Kitchen Tip Tuesdays: Re-warming leftover casseroles

When I make a casserole, I like to make enough for two meals (9x13). I have found that how well we enjoy the leftovers depends a lot on how they're re-heated!

We don't have a microwave, and re-heating leftovers in a pan on the stove is only okay, not spectacular.

So what I have been doing is this: at the end of the meal, I transfer the leftover casserole to a( smaller) glass casserole dish. I cover the glass dish and refrigerate it until we're ready to eat the leftovers. Then I re-warm them in the oven (usually at 350 degrees for about 30-40 minutes).

It takes longer than warming on the stove top, but the food usually tastes just as good as fresh! :)

To participate in Kitchen Tip Tuesdays: Post a kitchen tip in your blog, with a link to this post. Then come here and add your name, tip subject, and URL to this post! Links must be family friendly, as always. If you don't have a blog but would still like to share a tip, just leave a comment here with your tip! Everyone's ideas are appreciated. :) Note: Please link to your individual post, not your blog's main/front page! Thanks for participating! :)

Kitchen Tip Tuesdays Participants

1. Laura @ Heavenly Homemakers (Whole Wheat Hamburger Buns)
2. Our Red House (Gran\'s Apple Tea Cake)
3. Niki (making butter)
4. The Happy Housewife ~ recycling bread
5. Debbie J. (Strawberries!)
6. Lynn (freezing buttermilk)
7. Nicole @The Simple Cajun Life (GFCF PlayDough)
8. Amber (saving electricity - and dishes!)
9. Michelle (boiling ground beef in bulk)

10. Kim (Clean as you go)
11. candace (storing and reviving marshmallows)
12. Julie Stiles Mills (5 minute onions and flash freezing - with a book giveaway)
13. AmyG (Meatless meals)
14. Kirstin: roasted garlic and switching out ingredients
15. The Nest Egg (Recipe Protectors)
16. Mrs.Jo(bread tips)
17. Laura @ Bloggin\' Mama (first time)
18. Rachael @ Beans & Rice (whole wheat pastry flour and a recipe)

19. Sonshine (more muffin talk)
20. DONNA (bake bread in bulk!)
21. The Nourishing Gourmet-Herbed baked eggs
22. Mandy @ Biblical Homemaking (Best Kitchen Tool Ever!!)
23. If Only I Had Super Powers (grating cheese without blood)
24. Katrina (stretching the meal further)
25. Lindsey (Prepared Cake Mix)
26. Julie Stiles Mills (Banana Dessert Recipe )

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Great idea

Submitted by Anonymous on Tue, 2008-04-22 06:15.

We don't usually have leftovers, but I like the idea of reheating in the oven. I think it would taste better than the microwave too!

reheating

Submitted by Anonymous on Tue, 2008-04-22 11:07.

The best way we have found to reheat casseroles or layered dishes (lasagna, enchiladas...)is to cut or scoop food into serving size pieces & put them in a frying pan. Then add a bit of water to the pan, put the lid on & sort of 'steam' them warm. The water keeps the food from burning on the bottom & keeps it from dryin out & it warms up - without heating up the house - in about 20 minutes.

blessings ~ Tracy

Ladies without microwaves!

Submitted by Anonymous on Tue, 2008-04-22 11:57.

Oh, this is great! I'm not the ONLY wife in the world who doesn't have a microwave! It took up so much space in my tiny kitchen and I really don't miss it much.

Storing non-stick pans

Submitted by Anonymous on Tue, 2008-04-22 13:48.

To stack non-stick frying pans without scratching the surface, put a paper plate between each pan. It works great!

Or a paper towel

Submitted by Anonymous on Wed, 2008-04-23 20:02.

Paper towels also work!

Freezer question

Submitted by Anonymous on Tue, 2008-04-22 20:15.

Tammy,
Maybe you could help with this problem: I have been baking one or two days a week so that we can kick the cold cereal habit. However, the muffins I stored in the freezer (in a freezer bag with the air sucked out with a straw) tasted like freezer when I thawed them this week. Yuck! I hated to see such hard work and good ingredients go to waste. Any suggestions?

Muffin-wrapping for freezer

Submitted by Anonymous on Wed, 2008-04-23 20:02.

Hi Anonymous!

Here is what I do to ensure that my muffins or slices of cake still taste yummy:

-wrap the serving in saran wrap
-then wrap in foil
-then put the items in a freezer bag (I like the Hefty one-zip ones best). In the future, however, I plan to get a vacuum food saver thing.