Leftovers

[CDRFloppingham]

I have much appreciated the responses to my "Menu Planning for two" thread and someone there suggested a new thread where we can discuss how we deal with leftovers and make them into something else.

Any great ideas how to repackage leftovers?

[iainpb]

I have much appreciated the responses to my "Menu Planning for two" thread and someone there suggested a new thread where we can discuss how we deal with leftovers and make them into something else.

Any great ideas how to repackage leftovers?

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Next day's lunch is always a good use, take it to work and eat it for lunch. Thw quicker you use them up the better!

[BeeZee]

I enjoy trying to figure out how to use leftovers to create something else entirely. Eating last night's dinner for lunch isn't always appealing.

Example: leftover veggies and/or meat into pasta dish. By putting it into a seasoned tomato sauce, you don't really remember what it was in it's prior life. Works for highly seasoned dishes like curry or chili, too. Authentic, no, but serves a purpose.

[Dante]

Any great ideas how to repackage leftovers?

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Next day's lunch is always my fave.

Beans and noodles I'll freeze and use for soup-making (I once got two days of meals for myself, housemates and a couple of guests using just frozen leftovers combined in fun ways).

I once made waterzooi using leftover turkey from thanksgiving, then used the leftover warterzooi as filling for individual turkey pot pies which I froze for my housemates to use for lunches.

Sincerely,

Dante

[Doodad]

Jambalaya (the designed leftover user) and brunswick stew are easy favorites.

Stir fry is next on the list if the ingredients can stand up to it.

Risotto.

I have leftover grilled flank steak and roast turkey tonight. I am thinking about making wraps using bok choy as the roll and baking them in a soy based sauce.

[Anna N]

Quesadillas.

Danish Open Face Sandwiches.

Tartines (French open face sandwiches).

Salads - some cooked meat over a tossed salad makes a nice lunch - I often toss the meat in the dressing first and let it marinate for a short while.

Soups - always the perfect spot for a few leftovers.

Even a tiny smidgen of cooked meat I will freeze and serve over pasta or asian noodles.

Pot Pies - they can be topped with biscuits or mashed potato.

Lots more ideas I am sure will surface both in my mind and in the minds of other members.

[Kerry Beal]

Left over mashed potatoes with sauteed onions, grated old cheddar - formed into patties, flour, egg, breadcrumb - fry in some oil and butter.

[PopsicleToze]

Leftover cooked vegetables can be marinated in a vinaigrette and used in an Italian-inspired salad. You can also use them in a frittata.

Leftover rice—dirty rice, rice dressing, stuffed bell peppers, fried rice, yellow rice (eggs cooked with rice) for breakfast…

Leftover bread—Italian bread salad, make croutons for later use, ditto

[judiu]

Leftover mashed potatoes made into a nest in a pie pan, filled with chili or stew or anything 'wetish' like that (don't think soup would work too well) shredded cheese over the top, bake for awhile. Individual servings can be made in muffin pans. Chopped up meatloaf with a dollop of either gravy or tomato sauce works well as a filling, too. HTH!

[Ce'nedra]

Add the leftover stir fries/odd bits of cooked meat (I've used anything from fish patties to meatballs) and vegies to a bowl of noodles (rice vermicelli go with just about everything). You can always jazz it up with a special (or simple) sauce, extra greens, whatever.

Then there's versatile wrap -you can simply use lettuce or thin Chinese flour crepes. For Vietnamese style, there's rice paper which is always easy to use.

[Kerry Beal]

For lunch today the leftover roasted cauliflower is mixed with heavy cream, garlic and parmesan on pasta. Roasted cauliflower alfredo.

[PopsicleToze]

For lunch today the leftover roasted cauliflower is mixed with heavy cream, garlic and parmesan on pasta.  Roasted cauliflower alfredo.

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Yum!

[santo_grace]

Left over mashed potatoes with sauteed onions, grated old cheddar - formed into patties, flour, egg, breadcrumb - fry in some oil and butter.

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Yum! I'm going to make mashed potatoes soon just so I can do this.

[santo_grace]

Leftover roasted chicken: becomes chicken salad sandwich, a panini with mozzerella and roasted tomatoes, or chicken and dumplings.

Hot Meatloaf: becomes cold meatloaf sandwich.

Steak: becomes steak and fried eggs, or steak omelette.

[Lilija]

Huge ham? Devil some of it.

Two other uses for mashed potatoes:

Add chicken stock, cream, seasonings, bacon, cheese, broccoli. spinach, leeks, ham, beer, random garnishes, some or all of the above for an impressive potato soup the next day.

Save and freeze, as a filling for perogi, or a base for gnocci.

Or you could do like my Polish grandmother used to, make a pot of ramen noodles, double the water, then systematically go through the fridge dumping in everything. Leftover meatballs? In the pot they go, chicken, noodles, and string beans? Sure! Leftover bacon and eggs from breakfast out? Why not?! She used to call it "garbage soup".

[hummingbirdkiss]

I take all the left over bits and pieces of stuff.. meat vegetables.. even fruits..mushrooms that are a bit dried out .left over bits of fresh herbs..the grated nub of ginger ..a piece of garlic...bit of onion..whatever....dice it all up ..mix in some cumin, curry and chile (whatever) ...then add a lot of diced cheddar (or any cheese or cheeses you have on hand and a hand full of raisins ..toss this all together and spread it evenly on a pizza dough leaving an inch or so at the edges... a pizza ..form a lid of the same dough seal the edges covering up all the filling..brush it with egg cut decorative vents in the top ..sprinkle whatever you want on top ..I used coarse salt if the inside is not too salty

bake like a pizza until the top is done and it is golden brown let sit until almost cool before slicing and eating

this is really good and can be frozen for lunches! it is recycle recycle!

variations on this theme are as limited as your leftovers!!!

Edited September 26, 2008 by hummingbirdkiss (log)

[CDRFloppingham]

Speaking of chopping up older stuff, there's fromage fort.

[pistolabella]

I roasted a chicken 2 nights ago, and had 7 grain pilaf. Last night I mixed together the leftover chicken & Pilaf, added some black olives, mushrooms, peas, and roasted red peppers. It made a really yummy casserole. I am a huge fan of tostadas, so any leftover meat usually ends up on a tostada with lettuce and tomatoes and salsa, guacamole, etc. In fact there are lots of Mexican dishes that can be assembled almost entirely of leftovers.

[BarbaraY]

I'm cooking just for myself most days. I wanted roast pork shoulder so I got the smallest piece in the case. Roasted it on a mire poix with rosemary and plenty of garlic.

I thickened the gravy by blending the vegetables into the juices, baked a sweet potato (yam) to go with it.

Next day I made a hash with some of the diced pork and gravy along with red bell pepper and onion and the other half of the potato.

Last evening I made an individual tamale pie.

I still have enough to do one more meal. I'm really glad it's almost over.

Edited September 26, 2008 by BarbaraY (log)

[Syrah]

I'm cooking just for myself most days. I wanted roast pork shoulder so I got the smallest piece in the case. Roasted it on a mire poix with rosemary and plenty of garlic.

I thickened the gravy by blending the vegetables into the juices, baked a sweet potato (yam) to go with it.

Next day I made a hash with some of the diced pork and gravy along with red bell pepper and onion and the other half of the potato.

Last evening I made an individual tamale pie.

I still have enough to do one more meal. I'm really glad it's almost over. 

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Would it be worth making something freezable like mini pot pies or something? Or a version of pasties?