Turning leftovers into new meals

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GB

Chief Eating Officer
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Another post got me thinking about this. Part of the post had to do with mashed potatoes and people were discussing using leftover mashed potatoes to make potato soup or shepards pie. What are some other leftover foods that you make into something completely different a day or so later?
 
just about every kind of meat can be put into tomato sauce and simmered the next day. i've had grilled-on the bone chicken breasts and thighs, hamburgers, fish, pork chops, lamb chops, veal shanks, and sliced pot roast all simmered in sauce...
 
my all time favorite, Norwegian flatbread called lefse. Disucssed here before, however, all you do is take the leftover mashed potatoes and add enough flour to be able to roll out thin and bake on a flat, greaseless pan, I have a sole purpose baker for this. Then you can eat hot with butter only, or butter and cinnamon sugar, or stuff with meat and/or cheese, or even jam.

I am not fond of leftovers, so when II cook I measure carefully so that there are no leftovers. I do however love to have some roast beef or chicken for a cold sandwich the next day. I do not reheat meat.
 
norgeskog said:
my all time favorite, Norwegian flatbread called lefse. Disucssed here before, however, all you do is take the leftover mashed potatoes and add enough flour to be able to roll out thin and bake on a flat, greaseless pan, I have a sole purpose baker for this. Then you can eat hot with butter only, or butter and cinnamon sugar, or stuff with meat and/or cheese, or even jam. .

That sounds really good! If only Eugene would get some snow, I'd come have some with you! ;)
 
PA Baker said:
norgeskog said:
my all time favorite, Norwegian flatbread called lefse. Disucssed here before, however, all you do is take the leftover mashed potatoes and add enough flour to be able to roll out thin and bake on a flat, greaseless pan, I have a sole purpose baker for this. Then you can eat hot with butter only, or butter and cinnamon sugar, or stuff with meat and/or cheese, or even jam. .

That sounds really good! If only Eugene would get some snow, I'd come have some with you! ;)

YOu would be welcome, PA.
 
I actually keep a document on my that lists what can be done with certain leftovers. Here's part of that list:

Turkey and Chicken:
Turkey/Chicken Noodle/Rice Soup
Turkey/Chicken Enchiladas
Turkey/Chicken Sandwiches
Turkey/Chicken Tetrazzini
Hot Turkey/Chicken Sandwiches w/ gravy
Turkey/Chicken Tamales
Turkey/Chicken Tacos
Turkey/Chicken Pot Pie
Turkey/Chicken Jambalaya
Pulled BBQ sandwiches

Ham:
Cube and add to beans or soup, especially if you have the bone to work with.
Finely chop the ham, and use for omelets, or for some Jambalaya.
Slice it thin and use for sandwiches.
Add diced ham to salads.

Roast Beef:
Pulled BBQ sandwiches
Tamales
Tacos
Pot Pie
Slice thinly, and use for sandwiches

Roast Pork:
Pulled BBQ sandwiches
Slice thinly, and use for sandwiches
 
Heck, if I didn't have a pc, I'd be lost. To think, 10 years ago, I didn't even want one!

I'm going to be creating a document soon, listing all the serial numbers for stuff I have. I'm going to keep a printed hardcopy stashed with my other hardcopy documents, along with making two copies on diskette, and keeping one here in the house, and one at a separate location. Of course, that's always a good idea for any and all computer data.
 
Neither my wife's parents, nor my parents were "rich" monetarely, at least, and so exigencies such as "eating leftovers" were necessary...

Struck by this same "Brand of Cain", we are about the same, and manage to avoid throwing away very little in terms of "leftovers"...

Veggies are the easiest to "predict" in volumes, and I admit no big issue over "dumping" a few spoonfulls of carrots, peas, beans whatever, that I just lack fridge space to bother with...

For mashed potato, you can always boil up a couple "fresh" and add the "cold mashed" in with them, it works pretty good...

Or usethe "cold mashed" to "cut" the sharp taste of mashed turnip/rutabaga, or perhaps use in the "twice baked" sweet potato thing?

