Do you go through the leftover dilemma several times a year? You've been cooking some big meals lately and now have a refrigerator full of leftovers. I know the look you'll get from your family if you attempt to put another plate of the same food in front of them for a third day. I suspect you'll end up scraping the leftovers into the compost bin if you don't think up something unique real soon.
You want to invent new dishes from the same old leftovers, but how? When you look at your leftover dish, make a mental list of what you used in that recipe and think about what other recipes you might have or can find that use similar ingredients.
1) Creamy Potato Soup
Leftover mashed potatoes make good thick and creamy soups because the basic creamy soup ingredients are already there. In a soup pot, put three or four diced slices of bacon and cook until just crispy and remove. In the bacon drippings, saute diced celery and carrots until soft, add some diced onion and saute until transparent. In the same pan, add 1 tablespoon butter or oil, 1 tablespoon flour, and 1 1/2 cups milk, simmering until just starting to thicken. Then add your leftover potatoes a little bit at a time until it looks like potato soup. Stir in the bacon and let simmer together slowly. You now have a nice, flavorful and creamy Potato Soup.
2) Turkey And Gravy Barbeque Style
Cut up or fork-shred some turkey, both white meat and dark will do. In a large skillet, brown a little diced up bacon. Add some diced onion and minced garlic if you like. Put the cut up turkey in the skillet and top with enough leftover gravy to cover the turkey pieces. Now add just enough of a good barbeque sauce or grill flavoring or dry rub to flavor your gravy and turkey mix to give it that Sloppy Joe flavor. Scoop on top of a hamburger bun or a leftover dinner roll.
3) Turkey Curry Cauliflower Soup
Place cooked cauliflower into a food processor and blend until smooth, drizzling in milk until you reach a smooth, soupy consistency. Put about 2 teaspoons of curry in as you blend. You may want more or less curry, so start slowly. In a heavy pot, drizzle a little oil and cook some chopped carrots and onion until just tender. Add your creamy cauliflower mixture to pot. You may now add some cut up turkey that you have leftover. Cook the soup slowly until heated through.
4) Cheesy Green Bean Tomato Soup
If you have leftover green bean casserole, you're in luck. It makes the perfect start for a cheese soup. Adding some diced tomatoes gives this soup a fresh flavor. Get out your big soup pot and saute up some bite size pieces of celery until just soft. Add several big chunks of onion, cooking until transparent, and then add a little minced garlic. Pour in a can of diced tomatoes. You may want a little extra seasoning, like a grill seasoning or dry rub. Put in your green bean casserole, slowly mixing in all the ingredients. If it seems a little thick, add a bit of chicken broth. Now just heat, stirring often, until the soup is all creamy and hot.
5) Stuffing with Egg Muffin Cups
Coat your muffin cups with non-stick spray or butter. Put stuffing in cup, working up the sides to form a dish for an egg. Crack one fresh egg in each stuffing cup and top with shredded cheddar or Parmesan cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes, just until the egg is cooked and cheese is all melted. When done cooking, remove and let the muffin tin cool for a minute or two before removing the egg cup.
There are many more ways to create a new meal out of leftover dishes. Rethink the leftovers you have on hand, keeping in mind the ingredients that are in that particular dish. Then you'll be able to add just a few ingredients to come up with a new and unique meal. - 15359
You want to invent new dishes from the same old leftovers, but how? When you look at your leftover dish, make a mental list of what you used in that recipe and think about what other recipes you might have or can find that use similar ingredients.
1) Creamy Potato Soup
Leftover mashed potatoes make good thick and creamy soups because the basic creamy soup ingredients are already there. In a soup pot, put three or four diced slices of bacon and cook until just crispy and remove. In the bacon drippings, saute diced celery and carrots until soft, add some diced onion and saute until transparent. In the same pan, add 1 tablespoon butter or oil, 1 tablespoon flour, and 1 1/2 cups milk, simmering until just starting to thicken. Then add your leftover potatoes a little bit at a time until it looks like potato soup. Stir in the bacon and let simmer together slowly. You now have a nice, flavorful and creamy Potato Soup.
2) Turkey And Gravy Barbeque Style
Cut up or fork-shred some turkey, both white meat and dark will do. In a large skillet, brown a little diced up bacon. Add some diced onion and minced garlic if you like. Put the cut up turkey in the skillet and top with enough leftover gravy to cover the turkey pieces. Now add just enough of a good barbeque sauce or grill flavoring or dry rub to flavor your gravy and turkey mix to give it that Sloppy Joe flavor. Scoop on top of a hamburger bun or a leftover dinner roll.
3) Turkey Curry Cauliflower Soup
Place cooked cauliflower into a food processor and blend until smooth, drizzling in milk until you reach a smooth, soupy consistency. Put about 2 teaspoons of curry in as you blend. You may want more or less curry, so start slowly. In a heavy pot, drizzle a little oil and cook some chopped carrots and onion until just tender. Add your creamy cauliflower mixture to pot. You may now add some cut up turkey that you have leftover. Cook the soup slowly until heated through.
4) Cheesy Green Bean Tomato Soup
If you have leftover green bean casserole, you're in luck. It makes the perfect start for a cheese soup. Adding some diced tomatoes gives this soup a fresh flavor. Get out your big soup pot and saute up some bite size pieces of celery until just soft. Add several big chunks of onion, cooking until transparent, and then add a little minced garlic. Pour in a can of diced tomatoes. You may want a little extra seasoning, like a grill seasoning or dry rub. Put in your green bean casserole, slowly mixing in all the ingredients. If it seems a little thick, add a bit of chicken broth. Now just heat, stirring often, until the soup is all creamy and hot.
5) Stuffing with Egg Muffin Cups
Coat your muffin cups with non-stick spray or butter. Put stuffing in cup, working up the sides to form a dish for an egg. Crack one fresh egg in each stuffing cup and top with shredded cheddar or Parmesan cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes, just until the egg is cooked and cheese is all melted. When done cooking, remove and let the muffin tin cool for a minute or two before removing the egg cup.
There are many more ways to create a new meal out of leftover dishes. Rethink the leftovers you have on hand, keeping in mind the ingredients that are in that particular dish. Then you'll be able to add just a few ingredients to come up with a new and unique meal. - 15359
About the Author:
Nicole Dean is the mostly-sane mom and owner of ShowMomtheMoney.com - a fun and informative site to help moms achieve success working from home. She welcomes you to learn more ways to save money in her Frugal Cooking Ideas section. Be sure to sign up for her free lessons for work at home moms.
