MNN - Mother Nature Network

My mother-in-law told me just before I was married that there was no point in serving my husband leftovers because he wouldn't eat them. He had to have something freshly cooked each day. As the cook in the house as well as the person responsible for grocery shopping, I happen to think that leftovers are a fine idea, so as daughters-in-law have done from time immemorial, I totally ignored her. We've been married a very long time indeed, and although he has on occasion balked at something I've served, my track record for leftovers is pretty good.

 

The secret to making great leftover dishes is to disguise them in something else entirely. I bought a 2-pound pork loin, which I knew would provide plenty of leftover opportunities for two people. I put it in my slow cooker which took almost zero effort. We had it the first night with roasted vegetables and the sauce. Then for lunch the next day we had some hot pork sandwiches, again using the sauce. I still have almost half a roast left, and I can't serve it the same way again, because my rule of thumb is that it can only be recognizable as the same thing once.

 

My husband loves Chinese food and has been making noises about not having had it enough recently, so the pork loin will magically reappear in a hot and sour soup, and in some spring rolls with a dipping sauce. I'm reasonably certain he will be none the wiser about having eaten the same pork roast in four separate dishes. This usually works with unsuspecting children as well. Of course, if there are four or five of you for dinner, you can polish this off all at once.

 

Prep time: 15 minutes 

Total time: 7 to 8 hours