With larger, salvageable amounts of veggies, there's always the "steamer basket", or, in a pinch, the microwave...

We tend to make a "ton" of gravy with any given roast or chicken/turkey...there are a few ways to make this "larger in volume" than otherwise, so just using a bit of water, then warming up gravy, then adding leftover meat slices...well there you go with the mashed potato, or a "hot whatever" open faced sandwich...

Sandwiches (cold), obviously...

"Pot Pies" of many flavours and sources...

Pre-prepped and sealed meals for re-heating at work, or "frozen dinners", c/w veggies (requires some "creative" cookware, but the money you save makes this attractive)

Ham in sandwiches, casseroles, pea/bean soups, omelets, "fried ham sandwiches", "chopped ham salads", even homemade pizza, in a pinch!

Chicken/turkey salads, chopped ham salads...

Stir fried "beef and broccholi" (all the "Chinese Food" knockoffs...)(Use that "wok" to stir fry!)

Stews! Chili's!

Grated beef, pork and veal for cabbage rolls...

And, of course, the ultimate last use..."soup's"...or indeed, "blenderised", "stocks"...

All it takes is an active imagination, and a very little effort...plus, I guess, some experience of trying to "stretch" the cooking budget and/or some "hardware" (ie appliances!) to effect the same

And the subsequent meals come out pretty good!

Lifter
 
Taco meat - tacos, taco salad, breakfast burritos, etc.
Beef roasts - French dip, BBQ beef, tacos, enchiladas, soups, sandwiches, chili, etc.
Cooked chicken breasts - sliced and put into salads (Ceasar or Chinese Chicken), tacos, enchiladas, chile verde, taco salad, soups, etc.
Kielbasa - sandwiches, fritattas, omelets, scrambled eggs, soups, jambalaya, etc.
Broccoli - broccoli salad, fritattas, omelets,
Pork roasts - Chile verde, pulled pork, tacos, burritos, enchiladas, sandwiches, etc.
 
I guess I'm no fun - I just usually eat my leftovers the same way I ate them the day before! LOL But boy do I love a meatloaf sandwich on the day after!!!!!! And I do make ham salad out of leftover ham. I do love a good open-faced roast beef or turkey sandwich too!!!! With either mashed potatoes separating the two halves or some leftover dressing!!!
 
kitchenelf said:
I guess I'm no fun - I just usually eat my leftovers the same way I ate them the day before! LOL But boy do I love a meatloaf sandwich on the day after!!!!!! And I do make ham salad out of leftover ham. I do love a good open-faced roast beef or turkey sandwich too!!!! With either mashed potatoes separating the two halves or some leftover dressing!!!

Oh yea, meatloaf sandwiches! With left over mashed , I make latke, aka potatoe pancakes, or just reheat them with some margarine.
 
Good!

Then all you need are either "ideas" or "inspiration" and you will be well on the way to saving a pile of money on the groceries, or concepts of how you can "chain" together one "meat source" with various other "developments" at little cost...

(Wasn't that the "idea"?)

Lifter
 
I just thought of the dreaded (I said dreaded for middie) extra mashed potato delimma!!!! Cut a nice hunk of kielbasa, slice to open but don't cut entirely in half - stuff with mashed potatoes in the cut and top with grated cheddar - bake in oven at 350 for about 30 minutes - YUM!!!

I guess I do more with leftovers than I think!! Leftover BBQ chicken makes GREAT chicken salad!!!! Leftover steak makes a great salad with the addition of Feta, kalamata olives, cucumbers, tomatoes, and a simple Italian vinaigrette - I've used bleu cheese also instead of the feta.

Leftover Salad Caprese makes a great panino using ciabatta - actually there are a lot of leftover salads that make great panini sandwiches.

I have used leftover pesto as a garnish for ministrone soup and a squash and apple soup and a favorite is a piece of grouper that is pretty much done I slather one side with the pesto and some grated Parmesan and stick under the broiler briefly.
 

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