After several months of big meals, many folks run out of ideas for eating the many dishes of leftovers piling up in the refrigerator. I am guilty of forcing my family to eat endless repeats of the same old plates filled with the same old food. Chances are you'll be throwing out food if you try to present that same plate a third time.
How can you create a meal that isn't a repeat of the same old plate? The trick to creating a new dish is to think about what ingredients you are working with, not just the finished dish.
1) Old Fashioned 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.
3) Spicy Turkey n' Gravy on a Bun
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) Curry Turkey 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) Creamy Tomato and Green Bean Soup
The classic green bean casserole already has cream of mushroom soup and cheese in the ingredients so it's perfect for a cheesy soup. Green beans with some nice diced tomatoes will perk this soup up a bit. Start with a big soup pot and saute a bunch of nice big chunks of celery. Then add some big diced pieces of onion cooking until transparent. Add a minced clove or two of garlic. Pour in one can of fire roasted diced tomatoes or regular diced tomatoes with a sprinkle of any good grill seasoning. Add your leftover green bean casserole a little at a time, stirring and heating through until you get the right soup consistency. Add a little chicken broth if you need to thin out the soup. Simmer until all the flavors are nice and savory together.
5) Stuffing with Egg Muffin Cups
Spray a muffin tin with non-stick spray or brush with butter or oil. Spoon enough stuffing in each muffin cup to form a little cup with room for one egg. Break one egg into each cup and top with enough shredded cheese to cover egg. Bake in the oven at 350 degrees for about 15 to 20 minutes or until the egg is done and cheese is melted. Let stand a few minutes before removing egg and stuffing from muffin tin.
These are just a few of the ways to recycle your holiday leftovers so that your family isn't staring at the same plate repeated for days. Give some thought to what ingredients went into each dish, and where you've seen those ingredients together before. Chances are you'll come up with a few surprises of your own. - 15432
How can you create a meal that isn't a repeat of the same old plate? The trick to creating a new dish is to think about what ingredients you are working with, not just the finished dish.
1) Old Fashioned 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.
3) Spicy Turkey n' Gravy on a Bun
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) Curry Turkey 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) Creamy Tomato and Green Bean Soup
The classic green bean casserole already has cream of mushroom soup and cheese in the ingredients so it's perfect for a cheesy soup. Green beans with some nice diced tomatoes will perk this soup up a bit. Start with a big soup pot and saute a bunch of nice big chunks of celery. Then add some big diced pieces of onion cooking until transparent. Add a minced clove or two of garlic. Pour in one can of fire roasted diced tomatoes or regular diced tomatoes with a sprinkle of any good grill seasoning. Add your leftover green bean casserole a little at a time, stirring and heating through until you get the right soup consistency. Add a little chicken broth if you need to thin out the soup. Simmer until all the flavors are nice and savory together.
5) Stuffing with Egg Muffin Cups
Spray a muffin tin with non-stick spray or brush with butter or oil. Spoon enough stuffing in each muffin cup to form a little cup with room for one egg. Break one egg into each cup and top with enough shredded cheese to cover egg. Bake in the oven at 350 degrees for about 15 to 20 minutes or until the egg is done and cheese is melted. Let stand a few minutes before removing egg and stuffing from muffin tin.
These are just a few of the ways to recycle your holiday leftovers so that your family isn't staring at the same plate repeated for days. Give some thought to what ingredients went into each dish, and where you've seen those ingredients together before. Chances are you'll come up with a few surprises of your own. - 15432
About the Author:
Nicole Dean is the mostly-sane mom and owner of ShowMomtheMoney.com - a fun and informative resource to help moms achieve success working from home. She invites you to learn more ways to save money in her Frugal Cooking Ideas section. Be sure to sign up for her free tutorial for work at home moms.
