The Loving Your Leftover Series: #1 Sausages

[Anna N]

Countless members before me have attempted to start/maintain a topic devoted to leftovers.

 

Some address leftovers in general

 

Here.

 

And some leftovers in particular

 

 

 

Here.

 

But unlike the Bake-Off and the Cook-Off topics there has been no really successful way of bringing things together in an easily accessible and searchable way.

 

Some of us seem to have quite a talent for making leftovers as delicious as the original or, just as often, even better. I won't name names because I'm sure to forget someone and offend.

Some of us look at leftovers and, despite our hatred of food waste, cannot bring ourselves to use them. We know who we are. 

 

Then there is the challenge of using ingredients where we are forced to buy a quart but need only 2 tablespoons. What do we do with the rest?

 

So I am hoping I will be joined in my effort. 

 

No rules but some suggestions.

 

I think we can stretch this format to address both those of us who have ideas to share and those of us who are begging for ideas.

 

So if for example you have some leftover foie gras you don't know what to do with, you would simply start a new topic thusly:

 

The Loving Your Leftovers Series: #n Foie gras

 

And then ask for help telling us as much as you can about what sort of preparation/dish you were hoping for and what other ingredients you have on hand. (If you really do have leftover foie gras perhaps you have wandered into the wrong lecture hall.)

 

If you have a great idea to share about a leftover you managed to metamorphose into a dish for a queen, you would follow the same format but show us or tell us what you made.

 

 It is possible to find many suggested uses for leftovers if you surf the web. Links are welcome but let's not just make links. Let's show where we have used a suggestion in the link to use up something in our own kitchens. 

 

So is anyone up for this? 

 

I will start. 

I realize that the word sausage covers a multitude of differing "foods". A treatment for leftover pork sausages might not necessarily work as well for leftover boudin or leftover black pudding. But we are all quite capable of making adjustments and riffing off an idea. 

 

I brought home some leftover lamb sausages from a restaurant yesterday. There are two quite large sausages and they were tasty enough that I want to make a meal with them. 

 

While surfing the web I came across these ideas from The Guardian. It is obvious that many of them are assuming left over uncooked sausages and will need to be adjusted to make use of already cooked sausages. 

 

Here.

 

But I settled on this one from Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall

 

Here.

 

 

 

 As an aside Hugh's  book, "River Cottage: Leftovers" is worth a look.

Edited April 7, 2017 by Anna N (log)

[Thanks for the Crepes]

@Anna N,

 

This topic is a godsend for me right now, so many thanks. I'm one of the ones who know who I am. 

 

Just to be clear, you would like a new separate topic started for each leftover ingredient? So one for sausage, one for beans, one for mashed potatoes, etc. ? And the heading should be: Loving Your Leftovers Series: # (leftover ingredient)? It seems clear to me, and seems like it would be well organized and searchable, but since it seems to depart from the norm here, I just want to start with a clear understanding.

 

Also, it's okay to both post successful use of your leftovers and ask for the ideas in the appropriate ingredient # topic in the series?

[Anna N]

 I don't believe it actually departs much from the norm if you check the Bake-Off off and Cook-Off series in which each separate topic title address a different product.

 

You cannot herd cats nor Society members which is why I particularly said no rules (not that I have any more authority to make rules than any other member). So sure go ahead -- mix it up.  

[Soupcon]

I actually cook more Italian style sausages than I need for a meal and then later cut up the remainder into coins, and add them to a basic homemade tomato sauce for pasta as the meat component.  I also have been known to cut any type of leftover sausages lengthwise, fry them gently to heat them and put them between 2 pieces of toast with ketchup to eat as a sandwich (childhood comfort food).

[Toliver]

Leftover cooked sausage in our house would go into scrambled eggs for breakfast (which you could also eat for dinner). My mom would use a budget stretcher like rice with cut-up leftover sausage...a faux jambalaya or a poor man's pilaf, if you will.

Now for uncooked leftover sausage, my mom was famous in our family for using sliced kielbasa instead of pepperoni on her homemade pizzas. As kids, we didn't know what the heck pepperoni was since all we ever knew was kielbasa on our pizza.

[Nancy in Pátzcuaro]

Because Italian sausage is largely unknown in México outside of the capitol, I've begun to make my own bulk sausage. Stupid easy--don't know why I didn't do this sooner. My only problem is that fennel seed is impossible to find here, so I have to make sure I bring some back after a visit NOB (North of the Border).

 

I assume that leftover bulk (not in casings) sausage is eligible for what proves to be a nifty topic I generally use my sausage on pizza, but on occasion I've stirred some leftover bits into a simple pasta sauce to boost the flavor. I've also put the last few tablespoons in scrambled eggs along with onion and red bell pepper, and whatever leftover cold vegetables I have in the fridge that can be cut small and added to the eggs. Some weeks ago the New York Times had a breakfast casserole that used cooked Italian sausage, which could be left over from a previous meal, with croissants baked with egg that turned out to be a real keeper.

