What Meals Make the Best Leftovers?

Our readers often ask for menus and recipes that will stretch beyond just one meal. We all want recipes that do double-duty as dinner one night and lunch the next. We try to give you recipes that fit this, but sometimes it's helpful to start from the other end. We ask you: what meals make the best leftovers?

We are just coming off a weeklong leftovers-fest, powered by a fridge full of meal remnants from a Friday supper with friends. There were spicy braised green beans with salt pork. There was a rich beef ragu and anelletti pasta. We also had roasted squash with garlic and onion soup. Even breakfast was leftovers; we made a pot of steel-cut oats with raisins and cinnamon and ate them all week. (They make fantastic leftovers and a quick breakfast too.)

(And if you want the guilty confessions too, we really, really love takeout vegetable lo mein cold and greasy from the box. For breakfast.)

These are just a few of the things that we love as leftovers. What about you? What do you cook in order to have around all week? What tastes better after a few nights in the fridge? What leftovers do you love the most?

(Image: Flickr member Seadling licensed for use under Creative Commons)

Comments (32)

first of all, is it just me and my computer or are the pages screwed up when you click the link for details? when i do, i see the The Kitchn usual left-hand corner links splayed all over the page.

anyway, my favorite leftovers, hands-down, are lasagna. i think it's better as leftovers than fresh out of the oven. that being said, i never make it for myself! i usually do one big casserole/soup/stew on sunday evenings and have leftovers for as long as it'll last during the week. this week it has been alton brown's potato leek soup.

if we're talking take-out, like the photo above, i'm going to have to be boring and say pizza. mmmmm.

Favorite leftover: meatloaf. I think cold meatloaf sandwiches (with ketchup) are better than meatloaf fresh from the oven. And I love Thanksgiving leftovers almost more than the meal itself (open faced hot turkey sandwiches). Some salads get better after they've had a day or two to marinate (like tomato-basil-mozzarella) as do some soups.

My sister used to eat leftover burritos (cold) for breakfast.

And technically, we never had "leftovers" in our house. We just had "buffets" each week. ;)

@ abigailbelle - I have a quick and easy lasagna recipe that serves 4 and you can make in two loaf pans. Let me know if you're interested!

undoubtedly - chili.

In general, soups, because they never really taste "left over".

Two of my favorites: Megadarra and Tamales

Almost any standard chicken soup or pot of chili gets better after a day or two in the fridge. Our current favs include butternut squash soup and potato leek soup, with the season and all.

I'm having the same layout problems, and I also love lasagna.

Soup always makes good leftovers because it almost always gets better with time and the flavors infuse. I made some chicken noodle on Monday that I'm still working through.

When I make any kind of chicken I always make too much and repurpose it in fried rice, sandwiches, chicken salad, etc.

When I make homemade mac and cheese I make it in individual casserole dishes, each of which is good for lunch and then dinner, and only cook one at a time, keep the others in the fridge or freezer.

Takeout or homemade, I love a good curry because it's better the next day as it sits. On the takeout side, I love cold pizza and am a secret fan of lo mein myself ;)

I like leftovers that can be served in a way that's different to the first serving - when the meal is freshly cooked. That way, leftovers feel like a new, different meal that does not involve any/much cooking, yet meals don't get boring. So meatloaf and Thanksgiving leftovers are also my favorites. Mustard and ketchup with the meatloaf sandwiches though, mustard and cranberry with the turkey. Chunks of meatloaf can be crumbled into some spaghetti sauce to make faux meatballs and sauce/gravy.

Meat pies! I'll make a pie and cover but not refridgerate it. It's good for two or three days (if you can go that long without eating it all) and just tastes better and better. It can be reheated or not. Ketchup or sweet chili sauce if you like. And the slices are a convenient food to eat with your hands as you run out the door to catch the bus.

A resounding YES on the soup and lasagna mentions above.

Curries are another dish that I think is best the day after- or days, if I can keep from devouring it all right away.

soups and stews! often better the next day ( easy to heat up sans microwave). anything spicy - love spicy dishes which have had time for their flavors to meld and to become spicier. this is how i justify ordering a variety of thai or indian dishes for takeout.

Leah Hope, I agree on the curry and cold pizza--so good! Curry seems to hold up very well and tastes delicious the day after. I've also found pasta dishes like ziti or stuffed shells can be great as leftovers.

