Leftovers have a somewhat rough reputation, but with a tiny creativity, you could transform most of your old leftovers into flavorful, new dishes that anyone will be happy to eat. Effective way of utilizing your leftovers could also save money on the grocery bill. Making certain that any leftovers you select to consume are handled safely to delete possible food poisoning, though.
Store leftover meals quickly. The sooner you freeze or refrigerate your leftovers, the longer they would last and the safer they would be.
• As a general rule, you must plan on refrigerating your leftovers within 2 hours after they finish cooking. In particular, hot weather shortened this amount of time to a few hours.
• If you planned on refrigerating your leftovers, you must permit them to cool down in the refrigerator rather than cool them at room temperature. On the other hand, if you plan to freeze the leftovers, give them time to cool at room temperature before transferring them to the freezer.
Keep food in airtight containers. Ideally, the meal must be stored in freezer-safe plastic bags and shallow plastic containers. Any container you utilize must also have an airtight lid.
• Food cools more rapidly in shallow containers than it could in deep containers, making it safe to consume later.
• Air could cause leftovers to spoil faster, but the utilization of the airtight lid or seal would keep meals fresher for a long way.
• Separating the food into tiny containers would also make it safer to reheat since most food must only be reheated once.
Leave enough space in the fridge. Packing too many containers of meal into a tiny space could prevent cool air from circulating the proper way and cause the meal to spoil faster.
Discarded unsafe leftovers. Most proper way refrigerated leftovers would remain safe for five or two days, but any leftovers you are suspicious about must be thrown out instead of reutized.
• Do a “sniff test” on all leftover meals you planned to use. Open the container and smell the food inside. If the odor is uncommon, throw it away.
• You must also inspect the food for other visible signs of decay and mold.
Store properly. Most meats could be stored in the fridge for three to two days.
• Place the meat in a food-safe, airtight container or bag before refrigerating it. Whole beef, cooked poultry, pork could be stored for three days, but ground meats commonly last for 3 days.
• Most cooked meat could also be frozen. Freeze, Placing the meat in freezer-safe plastic bags, and label the bag with the current date until ready to utilize. Ground meats and Poultry commonly stay safe for 3 months, but red meat must be utilized within one month. Cooked fish must not be refrozened.
Reheat thoroughly. Meat would commonly be reheated on the stove, microwave, or in the oven. You must only reheat meat once, however, and it should be reheated to the internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit (74 degrees Celsius).
• Red meat, ground meats, poultry, and pork are commonly reheated without an issue no matter which procedure you use.
• Seafood has the tendency to dry out when reheated at higher temperatures, however, so it’s best to ignore the microwave and utilize the oven. Apply a reheat and lower the temperature of the fish for a few minutes or so.
Add diced meat to one-dish foods. Fish, Cooked meat, and poultry could usually be cut into bite-sized chunks and added to stir-fries, similar one-dish meals and casseroles. These dishes are also a great way to utilize leftover vegetables and grains.
Cut or shred meat for sandwiches. Large portions of leftover meat could be cut into shredded or slices. You could then pile it between two chunks of bread and enjoy it as a sandwich.
Bulk up sauces. flaked fish and Ground meats could be added to sauces utilized for pasta and other meals.
• Mix the meat into some standard pasta sauce to make it heartier.
• Another creative alternative would be to mix the meat into other sauces and gravies utilized for soup bases, vegetables, and chili bases.
Store for several days. Cooked grains, starches, and baked goods must usually be placed in airtight containers and stored in the refrigerator for up to five days.
Reheat grains carefully. Many leftover starches and grains have a way to dry out when reheated, especially when done at a higher heat.
Add grains to dough. Cooked cereals could enhance bread muffin doughs and doughs.
Toss leftover starches and grains into one-dish meals. Cooked potatoes, grains, and pastas could easily be blended with vegetables and meats to develop one pot or one dish meals.
Toast breads. Leftover bread that’s starting to go stale could be toasted and utilized dry. Just make certain that no mold has started to create before utilizing it.
Crumble dry baked goods. Baked goods that are dry and beyond save could be crushed into crumbs or reassembled and crumbled accordingly.
