One Of The Best Ways To Reheat Leftovers Without Overcooking Them

Some meals are just better the second time around. This is partly because spices settle in after a few hours for an even more complex and hearty flavor. After the office potlucks and holiday parties have dispersed and you're left with the delicious remnants, you can keep the celebration going with the leftovers. If you're feeling creative, you can always rework unfinished dishes for a new meal masterpiece. Last night's convenient rotisserie chicken can easily be transformed into a delicious new dish. For next-day tacos and pasta bakes, however, it's important to first properly reheat leftovers.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, food should be reheated until it reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit. Reheating a meal that's already been carefully prepared seems like an effortless task, but somehow leftovers end up dry, soggy, or overcooked. Luckily, your sous vide machine is the perfect device for easy, evenly-heated leftovers.

Sous vide, meaning "under vacuum," is a French method of cooking food in an airtight container. The vacuum-sealed package is submerged in water and cooked at a low temperature. The sous vide preparation process works particularly well for cooking up proteins like steak and low-maintenance thick-cut bacon, or creating effortless sides like flavorful mashed potatoes without the hefty pot of boiling water. If you happen to have your own sous vide machine, it's also the ideal device for reviving leftovers.

The compact packaging is easy to stash in your fridge until you're ready to rev up the sous vide machine. The slow-heating device also evenly warms food without overcooking it and the well-sealed packaging keeps moisture and flavor contained, so no more dry, day-two dinners. While it takes a little longer to sous vide leftovers than to fling them on a plate in the microwave, the results are tender, tasty, and almost as effortless.