We’ve all experienced foods that are even better the day after, right? Sure, that lasagna was fun to share with friends, but why is it ten times better to be eaten cold the next night at 11 pm while standing in front of your fridge in the dark?

A lot goes into this, but I’ll keep it surface level for now. Simply put, certain foods go through a bit of a “marinating” process after cooking, allowing flavors to deepen and textures to improve. Here’s what’s happening under the surface:

Flavor Development

As food sits, flavors from spices, seasonings, and other ingredients blend and intensify, forming new, richer tastes. Think of it like a bunch of roommates with different personalities moving in together. Cooking the food is move-in day, but letting it sit in the fridge is where they spend time bonding. They influence each other until the whole apartment has its own “vibe” instead of just a bunch of distinct flavors. This is especially true in foods with complex spices, sauces, or slow-cooked bases.

Now, we could go really deep into this and talk about esters, glutamates, thiols, maillard remnants, polyphenol derivatives and lactones, but let’s just leave it at this: letting your cooked product spend some time melding in the fridge causes an entire domino effect of molecular interactions that seriously impact the flavor.

Starch Breakdown

Starches (like pasta, potatoes, and grains) go through a process called retrogradation, which makes them firmer. Honestly, this is usually a bad thing. It makes bread stale, cakes dry, and pastries brittle and boring. However, in some leftovers, retrogradation is a secret weapon. Why?

Textural Improvement: In dishes like lasagna, casseroles, or thick stews, a little retrogradation gives the starches a slightly firmer bite, helping the layers or chunks hold their shape. The slight drying effect from retrogradation also makes these foods less mushy, which improves the eating experience. Think about how a lasagna slice holds together better on day two; retrogradation is part of the reason.

Sauce Absorption: Retrograded starches can act like mini flavor sponges. When a dish sits overnight, the firmer starches are able to reabsorb some of the flavorful liquid around them when you reheat them, locking in taste. This effect is particularly great in curries, pasta bakes, or rice-based dishes, where you want starch to fully integrate with the sauce rather than staying mushy or watery.

Long story short, retrogradation is a double-edged sword. It can make certain foods (like plain bread or steamed rice) dry and unappetizing. But when paired with the right ingredients and textures, it can contribute to the next-day improvement that people love in certain dishes. In these cases, retrogradation isn’t an unwelcome staling process but a helpful texture stabilizer and flavor enhancer.

Protein Tenderization

When proteins in dishes like stews and braises sit for a while, enzymes break them down further, which softens tough cuts of meat. These foods often have collagen (like in beef or pork shoulder), which turns into gelatin over time and makes that juicy, melt-in-your-mouth sensation.

However, keep in mind this is only a factor with sinew-heavy cuts of meat. If you do this with cuts of meat that are naturally soft, you’ll actually get the opposite effect: the moisture will leach out of the meat, and it will lose its flavor and gain the texture of a piece of shoe leather. Thus, leftover braised chuck roast = good, but leftover chicken breast = pure evil.

How to Identify a Candidate for Excellent Leftovers

Now, if you want to identify which foods are going to taste better tomorrow, here are some criteria to help you decide:

Ample Liquid or Sauce: Moisture helps preserve flavor and texture. Foods with sauces, broths, or stews are less likely to dry out when reheated.

Protein that Benefits from Resting: Some proteins, like tougher cuts with lots of collagen, actually get better after a rest. Think beef stew or a hearty chili. Avoid lean, fast-cooking proteins like chicken breast or fish, which can turn rubbery.

No Need for Crispiness: Crisp foods (fries, tempura, fried chicken) lose that magical crunch by day two. Stick with dishes where the texture actually improves or at least doesn’t suffer.

Complex Flavors: Spicy, aromatic, or slow-cooked dishes often taste better because flavors meld and deepen as they sit. Foods with layered spices, like curries, stews, and tomato-based sauces, are top contenders.

