Here’s my deal. I love wonderful home-cooked meals.

I even love cooking them.

But I don’t always have the time to spend making our favorites to enjoy all week long.

That’s why I like shortcuts and ways to maximize my work.

Leftovers.

I like leftovers. But only if I can spruce them up and make them more enjoyable than just a rewarmed meal.

Here’s one of my favorite ways to achieve this seemingly impossible feat.

This amazing recipe for Honey Teriyaki Beef & Broccoli Salad is a great first meal. It’s delicious and I try to make more than I think my family will eat in one sitting.

Then, the next night I grill up some favorite veggies – peppers, onions – on skewers and then warm up the leftover beef from the salad. I put the beef on the skewers with the veggies and we have a reimagined meal that took very little time.

I truly, truly believe great food doesn’t have to take forever in the kitchen! Yum!

Photo courtesy of KansasCitySteaks.com.

Okay, it’s really Santa Maria style, but with a Zac Efron twist.

The actor was recently featured in Parade magazine and asked to share a family recipe. Here is what the cutie, er, um, gentleman said:

“Growing up, we had a nice family dinner every night, and if we had people over, Dad would get on the grill. He is a bit of a chef, so he would always whip up something besides basic hot dogs or hamburgers. We liked trying different things, but this was a staple.”

This fantastic recipe features Top Sirloin marinated in salsa – yes, salsa! – and features a sweet and spicy flavor.

Click here for all the details on Zac Efron’s Santa Maria-style barbecue.

It’s National BBQ Month – so now is the perfect time to try this out!

Enjoy!

And, hey, if this gives you sweet dreams of Zac Efron … it’s not my fault.

Photo courtesy of Travis Rathbone via Parade.com.