 Cooking extra saves time and calories
In order to have more control over what I eat, I cook dinner six nights a week. I don't think I could be consistent with that if I didn't utilize leftovers.
When I mention this to people, I often hear that they can't do that because their family doesn't like leftovers. That's when I tell them how I make leftovers. Most people simply serve leftovers as the same dish two or three nights in a row. No wonder their families object. I purposely cook to have leftovers, and then freeze them to be reheated in two or three weeks. That way, it's not really leftovers; it's just another serving of a favorite dish.
Casseroles are perfect for this plan. I always make more than we need, then portion out two or three more dinners into containers. When I reheat them, I line the dish with foil, which makes clean-up easier. Crock pot dishes also work well this way.
One thing that helps hide the leftover factor is to serve them a little differently each time. For example, I'll cook up a batch of chicken or beef in the crock pot with soup and vegetables. One time, I will serve it over potatoes, and another time, over rice. Leftover hamburger patties are usually repurposed into pita tacos in two weeks. If you add some rice to Sloppy Joe sauce, it makes a great stuffing for bell peppers.
Each week, when I plan my meals, the first thing I do is head to the freezer to see what is available. Then, I plug those items into my meal plan on the nights I know I'll have less time for cooking. Over time, this has rescued me from many nights of resorting to drive-through or delivery dinners, saving both calories and money.
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