Leftovers are my love letters to the future. A pan of stew today becomes tomorrow’s safety net. Yesterday’s roast whispers, “I’ve got you” when the day is too long, and the energy is too thin. Leftovers are my gift to tomorrow’s me, hospitality extended to the tired version of myself I know is coming.

I learned this truth in the hardest seasons: when single motherhood meant every meal was a stretch, when teaching during COVID left me wrung out, when grad school assignments stacked higher than the laundry. Food became both anchor and offering. Sometimes it was a skillet dinner thrown together out of scraps, sometimes it was simply remembering that future-me deserved something warm and good. This week, it was leftover beef, onions softened until sweet, and Swiss cheese melted into the kind of gooey blanket that makes you feel held. Simple, yes. But also tender, thoughtful. The kind of thing that reminds you: hospitality doesn’t always look like candles and centerpieces. Sometimes, it’s just showing up for yourself with what you have.

Open-Faced Swiss & Beef Melt

What You Will Need:

• 3 tablespoons butter, divided
• 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 tablespoon stone ground mustard
• 4 slices sourdough bread
• 8 ounces leftover shredded beef (stew, roast, or beef bourguignon)
• 6 slices Tillamook Swiss cheese

What You Will Need To Do:

1. Caramelize the onions: Heat 1 tablespoon butter in a cast iron skillet over medium-low heat. Add 1 sliced onion and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt. Cook slowly, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and soft, about 20–25 minutes. Place in warmer.
2. Warm the beef: In the same pan, gently reheat 8 ounces leftover shredded beef until warmed through.
3. Prepare the bread: Preheat the broiler to high. Mix 2 tablespoon melted butter with 2 tablespoon stone ground mustard. Spread evenly on 4 slices of sourdough bread.
4. Assemble: Place bread on a sheet pan. Top each with a slice of Swiss cheese, the warmed beef, and a spoonful of caramelized onions. Cut the remaining Swiss into strips and scatter 2–3 on top of each sandwich.
5. Broil: Place under the broiler for 5–6 minutes, watching closely, until the cheese melts on both bottom and top. Serve hot.

It struck me that I am often generous to others while stingy with myself. Quick to feed everyone else but slow to offer my own weary body the same kindness. Hospitality begins at home, even within our own hearts. So I wonder: what part of your life needs a little hospitality today? What corner of your soul is asking to be tended, buttered, layered with cheese and warmth until it feels whole again?

Leftovers may not be glamorous, but they remind me that presence doesn’t have to be flashy. It just has to be offered.

Gracefully yours,

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Reference
Niequist, S. (2024). Celebrate Every Day. Zondervan.