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    Leftover Favorites from Columbus Chefs

    One of the most vexing things about home cooking is deciding what to do with your leftovers. While tempting to lazily eat them with a fork straight from the tupperware, get some inspiration from a few resident Columbus chefs we talked to and stretch your leftovers into meals that are both tasty and convenient:

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    “I have five kids. We do a lot of roast chicken, then the next day take the carcass and make a sauce out of it. Then we take rest of the meat and make chicken noodle soup. I buy whole chickens from the grocery store and make stock with them – it’s great for soup on the go. The kids’ favorite is chicken Milanese, parmesan crusted chicken with sauce and mashed potatoes that also makes a great sandwich. I always make leftover steak salad when we come back from my hometown, Pittsburgh. The interplay between steak and French fries on a Pittsburgh sandwich is delicious.”

    — Tom Smith – Head Chef, Worthington Inn

    “Working in the same building as Bluescreek Farm Meats, I have easy access to their extra-aged beef. Often, I’ll ask them to cut a two-inch porterhouse, then have tons left over.  My favorite thing to do is to slice and chill it, the next day make a béarnaise sauce, and serve it with a romaine salad and blue cheese dressing. Often I skip the béarnaise, but never the blue cheese. Pretty simple, but really tasty. Some of my family is Swiss, and we often have cheese fondue. A few times a year, we make a ‘clean out the fridge’ fondue, with a base of gruyere, then adding whatever tiny bits of leftover cheese we have.”

     — Amy Lozier – Founder, Omega Artisan Baking 

    “I only spend about 2-3 nights cooking at home. As a chef, we cook all day – at home, we want to cook the least amount with the least cleanup. If I can put it in a crockpot and go from there, that’s great. What needs to cook the most (usually meat) goes in the bottom, layered with sliced veggies, tomatoes and rice. Grab what you can find, throw it in the pot, have an easy meal everyone can eat.”

    — Matt Prokopchak – Chef/Owner, Trattoria-Roma

    “One of my favorite things to cook is leftover chicken thighs. Really delicious crispy chicken thighs.  I render the chicken thighs, skin side down in the pan with a little olive oil on a medium heat- while that’s cooking, take a quick shower, throw in some laundry, feed the dog, and then flip the thighs. Finish cooking the chicken, remove from the pan.  Now I utilize all that delicious rendered chicken fat to cook my vegetables in. It saves me from having to use my olive oil, and is free flavor, too. Usually i choose to use zucchini, because it can be prepped so quickly. Just a few quick dices and it’s ready to go in the pan in 30 seconds.  I also love to use any mushrooms (prefer Shiitake) because, again, they require so very little prep time.  Spending as little time prepping is a key for me cooking at home.”

    — Brian O’Connor – Executive Chef, Arepazo Tapas Bar Grill 

    “I love roasted chicken, especially in winter. I use the carcass to make really thick soup, almost like dumplings, with egg noodles and mashed potatoes. Roast potatoes and carrots over mashed potatoes with sherry, cream and rosemary is really fattening and hearty. Day-old bread makes great bread pudding – you sauté bread in butter to make savory or sweet bread pudding, with bourbon sauce or béchamel. Leftover rice make Thai food congee, which is great for breakfast in the winter.”

    — Kathleen Day – Owner/Creator of Recipes, Katalina’s

    “I’m big on grilling outside, so my leftovers are usually protein – chicken or beef. I like to have them around so I can toss them in a salad or have breakfast items with them. Going into the cold season, you can never go wrong adding them to red or white bean chili.”

    — Doug Manfrin – Executive Chef, The Inn & Spa at Cedar Hills 

    weilands-market-01From November 3 to November 9, Columbus Underground is Cooking at Home with new recipes, food trends and stories that will inspire you to try new dishes in your kitchen. Cooking at Home is presented by our friends at Weiland’s Market, a family-owned, independent business in Clintonville since 1961. Weiland’s offers a wide range of foods and beverages, fresh meats & seafood, a full-service deli, artisan cheese, wine, beer & spirits, specialty groceries, homemade EZ Foods and deli salads, and catering. For more information, visit www.weilandsmarket.com.

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    Rebecca Wagner
    Rebecca Wagnerhttps://columbusunderground.com
    Rebecca Wagner is a former staff writer at Columbus Underground who reported on local food and restaurant news. She's a graduate of Ohio University's E.W. Scripps School of Journalism.
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