Please settle an argument....Do most families

[sjrec]

There’s only two of us, so sometimes we do have leftovers. My husband works from home and is happy to reheat the previous night’s dinner for lunch.
There’s been more than a few nights we’ll have cereal for dinner-especially if one of us (me) has eaten lunch out.
I can’t believe I read all 13 pages, but this thread has been a fun read! Now off to the rotisserie chicken debate...

 

[Disney Doll]

We eat leftovers. And like them.

 

[indimom]

Yes, we eat leftovers. I always planned it that way. I hate to cook, so the less I have to be in the kitchen working, the better.
Of course, now that it's just the two of us, I've had to learn how to adapt because we were having too much waste. I'm getting there.

 

[sjrec]

Yes, we eat leftovers. I always planned it that way. I hate to cook, so the less I have to be in the kitchen working, the better.
Of course, now that it's just the two of us, I've had to learn how to adapt because we were having too much waste. I'm getting there.

Yes, it took me a while to find or adapt recipes for two people. For example, I found a meatloaf recipe that only calls for 1lb of ground beef and you make 4 mini loaves-my husband eats two for dinner, I eat one, and he eats the last one for lunch. Also a lasagna and ziti recipe for 9” pan instead of 13x9.

 

[cabanafrau]

Yes, it took me a while to find or adapt recipes for two people. For example, I found a meatloaf recipe that only calls for 1lb of ground beef and you make 4 mini loaves-my husband eats two for dinner, I eat one, and he eats the last one for lunch. Also a lasagna and ziti recipe for 9” pan instead of 13x9.

I don't know how to ask this question in a way that doesn't seem as if I'm criticizing what you do or how you do it, so I hope you will take me at my word this is a genuinely curious question and not a critical one. Do you prepare the lasagna very infrequently because it's a lot of work for not a lot of meals with the smaller size?

IDK, maybe it's just my ineptitude, but I make lasagna not incredibly often because it is a lot of work -- and I wind up with a cyclone kitchen whenever I make it. Sometimes I choose to make it for occasions where making two pans makes sense because I can premake, it will please the crowd and that makes it possible for me to justify in my own mind all the work and all the cleanup. Somehow it makes it feel more worthwhile if I can either feed a really big group or simply feed a large group and have enough leftovers either for lunches or the freezer if I'm going to all that effort.

(Yes, I do recognize that the problem really probably boils down to me being lazy about it and needing to be tidier and more efficient when cooking.)

 

[QueenIsabella]

I don't know how to ask this question in a way that doesn't seem as if I'm criticizing what you do or how you do it, so I hope you will take me at my word this is a genuinely curious question and not a critical one. Do you prepare the lasagna very infrequently because it's a lot of work for not a lot of meals with the smaller size?

IDK, maybe it's just my ineptitude, but I make lasagna not incredibly often because it is a lot of work -- and I wind up with a cyclone kitchen whenever I make it. Sometimes I choose to make it for occasions where making two pans makes sense because I can premake, it will please the crowd and that makes it possible for me to justify in my own mind all the work and all the cleanup. Somehow it makes it feel more worthwhile if I can either feed a really big group or simply feed a large group and have enough leftovers either for lunches or the freezer if I'm going to all that effort.

(Yes, I do recognize that the problem really probably boils down to me being lazy about it and needing to be tidier and more efficient when cooking.)

I'll address this, although the PP is welcome to come back with her own explanation.

For "real" lasagna--I'm with you. I have an authentic recipe, passed down through generations, that takes hours. 3 types of meat, 3 types of cheese, and although I leave it out now, 2 sticks of butter to fry the bacon in. It's delicious, but I rarely make it because it's a 4-hour process, not including cleanup. OTOH, there are quick and easy lasagna recipes on the back of virtually every type of lasagna noodle box. They call for only 2 types of cheese, 1 or 2 meats, and jarred sauce. My Italian grandmother would be rolling in her grave, but this is the "cheat" way to make lasagna. It's still pretty tasty, but not nearly the masterpiece that my regular recipe is. Although I'll offer you a "cheat"--when you mix the jarred sauce with the meat mixture, simmer it with half a cup or so of good red wine.

To the PP, you could always make the regular recipe of lasagna, and freeze the (pre-made but unbaked) second pan for another time. You could do this in your regular pan--pop it out when it's frozen, wrap in plastic; or put it in a foil disposable pan. Either way, you have twice the lasagna for the same amount of work, practically. Lasagna cooks easily and it is, of course, delicious.

 

[cabanafrau]

I'll address this, although the PP is welcome to come back with her own explanation.