Foods that are popular as next-day midnight snacks include the following:

1. Lasagna: Layers of pasta, sauce, and cheese meld overnight, making this a classic nextday treat.

2. Chili: The spices deepen, and the beans and meat absorb more flavor, making this even heartier.

3. Stews and Soups: Perfect for absorbing spices and mellowing flavors; the longer they sit, the better.

4. Curry: Complex spices become even more harmonious overnight.

5. Pasta with Red Sauce: The noodles soak up all the sauce flavors, creating an even richer experience.

Foods That Make Terrible Leftovers

Now, the other side of the coin—foods that simply don’t get better over time. Avoid putting these in the fridge if you’re hoping for a next-day revival:

Fried Foods: Anything crispy and fried becomes a sad, soggy version of itself. Sure, you can resurrect them in the oven, but it’ll never be as good as cooked fresh. And yes, while there are certainly creative ways to use leftover fries, nothing will make them as good as eating them fresh.

Seafood and Fish: Fishy flavors intensify with time, making that salmon less fresh the next day. Cook it and eat it.

Breads and Pastries: Baked goods can dry out or get stale. Unless you’re into the concept of “recrisping” everything, breads just don’t hold up well.

Salads: Anything with leafy greens or fresh veggies gets mushy, wilted, and generally unappealing.

Avocado: This one oxidizes fast, meaning that perfect green turns brown and bitter. Fresh is the only way.

All you need to keep in mind is if you rely on a foods crispiness or freshness, or if it’s already a rather dry food, then it should be banished from leftover kingdom.

Some Super Fun Foods to Plan with Leftovers in Mind

For some dishes, leftovers are a side-bonus after the neighborhood potluck. However, for other dishes, eating them the day after cooking is the plan. Just trust me and try it with these:

Stuffed Peppers: This is one of those dishes that can taste great the first day but improve with time. The filling (often meat, rice, spices) melds together, and the pepper softens more in the fridge, blending with the filling. You end up with a softer pepper that’s well-seasoned and flavorful all the way through. The ingredients in the filling fuse together, making each bite consistent and delicious.

Enchiladas: The idea of soggy tortillas might sound awful, but enchiladas transform into something magical after a night in the fridge. The sauce seeps into the tortillas, softening them just right while binding all the flavors together. The starch in the tortillas retrogrades slightly, helping them hold up without turning into mush. The result is a denser, more cohesive dish with an even distribution of sauce, spices, and fillings. Some people might look at this as a highly non-traditional and inauthentic way to eat enchiladas. Send them my way, and I’ll have a word with them in private.

Cookie Dough: Letting cookie dough rest before baking is about chemistry: the flour hydrates more fully, which gives cookies a chewier texture, and the flavors intensify as sugar breaks down slightly and interacts with the other ingredients. Chilling also solidifies the butter, so the cookies spread more evenly.

Coleslaw: Most people think fresh, crunchy cabbage is a must for coleslaw, but allowing it to sit in the fridge helps the cabbage soften just slightly while the flavors meld. The vinegar or lemon juice in the dressing breaks down some of the cabbage’s cellulose, making it less bitter.

Quiche & Frittata: As long as you’re not relying on their puffiness, egg-based dishes like quiche set beautifully overnight, and flavors from cheese, herbs, and veggies permeate the custard. Any added fat from cheese or cream distributes evenly, making the texture creamier without any weeping.

Cobbler: These desserts actually benefit from a bit of sitting time. The juices from the fruit settle, reducing excessive liquid, and the flavors become more concentrated. You end up with a richer, more balanced dessert that doesn’t melt everywhere and has deeper fruit flavor.

Honorable Mention — Barbecue: The best way to eat barbecue is always fresh. The reason you can smell barbecue from down the block is because when it’s hot off the grill, it’s releasing a ton of volatile flavor compounds that quickly degrade. You let those flavors degrade, and they’re lost forever. Lesson: eat it fresh. However, there are three reasons I still love leftover barbecue. First, good meat is still good meat. Second, a good sauce can make up for a lot of those lost volatile compounds. I always make lots of extra pulled pork, which I then freeze together with the sauce. The leftovers are always incredible and better than anything you’ll ever buy from Costco. Finally, barbecue tends to be high in fat. Because of this, my favorite way to reheat barbecue is to throw it onto a super hot, ungreased pan where the fat from the meat itself melts and lubricates the meat. The result is a nice, crispy skirt to the meat that you don’t actually get even on day-one. Thus, while leftover barbecue is never the goal, it’s also never disappointing.

    Matthew Christensen
    Weekly Newsletter Contributor since 2023
    Email the author! matthew@dvo.com