do you always cook for two nights for family of four?

[Anonymous]

We cook all our dinners at home except for eating out maybe once a month, and have gotten to the point where we won't make a recipe unless we can easily make enough to eat it for two nights in a row. With both of us working and kids in sports and such, it's just much more time efficient. Only exceptions I can think of are the very occasional nights where we have costco chicken nuggets or fresh fish fillets that are bought for that night.
But I was having a conversation with some friends yesterday and they were all surprised by this and either cook or eat out something different every night because they don't like leftovers.
What's your routine?

[Anonymous]

In our house leftovers usually turn into lunch for dh. I don’t think I could handle cooking meals for 8 people every other night. We probably get takeout more than we should, but that’s how we handle nights I can’t deal with cooking. Or we might have something super simple like pasta.

[Anonymous]

DH won’t eat leftovers so we do something fresh every night. That said I’m creative and find ways to reuse things or make it easier.

[Anonymous]

Fresh every night, though we eat out/takeaway 2 nights/week usually. Leftovers become lunch for whoever is working from home that day.

[Anonymous]

Often I find it awkward to double a recipe and store everything. We’re 4 (kids are teens) and have a small fridge and live in a small house. So usually there’s enough for lunch the next day, but maybe not for everyone. DH and I alternate cooking dinner.

[Anonymous]

Who has time to cook something different every night? I think your friends are ordering door dash. Of course, cook for two nights. Tacos, chicken dishes, chili, spaghetti, saucy meat dishes.

[Anonymous]

I cook a lot and I've tried to do the double meal thing, but we like leftovers for lunch more than we like leftovers for two dinners in a row, so that's what I aim for. I used to be good at prepping double and freezing a portion, but I've gotten bad at remembering to do that. Thank you for the reminder, I'll look into doing this again!

[Anonymous]

I don't like leftovers but will have them sometimes. The kids will - DH often makes enough for tomorrow's lunch for two to three people.

[Anonymous]

I cook every night except Fridays. Leftovers go in lunchbox.

[Anonymous]

I also cook for 2 nights. Makes it so much easier with a busy schedule and also are less likely to eat out.

[Anonymous]

We cook every week night (though we have two very little kids so sometimes cooking isn’t that extensive because we’re tired) and eat leftovers for lunches and then usually whatever is left for a hodge podge on Friday night. Saturday night we typically eat out. I can definitely see the efficiency in what you do and it’s quite smart but I just would really struggle to enjoy eating the same thing for a second dinner right in a row regularly. Every once in awhile sure but leftovers just are rarely the same. But maybe we’ll try it sometime!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I cook every night except Fridays. Leftovers go in lunchbox.

+1.

I cook nearly every night. Leftovers are generally put in thermos for kids' lunch if its feasible (e.g, pastas, stews, rice based).

The only nights that we order out or go to dinner are on weekends. Maybe a Friday or Saturday. On occasion, we'll order a pizza midweek but that's if I'm swamped at work.

I do basically cook every night though.

[Anonymous]

I will often cook a large dinner, with the intent of repurposing the leftovers. So a pork shoulder is bbq sandwiches one night, but then leftover meat is added to chili or crisped up for tacos later in the week. Keeps us from feeling like we’re eating the same thing all week.

People with DHs who refuse to eat anything that’s not “fresh,” I hope that means he’s in charge of dinner 3-4 nights a week.

[Anonymous]

Family of 3

We do leftovers for lunch, not for dinner

When it makes sense, I will bundle meals to make cooking more efficient. If I'm using chicken, for example, I'll have a couple meals where it's prepared the same way and then cook it all at once

We order out 1-2 times a week

[Anonymous]

you could make something one night and turn it into something else another night.

i made white bean chicken chili one night and then two days later i made a skillet pasta with ... white bean chicken chili as the sauce. it was a hit.

you could cook ground beef one night (double batch) and make tacos one night and then use the other half to make easy korean beef in a day or so.

rotisserie chicken one day and make into a soup or salad for the other day.

i think straight leftovers might be better if not on consecutive days.