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Anna Chlumsky's hack for reviving leftovers, plus her top pregnancy cravings

The "Veep" actress loves to cook and shares her foolproof trick for making leftovers interesting the next day.
/ Source: TODAY

Weird pregnancy cravings are usually the norm for expecting moms — not for "Veep" actress Anna Chlumsky.

The 35-year-old recently revealed that she's have a second child with husband Shawn So — only this time around, she doesn't have a hankering for the odd combination of comfort foods that usually come with a baby bump.

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"It’s been a lot of seafood and it’s been sushi, which my doctor approved and I was so grateful," Chlumsky told TODAY. "I just want clean food this time, opposite of the first time."

(While the FDA recommends against sushi for pregnant women, Chlumsky said her doctor approved satisfying this craving in moderation.)

Even her go-to snack option is healthier than most — when the star needs an energy boost, she doesn't reach for something sugary or oily.

"Snack-wise, it’s usually a Bonne Bell cheese and peanuts, too. That’s always been my 'Oh god, I’m struggling and I need something' food," she says.

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While her on-screen persona, White House chief-of-staff Amy Brookheimer, may be a high-energy type A character, Chlumsky's cooking style is on the relaxed side. The down-the-earth foodie is just like any other mom. She's preparing dinner at home four times a week and leaves her fridge packed full of leftovers. And like any good home cook, Chlumsky has developed a trick for breathing new life into old meals: Put an egg on it!

"You know what I like to do when I’m in a pinch? I saute broccoli, put it on pasta and pop a fried egg on top. A lot of times, anything leftover with a fried egg on top is really good! It turns it into a meal as opposed to a leftover side."

Al's Bucatini Carbonara Primavera

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Chumsky says her 2-year-old isn't picky — and she doesn't get any special meal requests.

"We don’t put a stigma on food. If it’s tasty, she should try it all. If she’s not that hungry, that's fine, she’ll be hungrier later. She loves spinach, but sometimes she just doesn’t feel like it. I don’t put pressure on it because then you start getting phobias."

It's a completely different philosophy from the one that Chlumsky grew up with.

"My dad, because he’s a chef, it would just kill him if I wasn’t eating something, so he would make whatever I wanted. I don’t make her special requests. She eats what we eat. She loves sauces and her favorite thing is going to dim sum with us."