By David Draper

Whenever someone tells me they don’t like leftovers, I am downright shocked. Shocked, bordering on offended. My typical response is something along the lines of, “What? You’re too good to eat leftovers?” typically followed by me questioning their parents’ child-rearing skills. In my family, not liking leftovers wasn’t an option. Well, it was an option if the other side of the coin was starvation.

Whether it was because of my parents or just my voracious nature, I love leftovers of all kinds. It seems to me just about anything is just as good, if not better, the next day and the next…and the next. Typically, my lunches consist of leftover food eaten right out of the container, sometimes standing in front of the fridge with the door open, drinking directly from a jug of limeade to wash it all down. (Okay, so maybe my parents weren’t so successful in civilizing me either.) But lately, I’ve taken to transforming leftovers into whole new dishes, like the one pictured here.

This taco started out as a smoked chicken I made for dinner the night before. (You could just as easily use smoked pheasant.) Today, instead of merely gnawing on the leftover chicken pieces cold, I decided to fold it with some leftover corn on the cob into something completely different.

First, I put a skillet over high heat and poured in about a tablespoon of oil. While that was heating up, I sliced the corn from the cob and diced up about a cup full of smoked chicken. Once the oil was smoking, I dumped it all into the skillet, along with about half a can of diced green chiles. It only took a minute or so until everything was good and crispy, just long enough to warm up a few tortillas in the microwave. As good as the smoked chicken was fresh, it was even better as a charred corn and chicken taco just like you’d pay high dollar for at a trendy Tex-Mex restaurant in San Antonio. I quickly scarfed down three before heading back to my desk to write this blog.

So what’s your favorite way to use leftovers? Or are you too good to eat them?

Comments (10)

from Josh Giannino wrote 45 weeks 4 days ago

Take a tortilla, some venison strips cooked from day ebfore, put a layer of shredded taco cheese, meat, more cheese, jalepenos, bannana peppers, crushed up doritos, and light dressing of ranch,

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from Levi Banks wrote 45 weeks 3 days ago

I was thinking about cooking some extra chicken this week to use on bbq chicken pizza, that's one of our favorite ways. Put it on a pizza.

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from Buckshott00 wrote 45 weeks 3 days ago

Left Overs are always better when they are not reheated in a microwave. Don't get me wrong micorwaves are great for soups and liquid stuff like venison stew or chili, but if you have to go with heating something fast and not having it turn into a soggy mess, use a Toaster Oven.

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from Tom-Tom wrote 45 weeks 3 days ago

Around our house you always had two choices: take it or leave it, followed by the reminder that what you don't eat today you eat tomorrow. Leftover deer burger goes on a pizza or maybe served cold in a garden salad. My idea of a sandwich is "anything dead between two slices of bread". If you have to ask what it is, you're not hungry.

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from steve182 wrote 45 weeks 3 days ago

I eat tacos or burritos filled with leftovers a couple times a week for breakfast (add an egg or two, salsa, and avacodo) and or lunch. I always have some onion, cilantro, tomatoes, jalepenos and avacado on hand for a quick tasty meal. A little shredded cabbage adds a nice crunch to any taco or burrito.

0 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from steve182 wrote 45 weeks 3 days ago

Also any leftover meat when diced or shredded makes a great Ravioli stuffing ingredient. Just fold it in with some Rigotta, add some herbs and spinach, and start kneading some dough.

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from MaxPower wrote 45 weeks 3 days ago

Good food=good leftovers.

Anytime we grill halibut (if there is any left the next day) I wrap that in a tortilla with red cabbage and whatever sauce/dressing/relish is handy.

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from Terry Pickard wrote 45 weeks 3 days ago

I have 2 boys, we rarely have leftovers. hahahaha, especially Venison. but I like the idea of making more so we will have leftovers.

+1 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from Hil wrote 45 weeks 3 days ago

As a busy working mom I pride myself on my leftover rehabilitation skills. Make three pounds of taco meat and roast a chicken on Sunday and repurpose the leftovers four different ways and dinner is done for the rest of the week.

Roast chicken gets ate once, shredded for tacos or a casserole another night, and simmered into chicken soup a third night.

+2 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from kyka1865 wrote 45 weeks 2 days ago

I love leftover's, especially for next day lunches. I will eat them out of the conatiner if there is just a bit or if it is a susbtantial amount I will use them for multiple meals.
Someone gave me a tupperware full of lightly boiled or ceviche shrimp w/ cilantro, chopped peppers, and celery the other day. By adding some onions, spices, and other vegetables, I used the contents for a few burritos, a soup base, and sauteed over noodles. Everyone was great.

0 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

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from Tom-Tom wrote 45 weeks 3 days ago

Around our house you always had two choices: take it or leave it, followed by the reminder that what you don't eat today you eat tomorrow. Leftover deer burger goes on a pizza or maybe served cold in a garden salad. My idea of a sandwich is "anything dead between two slices of bread". If you have to ask what it is, you're not hungry.

+3 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from Hil wrote 45 weeks 3 days ago

As a busy working mom I pride myself on my leftover rehabilitation skills. Make three pounds of taco meat and roast a chicken on Sunday and repurpose the leftovers four different ways and dinner is done for the rest of the week.

Roast chicken gets ate once, shredded for tacos or a casserole another night, and simmered into chicken soup a third night.

+2 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from Josh Giannino wrote 45 weeks 4 days ago

Take a tortilla, some venison strips cooked from day ebfore, put a layer of shredded taco cheese, meat, more cheese, jalepenos, bannana peppers, crushed up doritos, and light dressing of ranch,

+1 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from Levi Banks wrote 45 weeks 3 days ago

I was thinking about cooking some extra chicken this week to use on bbq chicken pizza, that's one of our favorite ways. Put it on a pizza.

+1 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from Buckshott00 wrote 45 weeks 3 days ago

Left Overs are always better when they are not reheated in a microwave. Don't get me wrong micorwaves are great for soups and liquid stuff like venison stew or chili, but if you have to go with heating something fast and not having it turn into a soggy mess, use a Toaster Oven.

+1 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from Terry Pickard wrote 45 weeks 3 days ago

I have 2 boys, we rarely have leftovers. hahahaha, especially Venison. but I like the idea of making more so we will have leftovers.

+1 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from steve182 wrote 45 weeks 3 days ago

I eat tacos or burritos filled with leftovers a couple times a week for breakfast (add an egg or two, salsa, and avacodo) and or lunch. I always have some onion, cilantro, tomatoes, jalepenos and avacado on hand for a quick tasty meal. A little shredded cabbage adds a nice crunch to any taco or burrito.

0 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from steve182 wrote 45 weeks 3 days ago

Also any leftover meat when diced or shredded makes a great Ravioli stuffing ingredient. Just fold it in with some Rigotta, add some herbs and spinach, and start kneading some dough.

0 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from MaxPower wrote 45 weeks 3 days ago

Good food=good leftovers.

Anytime we grill halibut (if there is any left the next day) I wrap that in a tortilla with red cabbage and whatever sauce/dressing/relish is handy.

0 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from kyka1865 wrote 45 weeks 2 days ago

I love leftover's, especially for next day lunches. I will eat them out of the conatiner if there is just a bit or if it is a susbtantial amount I will use them for multiple meals.
Someone gave me a tupperware full of lightly boiled or ceviche shrimp w/ cilantro, chopped peppers, and celery the other day. By adding some onions, spices, and other vegetables, I used the contents for a few burritos, a soup base, and sauteed over noodles. Everyone was great.

0 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

Post a Comment

 

All submitted comments are subject to the rules set forth in our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.