We were so proud of ourselves. Our children learned early to eat what they were served and to appreciate a variety of flavors and styles of food. They also learned to steal my precious restaurant leftovers before I was alert enough to brew a cup of coffee. In our house, delicacies in cardboard containers never make it to lunch. Is this the case in yours?
In other countries, the boys were happy to eat local treats. Oh, the humble brag: “Little Xander — you know he’s only eight? — was just obsessed with oeufs durs mayonnaise when we were in Paris!” Hubris always comes back to bite, n’est-ce pas? Our children are great eaters, and it costs a fortune to feed them. They are uninterested in children’s menus in restaurants, they drool over the grass-fed pastured beef tenderloin at the local farmers’ market, and family sushi night practically requires a second mortgage.
Worse — they are acutely aware what a cardboard box in the fridge means: Fancy leftovers! What could it be? Ratatouille from a favorite local chef? Pad Thai from that chic Thai bistro down the street? Maybe half of a perfectly prepared, rare filet mignon!
If I want my leftovers, I have to eat them early. I can take almost any half eaten dish, sauté it in a pan, throw in a handful of microgreens, and crack an egg over the top. By the time the egg has reached over-easy perfection, the leftovers are crispy and the greens sufficiently wilted. If I’m quiet about it, I may even be able to finish half of it before the inevitable inquiry, accompanied by pleading eyes, “Whatcha’ got there?” And, yes, I always share, or at least offer pancakes as a consolation.
Do you eat leftovers for breakfast? Are there rules about who can eat leftovers in your house? Does the early bird get the worm?
Related: Dinner for Breakfast: Why Not?
(Images: Anne Postic)
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I love cold leftover pizza for breakfast.
No kids and my husband doesn't like them. They are mine-all-mine! And I often have the leftovers from home cooked meals for breakfast.
I lovelove leftovers. When I was a kid, my mom worked late closing the store she worked in, and sometimes if she had ordered out with her coworkers, I'd wake up to find a precious doggy-bag container in the fridge. I always nibbled, but if it was a monto cristo sandwich, I knew she'd saved it just for me.
I hide leftovers in the back of the fridge so hubby won't eat them. Unless they are leftovers I don't like... then I put them front and centre and hope that's what he grabs ;)
I do this with leftover jambalaya over baby spinach with fried or poached eggs. I can't believe this isn't a staple at every brunch joint in town.
I eat leftovers for breakfast all the time. So much goes with eggs. Roasted curried cauliflower, butternut squash or any root vegetables... I, too, add micro greens, Persian watercress, mâché...or sometimes just chopped cilantro or parsley. I could go on and on... :-)
Cold pizza, cold lasagne, and chicken tortilla casserole--never make it past breakfast.
LOVE leftovers for breakfast and my fiance thinks it's so weird... anything from your standard cold pizza to reheated indian, burritos, whatever -- good food is still good food, doesn't matter what time of day it is! and i definitely prefer savory + minimal effort in the morning -- ah leftovers, kinda wish I had some right now!!!
Ohhh man this is me. I like to make myself homemade baba ghanoush. If I don't eat it all the night I make it, it is DEFINITELY breakfast the next morning with a nice squishy fried egg on top. Takeout pizza and green Thai curry are also aces for breakfast.
any leftover is a great breakfast. If you can have omelets for dinner, why not leftover pad thai for breakfast?!
My husband is a genius with leftovers for breakfast. He makes many things into breakfast tacos, hashes, and just great plates with eggs. Leftovers for breakfast are my favorites.
I love leftovers for breakfast and rarely does it even get heated up. Most of my coworkers think it's odd, but I think all food at any time is good food.
Before putting leftovers in the refrigerator, I always write today's date on a sticker and then attach it to the container or bag that the leftovers are in. I don't think many people do that, but how else are you supposed to know whether the leftovers have been in the refrigerator for five days or five weeks? I've been known to hide leftovers in the back of the fridge, too, but if you forget about them, then you end up with a "science experiment"! Whether you're talking about leftover pizza, filet minon, or coffee beans, once the freshness is gone, it quickly loses its appeal--especially if you don't know how long you've had them in the house.