By John Selick
My family likes to make fun of me whenever I bring out the oversized six-quart Dutch oven to make dinner on the weekends; they know whatever I’m making that day means they’re going to be eating a version of that dish over the next couple of days. They’ll say things like, “Welcome to Leftover Lounge” or “Are we feeding the neighborhood again?”
The fact is, I love leftovers. Secretly, they do, too.
A Repeat Repast
One of my favorite winter weekend dishes is some form of pot roast. Chuck roast is one of the most affordable cuts of meat in the butcher section. You can prepare it in multiple ways and then prepare different dishes with the leftovers.
The traditional way is to braise it slowly with vegetables and broth, with the resulting dish being a family favorite. The next day is when you can have some fun. Sauté mushrooms and garlic, add the leftover pot roast and bring to simmer and then stir in a couple of spoonfuls of sour cream and serve over egg noodles for a poor man’s beef stroganoff. You can also shred the meat, add cumin and a dash of hot sauce for quick barbacoa-style taco meat.
Instead of braising a chuck roast in broth, try a couple cans of crushed tomatoes for an Italian-inspired dinner that’s also perfect for the cold weather. The resulting dish is incredibly indulgent when served over pasta or polenta. The next day, add garlic and chili powder along with a can of kidney beans for quick and satisfying chili.
Poultry Power
The rotisserie chickens at every grocery store provide not only a dish that’s ready to eat, but also a great ingredient that can be used to make dinner that’s healthier, faster and cheaper than anything you can get at a drive-thru.
Shredding the chicken and serving it over a simple salad is a dinner that you can feel good about, but using the shredded chicken is great in pasta, tacos or quesadillas is fantastic, too. The prize is not only the leftover shredded meat but the leftover carcass. Place the leftover bones in a pot and cover with cold water. If you happen to have any onions, carrots and celery to add, it does help flavor the broth, but you could just simmer the bones to make a great “bone broth.” The resulting broth is healthier than any of the cartons of broth they sell at the stores that are loaded with chemicals to help with preservation. Even better? It’s free since you’re using a part of the chicken that’s usually discarded.
Creamy chicken and dumpling soup was the dish I made today with the leftover rotisserie chicken from yesterday. I have no suggestions for dishes made from leftover chicken and dumpling soup — my family didn’t leave any leftovers.
John Selick is a Certified Executive Chef and President of the American Culinary Federation Cleveland Chapter.
