# Reheating leftovers without drying them out

> Covered, with a spoon of water, and stirred halfway. That is true for the microwave as for the pan.

## The essentials

A leftover dries out when you reheat it too hard and with nothing. The secret is a little moisture and a lid: a spoon of water and a plate on the bowl in the microwave, a splash of water and a lid in the pan, a sheet of foil over the dish in the oven. And you reheat until it is steaming all through, not just lukewarm.

## The one thing to know

Covered, with a spoon of water, and stirred halfway. That is true for the microwave as for the pan.

## The landmarks

- Microwave: in a bowl covered with a plate, a tablespoon of water for pasta, rice and vegetables, medium power, and you stir halfway. Two to three minutes for a portion.
- Pan: medium heat, a splash of water, lid on, three to four minutes. That is the best way for pasta, rice, stir-fries and meatballs in sauce.
- Oven: 150 to 160 °C (300 to 325 °F), the dish covered with foil, twenty minutes. For gratins, quiches, dishes in sauce, and pizzas uncovered so they stay crisp.
- Pot: low heat, stirring, for soups and sauces, with a little water if they thickened.
- It is ready when it is steaming in the centre, not only on the edges. Meat in sauce is better reheated gently than hard.
- A leftover is only reheated once. What you do not eat does not go back to the fridge.
- Pink meat does not reheat without finishing cooking: eat it cold, in slices, in a salad or a sandwich.

## How long it takes

Three minutes in the microwave, five in the pan, twenty in the oven. Often less than cooking.

## If it goes wrong

It is dry: a spoon of water, cream or sauce, a lid, one more minute. It is lukewarm in the centre and burning on the edges: that is the microwave, stir and put it back a minute on medium power. The rice is hard: a little water, lid on, and it turns tender again in the steam.

## Make it tonight

Yesterday's bolognese sauce, reheated on low heat with two spoons of water while the pasta cooks.

_See first : [Storing leftovers and cooling them fast](https://disheazy.com/bases/storing-leftovers-and-cooling-them-fast)_

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Source : disheazy, https://disheazy.com/bases/reheating-leftovers-without-drying-them-out