Is your goal to never have leftovers?

Reality

Mon, May 01 2023, 2:11 pm

This was a side point mentioned in another thread I read this morning.

Is that a common sentiment? It happens sometimes that I don't have leftovers from a meal but it's never my goal. If I didn't have leftovers from a shabbos meal with guests I'd be concerned I didn't cook enough food!

What is your take on this?

amother

Mauve

Mon, May 01 2023, 2:15 pm

Worst nightmare not to have enough food, I don’t mind leftovers. I can always repurpose most things into a salad or give to my husband to take to work for lunch or feed to the kids who don’t know what leftovers mean

happy7

Mon, May 01 2023, 2:16 pm

I hardly ever have leftovers. We have plenty. But I don’t like to cook extra “so that” I will have leftovers. I don’t serve Shabbos food on Sunday. I don’t have enough to do that.

amother

Holly

Mon, May 01 2023, 2:21 pm

I love it when everything goes.
I'm pretty sure I can tell when everything goes because there wasn't enough and everything going because it was delicious and I got the quantities just right. Luckily, it's always the latter....I have enough courses and variety that its impossible to not be full if you ate a bit of everything.

lfab

Mon, May 01 2023, 2:22 pm

For shabbos I deliberately make enough to have leftovers so I can serve for dinner on Sunday. Most other nights I try not to have leftovers (becaue it wouldn't be enough for a whole 2nd meal and most people would want the fresh food) but I usually have some because it's impossible to predict exactly how much everyone will eat. If there's enough for a full portion my husband or I will eat for lunch the next day.

ra_mom

Mon, May 01 2023, 2:26 pm

I prefer to start fresh at next meal. But we do enjoy small amounts of leftover.

Last edited by ra_mom on Mon, May 01 2023, 2:29 pm; edited 1 time in total

amother

Honeysuckle

Mon, May 01 2023, 2:26 pm

I’d always rather have too much than not enough.

That said, I’m jealous of those whose husbands don’t turn their up their noses at leftovers. Would’ve saved me so much work.

As it is, only me and the young kids enjoy it.

YounginBP

Mon, May 01 2023, 2:36 pm

It depends, some chicken dinners don't reheat well, so I don't like extra.

Grilled or breaded, reheats better and is great for a Friday afternoon lunch.

amother

Sage

Mon, May 01 2023, 2:54 pm

From Shabbat, I rely on leftovers for Sunday night and even later in the week. From weeknights, sometimes yes and sometimes no. I don't want leftovers to hang around all week long, because then we end up throwing stuff out. But enough for one more meal, yes, I appreciate that.

amother

Plum

Mon, May 01 2023, 3:20 pm

On the contrary! I deliberately cook extra in order to have leftovers. I depend on Shabbos leftovers for a couple of weekday meals. I cook everything as fresh as possible on Friday so that it lasts into the next week. I cook less for weeknight meals than for Shabbos, but we generally enjoy those leftovers for lunches.

amother

DarkViolet

Mon, May 01 2023, 3:24 pm

My kids won't eat leftovers (they generally don't like fleishig but will eat it on shabbos), so I cook to have enough for shabbos (usually a bit extra).

If you're not having guests and you know how much everyone generally eats, it's not that hard to make sure you have enough but not much extra.

Ema of 5

Mon, May 01 2023, 3:30 pm

Reality wrote:

I never plan not to have leftovers. I never plan TO have leftovers either.

SG18

Mon, May 01 2023, 7:20 pm

I like having leftovers during the week, so there's one less dinner to make, or something to eat motzai Shabbat. I don't love Shabbat leftovers, but DH is happy to eat them if there is anything.