Rich flavors make leftovers enjoyable

Hand-breaded pork chops make a good leftover when adding flavoring like brown gravy sauce.

By Matthew Soulis

Everyone loves a home-cooked meal, but no one cares for leftovers.

These simple supper saviors will turn your cold, old meals into a hot dinner plate. Don’t just reheat the same old, boring meal; kick it up a notch and actually enjoy your leftovers.

Hand-breaded pork chops

What you will need:

  • Canola oil
  • Cooking spray
  • 1 packet of brown gravy sauce
  • 2 pounds pork roast
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 tablespoon 2 percent milk
  • 5 pieces wheat bread (toasted)
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon pepper
  • 2 teaspoons garlic powder
  • 2 teaspoons onion powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon cayenne powder

What to do:

  1. Crush the toasted bread into small and soft bread crumbs. The smaller the crumbs the easier it will be to bread.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, combine all the dry ingredients.
  3. In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs and milk.
  4. Follow the packet’s instructions for making the brown gravy sauce in the small pot.
  5. Slice the pork roast into 1/2-inch pork chops.
  6. Submerge each pork chop in the egg wash mixture for at least five seconds.
  7. Place the pork chop in the bread crumb mixture.
  8. Fully coat the pork chops evenly in a layer of bread crumbs.
  9. Preheat the pan with the oil to a medium-high heat.
  10. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and cover the baking sheet in aluminum foil. The aluminum foil will make cleaning up much easier.
  11. Cook the pork chops on the frying pan until both sides are golden brown.
  12. Remove the pork chops from the pan and place them on the baking sheets.
  13. Insert the pork chops into the oven for at least 10 minutes. To tell if they are fully cooked, gently press on the tips of them to see if they are firm.
  14. Remove and serve with the brown gravy sauce.

Double Down Digger

What you will need:

  • Leftover pork chops
  • 1 head of lettuce
  • 1 whole tomato
  • Ranch
  • Sweet Baby Ray’s Barbecue Sauce
  • Muenster cheese
  • Kaiser rolls
  • 1 yellow onion
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1 cup flour
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 cups canola oil

What to do:

  1. In the small cooking pot, bring the oil to a simmer at a medium-high heat.
  2. Slice the onions into thin, 1/4-inch rings.
  3. In the small bowl, combine the flour, sugar, salt and pepper.
  4. Soak the onions in the milk and coat them in the flour mixture.
  5. Drop the onions into the hot oil and cook until golden brown.
  6. Remove from the oil and let dry on a paper towel.
  7. Cut the tomato into 1/2-inch slices.
  8. Cut the lettuce leaves into squares that will fit your Kaiser rolls.
  9. Cut the Kaiser roll in half and add all the ingredients.