My Leftovers Epiphany

I’ve lived alone off and on since the fall of 2006 (senior year of college for those of you playing at home). I’ve had roommates, lived “at home”, and now I’m out on my own; basically I’m saying: I’ve been cooking by myself, for myself for awhile and along the way I’ve picked up a few tips and tricks.

When grilling/baking/sauteing chicken breasts/pork etc. ALWAYS throw another piece (or two) into the mix. Leftovers can be a huge money saver, serving as another meal or two for the price of one. They can also get boring as eating leftovers for the second, third, fourth (seriously- a pot of chili lasts FOREVER) meal. Solution to the leftover conundrum though- the muffin tin.

I know what you’re thinking: a muffin tin? Seriously – the muffin tin is the most versatile workhorse in your kitchen. You can make the following in a muffin tin: muffins, cupcakes, cornbread, mini-lasagna, and mini-taco pies . . . I could go on, but my favorite use (besides cupcakes) for muffin tins is to freeze leftovers.

Yup, I create little frozen “muffins” of leftovers. Total leftover epiphany! I used to freeze things in larger amounts in freezer bags . . . totally not single serving friendly.

A pot of chili, soup, tomato sauce, shredded beef, stew, teriyaki chicken all take forever to eat and have the potential to spoil BEFORE everything is eaten (not to mention the whole “boring” factor).

Don’t feel like cooking? Take out a “muffin” or two. Need something to take to work for lunch? Grab a “muffin”. Are you sensing a pattern here?

To start building your own supply of “Leftover Muffins” you’ll need:

• Leftovers
• 6-Cup Muffin Tins
• 1/3 cup measuring cup (fills the cups perfectly)
• Gallon Size Zippered Freezer Bags (aka Ziploc Bags)
• Sharpie
• Level Freezer Space (I use my ice tray)

This week I made some slow-cooker tomato sauce to answer my craving for Italian food and replace the long gone stash of tomato sauce in my freezer. With the leftovers I created “muffins” by:

Carefully pouring 1/3 cup into each muffin tin and letting it cool BEFORE putting it in the freezer overnight.
Once the muffins are frozen, take them out of the freezer and let them sit on the counter for five minutes to make them easier to pop out. The “muffins” should pop out after you’ve applied a bit of pressure to the underside of the cup. If not, run some water on the underside to help release the seal.
Label your freezer bag, add the “muffins” and toss in the freezer – now you can spend less time cooking every night!

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