For "real" lasagna--I'm with you. I have an authentic recipe, passed down through generations, that takes hours. 3 types of meat, 3 types of cheese, and although I leave it out now, 2 sticks of butter to fry the bacon in. It's delicious, but I rarely make it because it's a 4-hour process, not including cleanup. OTOH, there are quick and easy lasagna recipes on the back of virtually every type of lasagna noodle box. They call for only 2 types of cheese, 1 or 2 meats, and jarred sauce. My Italian grandmother would be rolling in her grave, but this is the "cheat" way to make lasagna. It's still pretty tasty, but not nearly the masterpiece that my regular recipe is. Although I'll offer you a "cheat"--when you mix the jarred sauce with the meat mixture, simmer it with half a cup or so of good red wine.

To the PP, you could always make the regular recipe of lasagna, and freeze the (pre-made but unbaked) second pan for another time. You could do this in your regular pan--pop it out when it's frozen, wrap in plastic; or put it in a foil disposable pan. Either way, you have twice the lasagna for the same amount of work, practically. Lasagna cooks easily and it is, of course, delicious.

I think your family recipe is way above my pay grade, so far that I've never even heard of a lasagna with 3 meats, definitely not bacon. I don't use jar sauce in lasagna, don't like them anyway. My cheat is buying the frozen box of chopped spinach instead of fresh spinach leaves and steaming and chopping. If I've got a bottle of red open when I make marinara type sauces in general I do add some in, but I won't open a bottle just for sauce. (My cooking is a not cleverly designed system of by gosh and by golly for the most part.)

 

[sjrec]

I don't know how to ask this question in a way that doesn't seem as if I'm criticizing what you do or how you do it, so I hope you will take me at my word this is a genuinely curious question and not a critical one. Do you prepare the lasagna very infrequently because it's a lot of work for not a lot of meals with the smaller size?

IDK, maybe it's just my ineptitude, but I make lasagna not incredibly often because it is a lot of work -- and I wind up with a cyclone kitchen whenever I make it. Sometimes I choose to make it for occasions where making two pans makes sense because I can premake, it will please the crowd and that makes it possible for me to justify in my own mind all the work and all the cleanup. Somehow it makes it feel more worthwhile if I can either feed a really big group or simply feed a large group and have enough leftovers either for lunches or the freezer if I'm going to all that effort.

(Yes, I do recognize that the problem really probably boils down to me being lazy about it and needing to be tidier and more efficient when cooking.)

Well, I don’t make a traditional lasagna anymore.
I have a recipe we like that uses roasted red peppers and spinach and is lighter on the cheeses-I make my own sauce and usually have some in the freezer. My ziti recipe only uses about 6-8 oz meat and alot of roasted vegetables. So it’s not so much the work of making traditional versions of these dishes-although my recipes come together pretty quickly-I think our tastes have changed over the years. I lost 70lbs almost 20 years ago and I became a big fan of Cooking Light recipes to help keep the weight off. Smaller versions of these dishes are a kind of portion control for me!

 

[NHdisneylover]

Also not the person you questioned, but answering about lasagne
I dont make it often becuase DH and DS will eat it but it is not their favourite, and DH has gotten to where he really wants fresh pasta for most everything (including dumpling wrappers for pot stickers). I am lazy and do not do fresh pasta dough---so mostly those recipes only get done one weekends when DH makes the dough and I do the rest (we have an attachement for pasta that goes on our mixer, he claims it is easy and he can make a batch in under 20 minutes so I guess it is).

So, for lasagne, I make vegetarian. DH starts on dough while I chop and sautee veggies. We use jarred tomatoe sauces (I have never done that homemade). By the time the fisrt noodles come out the roller I have sauce in the bottom of the pan. He drops a noodle layer on top, I add more sauce (sauce plus fresh pasta dough means no need to boil first, the juice in the sauce is enough to cook them while it bakes), ricotta/saucce/spices mix, veggies and pre shredded mozerella, by then the next noodle layer is coming out and DH adds it on (in a little square pan for one night, we don't bother to slice them into long rectangles, just put the whole square right on--fits the size of the pan perfectly.) repeat one more time and then I top it all with more sauce and spices and provolone and pop it in the oven. By the time it is done baking the prep dishes are washed, the pasta maker put away and we'ev make a salad or some broccoli to go with it.
So, it sounds like we make a much simpler version of lasagne than you do, plus we have it down to a very smooth system (and DH and I often cook together as described which makes it more fun and social and also means htings go much faster).

