Creative Leftovering

[tinapbeana]

i've mentioned on my blog that my DH gets an F for leftovers: he doesn't like 'em, not a bit. i've read about this phenomenon on a few other blogs, too.

at any rate, in my quest to become an ever more frugal frugie, i would like to ask: what are you creative ways to use leftovers? specifically, how do you 'hide' them in the rest of your cooking, what are your favorite tips and tricks?

[Jacklad]

Originally Posted by tinapbeana

i've mentioned on my blog that my DH gets an F for leftovers: he doesn't like 'em, not a bit. i've read about this phenomenon on a few other blogs, too.

at any rate, in my quest to become an ever more frugal frugie, i would like to ask: what are you creative ways to use leftovers? specifically, how do you 'hide' them in the rest of your cooking, what are your favorite tips and tricks?

Depends what kind of leftovers. I never have problems with leftover soups, stews, chiles or curries, as those are easily reheated.

Leftover meat and veggies can be chopped fine and added to boiling broth along with a can of diced tomatoes, a cup of macaroni and italian spices to make "minestrone".

Leftover mashed potatoes can be mixed with egg, flour and parmesan cheese, rolled out and cut into gnocchi. Just boil 'til they float, drain and serve with your favourite tomato sauce or pesto.

Leftover roast or baked potatoes can be sliced for panfries (make sure they are very cold before slicing).

Leftover rice can be turned into fried rice (scramble fry with onion and garlic, then pour over 1 egg beaten with soy sauce and finish cooking).

Leftover meatloaf or hamburgers can be crumbled, mixed with a tin of cream of mushroom soup and some corn, then topped with mashed potatoes and finished in the oven as a quick "Shepherd's Pie".

Leftover chicken or turkey can be sliced, quick fried with onions, peppers and spices, then served with tortillas as fajitas.

Leftover ham can be chopped fine and added to macaroni and cheese.

It all depends on what sort of leftovers you usually start with...

Jackie

[ren]

Not exactly a way to 'hide' leftovers, but what about a leftover waiting period? Cause tonight's lasagna might be "euw, leftovers" at tomorrow's lunch, but frozen for a couple weeks and defrosted might be more tolerable to him.

[miclason]

I puree leftover stew and turn it into pasta sauce, just add garlic, oregano and basil
left-over chicken makes great chicken pate or chicken salad for sandwiches
can also be used to stuff crepes - cover in white sauce -- or make chicken a la king!
leftover mashed potatoes: nanny turns that into cheese-filled patties, breads them, fries them and serves them with some tomato sauce (yummy!)
left over rice is also good for rice-and-beans
or, you can make a soup with it (we have "chipilin" and "loroco", green leaves and edible flowers which have a very strong taste, and, with a bit of beef bouillon, some chipilin or loroco and rice, you get a very nice, very nutritious soup! -- might try it with watercress, for example!)
left over veggies can be used as base for a vegetable cream

[pg3]

leftover veg, for e.g peppers, mushrooms etc.... I find they can all be shoved in one omelette before they go off. The great thing about omelettes is that you can put virtually anything in them, meat, cheese, veg etc and its all delicious and even if you don't have eggs they are cheap to buy to use the rest of the leftovers. Also scrambled egg cooked up with things has the same result.

[cschin4]

jacklad - Good suggestions. We hate leftovers too. I think the idea is to turn it into a "planned dish" so it is just the same thing re-served. Also, I don't just put leftovers into the meals I am planning unless the ingredients were already part of the recipie. If I chop up and toss leftovers into the new meals I am cooking, then nobody likes the new meal because it is too "weird". So, you have to balance that.
Since we don't care for alot leftovers, I have compensated by just cooking smaller amounts so as not to have too many leftovers.

[thkgranny]

Here's one to use up some leftover meat to make a meal:

Camper's Hash
4 or 5 potatoes, cut into cubes
1 onion, chopped
1/2 green pepper, chopped
powdered garlic to taste
10 oz. of polish sausage, Spam, or any leftover meat, chopped (can use hamburger that is pre-cooked)

Mix all ingredients, except potatoes, together in bowl. Set aside. Heat skillet to medium, add some oil. Add potatoes. Toss around toll they start to brown, add meat mixture and keep cooking until potatoes are a golden brown.
Feeds 4.

[zakity]

I disguise leftovers all the time.

I made chili the other day and we had that for dinner. Later on in the week, I mixed it with noodles (usually I use rice, but I had noodles made up), chopped black olives, and cheese and baked it and we had chili mac. I had enough to throw in the freezer for another casserole in a week or two.

I am always using soups to disguise leftovers. They never know if the soup is all "fresh" stuff (which it is every once in a while) or leftover bits and pieces.

I hide things in casseroles all the time. Leftover herbed parmesan sauce, leftover meat from another night, and some rice, potatoes, or noodles makes a great casserole (would add in a veggie, but the crew doesn't like veggies in the casseroles).