 

Seems to me that we frequently remove the casings from Italian sausages anyway. I do the same thing with Mexican chorizo, though the Spanish type is firmer and more amenable to slicing. By the way, Mexican chorizo is a valuable leftover for any time you want a pop of intense flavor and spice. It's made for potatoes--and also cabbage, oddly enough. Leftover chorizo layered with sliced cooked potatoes and some onion and garlic and cheese and other good stuff of your choosing, basted with chicken broth at each layer, and then some good olive oil drizzled all over it, and baked until everything's bubbling. Salt and pepper, of course, on each layer, and a sprinkle of oregano would not be amiss. Notice that I've covered both leftover sausage and leftover potatoes, one of the other categories, in just one recipe!

 

I really enjoy this new topic. I don't know about the rest of you, but I almost always have leftovers. There's only the 2 of us, and yet I have a problem in my fridge right now. Time for some ingenuity. If anything includes leftover sausage I'll definitely let you know. But first I have to dig out my stash in the freezer.

 

Nancy in Pátzcuaro

 

 

[FeChef]

In my house leftover sausage gets sliced thin and goes on frozen pizza's. Or a sausage parm sandwich if we have steak rolls on hand.

[Anna N]

@Nancy in Pátzcuaro

 

Thank you so much for your contribution to this topic.  That is exactly what I had hoped to elicit so that we can help one another use up the bits and pieces of our lives.  I think you are absolutely right that bulk sausage works almost as well in most applications as link sausage and is in fact very easy to make.  Thanks for reminding me of that.

[jayt90]

I make a bean pot with leftovers once a week. It is a speedy version of casoulet I learned from E. David's books years ago. (Where everything is measured in thimbulful, teacupful, soupcon, a wine glass of, etc). 

I cook dried white beans or pinto beans in a pressure cooker with stock and a trinity. It takes a half hour. Then I add sausages, seasoning, and fresh herbs, and add heat until the sausage is just cooked.  

Not as extensive as a true casoulet, but easy to accomplish while I have a 5 o'clock Manhattan. 

[Tri2Cook]

A chilly, cloudy Easter Sunday (there's a chance of snow flurries this evening) where I live has inspired me to make use of leftover sausages. I grilled some bratwurst and kielbasa on the nice, sunny Friday we just had and a few of each remained. I also had a small ham in the fridge that I grabbed because they were having an in-store special the day I was there at a price that was too good to pass up. So the ham, some bacon, some shredded onion and apple and lots of sauerkraut are currently in the oven becoming friends while sharing a splash of white wine. In a while, I'll add the sausages and let it all bake for a while longer. Not sure if it qualifies as choucroute garnie but it should be tasty.

[ElsieD]

@Tri2Cook. Egads!!! Snow?  Where in Ontario are you?  

 

Your dish sounds delicious.

[Tri2Cook]

2 minutes ago, ElsieD said:

@Tri2Cook. Egads!!! Snow?  Where in Ontario are you?  

 

Your dish sounds delicious.

Hasn't snowed yet and it's not looking too threatening but they have a chance of it in the forecast. It is chilly enough for it but the clouds seem to be thinning so I'm hopeful the snow stays away. I'm way up in the northwest corner of Ontario. It remains to be seen how the food will taste but it sure smells good.

[Tri2Cook]

And to add even more love to the leftovers, I ate the above-mentioned dish again on Monday as leftover leftovers. I cut the sausages and ham into bite size pieces and put them on a plate with some of the sauerkraut, some cheddar cheese and pickles and ate it all cold with horseradish mustard. I actually enjoyed it more cold than I did the night before hot. I thought the textures of everything were better cold. Hot, everything was pretty much the same texture.

[Anna N]

3 minutes ago, Tri2Cook said:

And to add even more love to the leftovers, I ate the above-mentioned dish again on Monday as leftover leftovers.

 I am not sure we should allow this as it smacks of excess.

[Tri2Cook]

1 minute ago, Anna N said:

 I am not sure we should allow this as it smacks of excess.

Yeah, I thought I might be getting a bit greedy using the same leftovers twice... but I'm glad I did since it was better the second time.

[Captain]

I made some pork sausages last week and smoked them Easter Sunday along with way to much other food. Lucky for me I had leftover snags.  So I fried up some bacon followed by onion, garlic, tomato paste, hot paprika, chili powder, cumin and a pinch of cayenne.  Cook out the paste a little, add a can of crushed tomatoes, can of basked beans, can of three or four bean mix some Worcestershire sauce and Tabasco with chipotle. Leftover char grilled capsicums and my sausages. oh! and a couple of chili's from a jar.

I'm very happy it matched my vision and taste.  Served with a dollop of sour cream and a garnish of coriander.

Also nice is it's a one pot wonder and the pot was scrapped clean by the family.

[MollyB]

I recently discovered the Freezer-Friendly Frittata Breakfast Sandwiches from The Kitchn. I've made the frittata several times now with different kinds of sausage (and bacon, one time), and most recently I made it with leftover cooked link sausage that I diced. I don't make and freeze the whole sandwiches. I cool and cut out the frittata, then wrap the rounds individually with Glad Press N Seal, then freeze them. They can be quickly thawed in the microwave in the morning in the time it takes to toast an English muffin and make a good, filling weekday breakfast.