 

[sjrec]

I'll address this, although the PP is welcome to come back with her own explanation.

For "real" lasagna--I'm with you. I have an authentic recipe, passed down through generations, that takes hours. 3 types of meat, 3 types of cheese, and although I leave it out now, 2 sticks of butter to fry the bacon in. It's delicious, but I rarely make it because it's a 4-hour process, not including cleanup. OTOH, there are quick and easy lasagna recipes on the back of virtually every type of lasagna noodle box. They call for only 2 types of cheese, 1 or 2 meats, and jarred sauce. My Italian grandmother would be rolling in her grave, but this is the "cheat" way to make lasagna. It's still pretty tasty, but not nearly the masterpiece that my regular recipe is. Although I'll offer you a "cheat"--when you mix the jarred sauce with the meat mixture, simmer it with half a cup or so of good red wine.

To the PP, you could always make the regular recipe of lasagna, and freeze the (pre-made but unbaked) second pan for another time. You could do this in your regular pan--pop it out when it's frozen, wrap in plastic; or put it in a foil disposable pan. Either way, you have twice the lasagna for the same amount of work, practically. Lasagna cooks easily and it is, of course, delicious.

Wow! I have probably never had a lasagna like this! I bet it’s amazing!

 

[delilah]

I don't think of planning ahead for meals for the week as "leftovers". I am a physician, and I work full time. I would go into some sort of overload if I had to prepare a new meal every evening after work. We would probably never eat before 8 or 9 pm, and I would be exhausted. I remember years ago, a male coworker was aghast that I would prepare a slow cooker full of soup on Sunday, and my husband and I would eat it all week. I never quite thought of it as "leftovers", rather as mom being proactive and not wearing herself out after a 10 hour day at work. We have probably saved 80% over the years on food budget by my doing so.

 

[cabanafrau]

Well, I don’t make a traditional lasagna anymore.
I have a recipe we like that uses roasted red peppers and spinach and is lighter on the cheeses-I make my own sauce and usually have some in the freezer. My ziti recipe only uses about 6-8 oz meat and alot of roasted vegetables. So it’s not so much the work of making traditional versions of these dishes-although my recipes come together pretty quickly-I think our tastes have changed over the years. I lost 70lbs almost 20 years ago and I became a big fan of Cooking Light recipes to help keep the weight off. Smaller versions of these dishes are a kind of portion control for me!

Sounds yummy to me. I do have a nice veggie lasagna with spinach and mushrooms I make also (nice enough for my standards anyway). I have gotten away from anything with cooked peppers because neither of my daughters would eat them cooked. I do have several Cooking Light recipes I love. You reminded me of a chicken one I haven't made in a long-time that I should pull out to break up the monotony.

I see your point about the portion control. I think for me it boils down to my laziness. If I'm going to put major effort into some dishes I'd like it if we at least could have some for lunch the next day or possibly freeze some for a quick dinner in the future.

 

[Squirlz]

For lunch today my Wife made a big pot of delicious chicken soup from the rest of the whole chicken from the other night. Now we have leftover chicken soup!

 

[ronandannette]

Wow! I have probably never had a lasagna like this! I bet it’s amazing!

Between that and @NHdisneylover 's fresh pasta, I'm not sure what I make even deserves to be called "lasagna". Maybe from now on we'll just refer to it as wide noodles layered with beef and tomato sauce and topped with melted cheese.

 

[jo-jo]

You are clearly doing it wrong then. I put it in the fancy china, light the candles, call everyone to the dining table and ask if I can interest them in a blueberry special K appetizer or if they’d like to go straight to the Raisin Bran entree. If anyone is feeling adventurous we finish with a Lucky Charm dessert. For holidays I’ll sprinkle the champagne glazed blueberries in. We then obviously throw away any cereal left in the box because ewww leftovers.

(the champagne blueberries are a legit think I make for brunch)

I'm guessing you serve a lovely rosa in the proper stemware made from mixing milk with fruity pebbles.

 

[cabanafrau]

Also not the person you questioned, but answering about lasagne
I dont make it often becuase DH and DS will eat it but it is not their favourite, and DH has gotten to where he really wants fresh pasta for most everything (including dumpling wrappers for pot stickers). I am lazy and do not do fresh pasta dough---so mostly those recipes only get done one weekends when DH makes the dough and I do the rest (we have an attachement for pasta that goes on our mixer, he claims it is easy and he can make a batch in under 20 minutes so I guess it is).

