Food. It’s my life. I grew up loving to cook and be in the kitchen. Grocery shopping with my family, helping prep ingredients, and coming up with interesting creations are all activities that connected me to food early on. And while food is front and center, working in the restaurant industry for years as a chef gave me another level of respect for every chef or restaurant owner who loves the craft as much as I do.
Watching the effects of COVID-19 on many of my peers in the industry has been challenging. And like so many, I want to do my part to help keep establishments open and running. In addition to the monetary commitment Tyson Foods has made to the Restaurant Employee Relief Fund and our continued support of the restaurant and food service industry, I want to help people think a bit differently about leftovers, both from restaurants and grocery deli counters. Many of us are finding ways to incorporate takeout or pickup into our weekly meal plans thanks to efforts around #TheGreatAmericanTakeout movement. But I think we can take it one step further … introducing leftover makeovers.
The idea is simple: think differently about what you can do with leftovers to create a new dish. That can mean thinking about how one protein can be used for several meals, like a rotisserie chicken, or ordering one additional protein with your next takeout order to use as an ingredient for your next meal. Check out this short video with three ideas: deli counter rotisserie chicken to make a chicken sandwich, ribs to make nachos, and chicken strips for a salad.