers can help simplify meal preparation during busy week days. Some of my favorite leftover creations include, BBQ pork nachos, chicken tikka pizza, beef fajitas, or ham tetrazzini, to name a few. The great thing about these creations is that my kids don’t recognize them as leftovers and are willing to eat them.

Pro Tip: Naan bread is an awesome alternative to traditional pizza crust when making chicken tikka pizza. If you live in Waukee, be sure to call Harpreet at Indian Tadka and order some naan bread to pick up on your way home from work.

Recipe Links

BBQ Pork Nachos: https://tastesbetterfromscratch.com/bbq-pulled-pork-nachos/

Chicken Tikka Pizza: https://www.melskitchencafe.com/chicken-tikka-pizzas/

Beef Fajitas: https://www.keepingitsimpleblog.com/food/dinner/amazing-fajitas/

Ham Tetrazzini: https://spicysouthernkitchen.com/ham-tetrazzini/