Leftovers are an unavoidable consequence of home cooking. No matter how perfect your dish was the first time, it’s never quite as good the next day. It’s tempting to leave your leftovers in the fridge and order a pizza or cook something entirely new. Unfortunately if we did that every day, there’d be a lot of wasted food and money. But who says your only option with leftovers is to use your microwave? With a bit of creativity, I’ve been able to make some miraculous transformations – all of them delicious. In some cases, my family didn’t even know that the dish was a re-hash. Let’s take a look at some of the creations that I’m most proud of.

Meatloaf into Burgers

Meatloaf is a popular treat in my house, and my kids look forward to it. That is of course unless we are eating it two days in a row. To alleviate the boredom, all I do is slice up my meatloaf and treat it like a burger patty. When I add cheese, mushrooms, bacon, and a full array of condiments, it makes the perfect burger. All I have to do is whip up a batch of Tater Tots in the oven, and I’ve got myself a completely new meal.

Turkey into Congee

This is probably the most unusual dish on this list because congee isn’t exactly a common home-cooked food. After Thanksgiving, I’m always left with a huge turkey that still has plenty of meat. A good portion of it goes to sandwiches, but I also put the bones to good use. In fact, I use the entire carcass to brew up a batch of tasty congee. If you’ve never had it before, it’s basically porridge made with rice. I add green onions, sesame oil, Chinese donut, and chunks of crumbled-up turkey to round off the dish, and it’s just as good as anything you’d find in Chinatown.

Almost Anything into Fried Rice

Sticking with an Asian theme, I’ve been able to turn almost anything into fried rice. It doesn’t matter what type of meat or vegetable you’re working with, anything can be chopped up into little bits. All you have to do is cook up a batch of fresh rice, and you’re good to go. Combine all of your ingredients into a wok with a touch of oil, and you’ve got a whole new dish within minutes. You can also add fresh ingredients like jumbo shrimp, scrambled eggs, and cilantro for a perfect mix of new and old.

Salmon into Salad

Whenever I cook salmon, I look for a nice big piece so that I’ll end up with leftovers. I’ll usually cook it over a grill to get crispy skin that really brings out the flavor. When it comes to leftovers, I love combining my pre-cook salmon with fresh salad. It’s the perfect dish for a simple lunch that I can package and take to work. All I have to do is plop a piece of salmon on top of a few greens and serve some dressing on the side.

Prime Rib into Curry

Some of you might be asking why you would want to turn prime rib into anything else. After all, it’s one of the most costly pieces of meat so you want to make sure to get the most value possible. I’ve found myself with way too much prime rib on several occasions. This usually happens after I entertain a large group of people and cook a bigger prime rib then needed. It’s so big that I even have leftovers after one or two days of eating it again. My solution has been to cut it up into little bits, and throw them into a pressure cooker. After a few hours, you get nice tender chunks that work as a stew, or you can add it to your favorite curry sauce.

Home cooking is about satisfying your taste buds while being as practical as possible. This article comes from our friends at http://www.tendercookers.com where the best ideas and product reviews are featured. It’s a site that reminds us that nothing beats home cooking when you’ve got the right ingredients and enough time to put together the perfect dish.