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Leftover Makeovers
by Brandie Valenzuela
Oh, how much I have learned over the years! When I was first married,
some 10 years ago, I wasted so much leftover food. I wasted leftovers
not because we were the wealthiest couple in our neighborhood
(definitely not), but because I was 1) unorganized in the general
running of my home, and 2) I had no idea what to do with them, other
than serve them exactly the same the next day for lunch or dinner.
I have learned a lot in the last 10 years of my marriage, and one
important thing I have learned is how to not waste food. No, I am not
going as far as scraping the leftover peas from my son's plate into the
recycled margarine tub, but I do think I do a pretty good job of saving
money by giving many of my leftovers a complete makeover! Here are some
of my ideas:
COOKED RICE: If you have enough leftover rice, you can make a wonderful
rice pudding or fried rice. If you have a small amount, mix it into
ground beef for your next meatloaf or into your meatballs. You can also
add it to canned soup, such as cream of tomato, or mix it into a salad.
PASTA: Heat leftover pasta in a pan with some butter or margarine and
parmesan cheese...delicious side dish!
MEATLOAF: Crumbled meatloaf can be used in any meal calling for cooked
ground beef, such as tacos.
BAKED BEANS: This summer I made a large batch of homemade baked beans
for a family get-together, and I had quite a bit of leftovers. To
makeover the baked beans, I put them in the crock-pot with 1 lb. of
cooked ground beef, a large can of crushed tomatoes, and chili seasoning
to make chili.
BREAD: If your bread is getting a little stale, consider letting it dry
out to make your own breadcrumbs. Another option is to make French toast
with day-old bread. Just follow your usual recipe, and then place the
French toast on a cookie sheet and "flash freeze" in your freezer. When
frozen, remove and place in a freezer-suitable container for easy
breakfast any morning.
HAMBURGER/HOTDOG BUNS: Do you have just one or two buns left in the
package? Freeze them each time you do, and when you have several saved
up, make
cheesy toast with them. Just remove them from the freezer, let them thaw
slightly (no need to be fully thawed), separate the top from the bottom,
spread with soft margarine or butter and top with parmesan cheese. Broil
until lightly brown in your broiler.
ROAST: Leftover roast can be used in a variety of ways, but my favorite
way is to cook it in a crock-pot with seasonings until you are able to
shred it. I then use it to make shredded beef tacos.
STEAK: Much like the roast above, I enjoy using leftover steak by
slicing it very thin, cooking it in a pan with sliced green bell pepper
and onion, adding some fajita seasoning and making fajitas.
BAKED POTATOES: Never waste your extra baked potatoes! If you only have
one or two, they are excellent cut up and fried in a pan. If you have
several extras, cut them in half lengthwise and scoop out the pulp.
Place the potato pulp in a bowl and add any of the following until light
and fluffy: milk, margarine/butter, shredded cheese, cheddar cheese
soup, chives, bacon and sour cream. Place the mixture back into the
potato shells and top with additional shredded cheese, if desired. Place
in oven until hot for yummy twice baked potatoes. If you prefer, freeze
your twice baked potatoes in the freezer for a meal another day. Still
want another option? Leftover baked potatoes are perfect for making:
Baked Potato Soup
1 stick butter
1 small onion, chopped
1/3 cup flour
2 cups water
2 cups chicken stock
1 1/3 cups potato flakes
2/3 cups milk
2/3 cups heavy cream
3 medium potatoes (baked)
Salt and pepper to taste
Optional toppings: shredded cheddar cheese, crumbled bacon,
Sauté onions in butter and add flour, stirring constantly. Add water and
chicken stock and keep at medium heat. Set aside. To onions mixture add
potato flakes, milk, and heavy cream; let simmer. Cut baked potatoes
into bite sized chunks, add to soup and heat until all ingredients are
heated. Add salt and pepper as desired. Serve topped with cheese and
bacon, if desired.
MASHED POTATOES: Mashed potatoes can easily be made over. Here is a page
full of dessert recipes that use leftover mashed potatoes:
www.practicalkitchen.com/frugal/mashed_potato_desserts.shtml
TURKEY OR CHICKEN: Leftover turkey and chicken is one of the most
versatile leftovers. By using just meat (removing bone and skin), you
can make sandwiches with the meat sliced, chicken or turkey salad
sandwiches, or even make enchiladas or tacos. I have also made a
delicious turkey/chicken noodle soup by boiling the bones that still
have some meat left on them. I carefully remove all of the bones, and
then add carrots, onion, peas, and potato and cook until tender. Add egg
noodles and cook until done.
STALE CEREAL: Just about any corn-based cereal, even Capt. Crunch, can
be used to coat chicken. Just crush the cereal well, dip your chicken
pieces in an egg wash, and roll in the crushed cereal. Bake according to
your favorite oven baked chicken recipe.
HAM: About once or twice a year, our family enjoys a nice ham for
dinner. We always have leftovers, most of which get used on sandwiches,
but I always save some of the ham for a casserole and/or my Split Pea
Soup.
Split Pea Soup
1 lb. dry split green peas
2 quarts of water (8 cups)
1 large onion, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and coarsely copped
1 tsp. salt
2 cups ham, chopped
Rinse and drain peas. Combine with ingredients in pot. Bring to boiling;
reduce heat. Cover and simmer on low heat for 1 hour or until nearly
smooth, stirring occasionally. Makes 8 servings.
About the author:
Brandie is a wife and homeschooling mom to three children, who also
works fulltime from her home designing custom scrapbook albums.
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