Dinner Leftovers Make Great Sandwiches for Lunch

on November 24, 2009 at 11:30 AM

This isn't the first time I'm written about my love affair with leftovers. In my house, we always have food leftover from dinner; often, Mr. Cafe Kim and I will use it to make sandwiches for lunch the next day.

Can I tell you a secret? I actually prefer food on the second day—the flavors are so much more intense! Here are some of our favorite meals-turned-into-sandwiches:

Chicken Breasts -- Chicken Salad Sandwiches: Leftover baked chicken breasts or roast chicken make great chicken salad sandwiches the next day. Dice 2 leftover chicken breasts; mix with 2 tablespoons mayonnaise, 1 teaspoon mustard, diced apples or celery (or something else crunchy), salt and pepper; serve open-faced on thickly sliced wheat bread.

Roast -- Shredded Meat Sandwiches: Slow cooker pork roast or beef roast is even better then next day. Top hamburger buns with shredded meat and add a dash of barbecue sauce if it's too dry.

Eggplant Parmesan -- Vegetable Sandwiches: We make a huge baking dish of eggplant parmesan on the weekends, and eat it the rest of the week. For a tasty vegetable sandwich, layer a slice of eggplant Parmesan with grilled onions and mushrooms on thick slices of bread.

Spaghetti and Meatballs -- Meatball Sandwiches: My hands-down favorite leftover sandwich is the meatball sandwich. Whenever we have a spaghetti, I save a few meatballs and a little bit of sauce to serve on a toasted sub the next day.

Egg Frittata -- Egg Sandwich: It is my ardent belief that you can eat an egg sandwich at anytime of the day. Just save a couple slices of this Tomato-Basil Frittata; the next day, layer it between two slices of toast with melted cheese and a slice of turkey bacon (optional).

What's your favorite "leftover" sandwich?

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About the author Kim Conte

has shoes that make people stop her on the street and ask "Where did you get those?" but it doesn't work for taxi cabs as she was hit by one ... and lived to tell the tale. She has more freckles than Lohan but way less attitude. And she's a fierce cook with tons of recipes to share -- and wishes she could share some with Bourdain.

Filed Under: dinner, family meals, food, lunch, suggestions

Comments (5)

Habibti812

on Dec 16, 2009 at 4:55 PM

I definitely love turkey leftovers for a sandwhich! That has to be my favorite! But I also like chicken breast sandwhiches! Those are yummy too!

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Cafe Jenn

on Dec 17, 2009 at 8:45 AM

I am a meatloaf sandwich person.

The day I went into labor with my oldest I had made meatloaf and parsley potatoes. Shortly after eating my water broke and off to deliver I went. When I came home from the hospital 2 days later I had meatloaf sandwiches for lunch. They were the best I had ever had.

I take meatloaf (we use ketchup on the top of our meatloaf), two pieces of bread, mayo and a slice of cheese. I typically warm it up just enough to melt the cheese.

Yum-o

bhwrn1

on Dec 17, 2009 at 9:10 PM

I love leftovers: turkey, corned beef and meatloaf are some of my favorites!

Bmat

on Dec 19, 2009 at 4:54 PM

Some things that would seem odd between slices of bread, go great in a wrap or a pita: potatoes, carrots, salads with dressing, beans (although baked bean sandwiches are good.)