Baking for One or Two: You Don't Have to Eat Leftovers for a Week!
There is an inherent comfort and satisfaction when baking from scratch. Unfortunately, most recipes are meant for an average of six people. Not only can it take a long time to locate a comparable one or two-person version, trying to scale down can be more work than it’s worth. In the end, a similar amount of time, energy, dirty utensils and dishes remain. Instead, let’s consider a few ways to enjoy your favorite recipes without eating them for several days in a row.
The Cookie Trap: Save Some for Later!
Rather than baking up all your cookie dough, bake a dozen, then freeze the remainder of the dough in easy to bake individual portions. Then simply pop a few on a cookie sheet at the normal temperature and bake 2-8 minutes longer than normal. A delightful treat!
The Obvious Option: Leftovers for Lunch
One serving should be saved for lunch. Pretty obvious... but here’s the catch, don’t eat it the next day, save it for the day after that. There is no concern of the food going bad if refrigerated. Waiting one more day will make a difference, so you don’t feel like you’re just eating the same old thing. In fact, you may discover this makes the spices and flavors meld together. Don’t want to wait? I promise not to tell.
Freezing: Without the Burn
A second, yet obvious option is freezing leftover portions. Most baked items like cake-like breads, muffins, casseroles, rice dishes, and more are great for freezing and re-baking. It’s like a frozen dinner but made with ingredients you know are fresh, healthy, and satisfying, and saves money.
The trick here is to hinder freezer burn. Simply use plastic wrap (or greener options like beeswax paper); aluminum foil; freezer friendly reusable plastics; or glass dishes. Be sure your portions take up the majority of the space in containers, with little room for air (too much air causes freezer burn).
Not so obvious, is that if stored in a tight container, foods should stay good for six months. If you have freezer burn in less time, it’s a good idea to check your freezer’s temperature, or if you are using too large a container, and also monitor how long your freezer stays open.
Quick tip: when packaging leftovers, use Spring Chef Tongs to maintain visually appealing servings.
From apple cake to ziti casserole, don't be afraid of your favorite super-sized recipes to bake. Do you have another way to keep leftovers from getting boring? Let us know! We’d love to hear from you.