So, for lasagne, I make vegetarian. DH starts on dough while I chop and sautee veggies. We use jarred tomatoe sauces (I have never done that homemade). By the time the fisrt noodles come out the roller I have sauce in the bottom of the pan. He drops a noodle layer on top, I add more sauce (sauce plus fresh pasta dough means no need to boil first, the juice in the sauce is enough to cook them while it bakes), ricotta/saucce/spices mix, veggies and pre shredded mozerella, by then the next noodle layer is coming out and DH adds it on (in a little square pan for one night, we don't bother to slice them into long rectangles, just put the whole square right on--fits the size of the pan perfectly.) repeat one more time and then I top it all with more sauce and spices and provolone and pop it in the oven. By the time it is done baking the prep dishes are washed, the pasta maker put away and we'ev make a salad or some broccoli to go with it.
So, it sounds like we make a much simpler version of lasagne than you do, plus we have it down to a very smooth system (and DH and I often cook together as described which makes it more fun and social and also means htings go much faster).

Wow, that's great. You're also working way above my pay grade. It seems like almost no one in my social and family circles cooks much anymore, to the point that I'm basically considered the go to person for cooking matters. They tell me no one cooks anymore, then I listen to all of you with the homemade pasta, the potstickers, the gnocchi, the real deal old school lasagnas and it's like amateur hour at my house in comparison.

I've thought of making homemade pasta several times, then taken a good look in the mirror and snapped out of it. I've made homemade egg noodles several times (basically Polish style) and I do love them, but laziness. My daughter has pestered about pot stickers, laziness strikes again. (I've been encouraging her to go ahead and jump in with those.) I'm most likely to make what I call rivels to throw in soups every now and again because you don't need a lot and I can just mix, roll out the little bit of dough, cut quick with a knife, toss them in the soup and be done. I have managed to learn how to make pierogi and they were actually well received and get requests.

I agree about how cooking together makes it so much easier and quicker, and more fun. My husband is great about helping when he can, but it seems more often lately it's made more sense for us to divide and conquer so other tasks get done instead of focusing on dinner so that we get a chance to do social things or even watch TV together. Wound up doing a sort of strange by request Polish menu Super Bowl party earlier this month and I told the brain trust who were begging for the pierogi and golabki that it was going to take a village to pull off what they were looking for with a large crowd (which appropriately for this thread included requests for some to take home for freezers). We had a lot of fun and laughed a lot but honestly I'm ready to hang a gone fishing sign up for a good long while.

I've thought of ordering the pasta attachment for my mixer, but I think if I'm being real with myself I'd not use it enough to make it worthwhile. I know my place is not in the overachievers' club with the cooking and I'm okay with that. I'll just take some inspiration from the rest of you (and do some daydreaming most likely).

 

[cabanafrau]

Between that and @NHdisneylover 's fresh pasta, I'm not sure what I make even deserves to be called "lasagna". Maybe from now on we'll just refer to it as wide noodles layered with beef and tomato sauce and topped with melted cheese.

You're not the lone ranger on that score. I rarely even attempt lasagna without really good motivation to do so.

Don't judge me. People who actually know me consider me a cook. It would be bad manners on my part to correct them.

 

[luvsJack]

I make my own pasta sauce but I usually make it a day or two before the day I make lasagna. At most it MIGHT have two meats--ground beef and Italian sausage. Then the day of I cook the noodles, get out the cheeses and layer away.

 

[ronandannette]

You're not the lone ranger on that score. I rarely even attempt lasagna without really good motivation to do so.

Don't judge me. People who actually know me consider me a cook. It would be bad manners on my part to correct them.

No worries - you're talking to somebody here who buys bottled salad dressing and boxed cake mixes. I've even been known to heat deli roast beef in packaged gravy and serve it over toast as a hot roast beef sandwich. Between that and my eating cereal for supper, who would I be to judge? And FWIW, I consider myself a really great cook.

 

[cabanafrau]

No worries - you're talking to somebody here who buys bottled salad dressing and boxed cake mixes. I've even been known to heat deli roast beef in packaged gravy and serve it over toast as a hot roast beef sandwich. Between that and my eating cereal for supper, who would I be to judge? And FWIW, I consider myself a really great cook.

The thing is I've learned stuff from people who really are incredible cooks and my mom was a really good cook when I was growing up so I always have an inner critic buzzing in my ear, forcing me to recognize I'm not that. I used to have a bit more ambition, but I never made it a secret I was probably trying to exceed my grasp. Now I've gotten mostly ambivalent about cooking and domestic tasks in general. I'm burned out with cooking to the point I'm already dreading Easter. I just need to give myself a quick kick in the rear and get over it.