Braised meats, like beef short ribs or pork shoulder, are better if cooked a day in advance, and you can use the leftovers for lots of things (like pulled pork, taco filling etc). Soups definitely, and big pots of beans that can get turned into rice and beans or chili.

A really good roasted chicken has always been a huge leftover hit in my household. Boyfriend gets CRAZY creative in the kitchen and has turned shredded chicken into delicious paninis, quesadillas, a topping on pizza (with frozen broccoli and our go-to marinara in the freezer), torn into soups... it gets a lot of mileage in our kitchen.

I also really love this sausage infused minestrone I make. The flavors get more complex the longer it sits in the fridge. Oh, and chili... this is making me really hungry!

favorite leftovers in our house-

lasagna, fried rice, pizza, chicken soup, well, most any kind of soup or stew. And, coming up...

turkey, turkey everywhere! Turkey soup, turkey sandwiches, turkey enchiladas! Hurrah!

Just as the picture shows...Chinese - 100%. You don't even have to warm it up. Just take it out of the fridge, grab a fork and go nuts.

shana lee, i'd love that recipe!

Thank you, everyone, for affirming that I am not crazy.

My partner always looks at me funny and says something catty when I dig into cold Chinese, Italian, chicken, curry, pizza, or burritos straight from the fridge. It's better that way!

If anyone is interested in my quick and easy lasagna recipe (it only serves 4, and can be made in two loaf pans), send me a message at shanalee76 <at> gmail.com and I'll pass it along!

I agree with the other comments about soup-it is almost better the second time around as the flavors have had that much more of a chance to meld. I also love leftover pasta in any shape or form, cold fried chicken and of course pizza. For some reason though, I've never been a big leftover Chinese food person. Once is enough for me and even then I'll take it in smaller doses (i.e, once every 3 to 4 months).

I loooove leftover pad thai with tofu. For some reason I like it better cold, so I always eat just a little bit at dinner and then snack on it late night.

Soups, of course 'cause they always taste better the next day.

Curries.

Pizza eaten cold is also yummy too, but I just couldn't eat it for breakfast!

I also LOVE having leftover thanksgiving treats. turkey cornbread stuffing cranberry sauce arugula toasted bread= the best sandwich in the world!
Pie for breakfast is also one of my absolute faves.

Pad thai. Cold.

Fitz, I didn't even read your comment before posting mine. That is exactly what I do and I am so happy someone else does it too! There are few greater joys than cold pad thai at midnight, in your bathrobe.

My favourite leftover is rice. I like to make fried rice for breakfast and am happy to use the rice in other dishes later too.

soups and stews of any sort, including chili, and casseroles/bakes/kugels.

i find pasta, seafood, and salad are just terrible after a night in the fridge. they taste fine but the texture becomes unpleasant.

apple pie
for breakfast

chili
for lunch

I'm actually pretty picky about leftovers - a lot of food gets weird in texture or taste when reheated. But in my opinion, there are two things that get even better after spending some time in the fridge: my crockpot chicken and dumplings, and lasagna. As my great-grandmother used to say, you have to give them time for the "flavors to get married."

BÅ“uf Bourguignon. I actually PREFER the leftovers!

That is supposed to be Boeuf Bourguignon -- I guess the blog doesn't like fancy characters.

Mmmmm, I think I have to agree with every single person on the page. I like chili, stews, lasagna, and italian food in general. I prefer my meat to be fresher.

I do not like cheese (except on pizza) potatoes, or greasy food as a leftover.

More of the same from me... soups and stews, braised dishes, etc. that need to meld. I made tortilla soup this week. (obviously you don't let the tortillas sit in it all week though.)

But now for a few unconventional ones, all dishes that are boiled the first time and fried the second: liver dumplings, pierogis, and tamales. (Yes, I've lived all over.)

I agree with everyone. Especially the curry and mujadarrah.

Oh, and pot roast the next day as a poboy with au jus. Mmmm!
I have leftover lasagna and one rather large tamale in my fridge. But now I want cold pad thai....

I make leftover dumplings. I make dough that is three parts flour, one part water, and some salt, roll it out and fill it with whatever, then steam briefly. They are chewy and delicious. Especially good for bean recipes or casseroles. My favorite was some leftover potato and sweet potato soup (with dill and paprika), minus the broth, mixed with some leftover cooked lentils.