Do you go through the leftover dilemma several times a year? You've been cooking some big meals lately and now have a refrigerator full of leftovers. I know the look you'll get from your family if you attempt to put another plate of the same food in front of them for a third day. I suspect you'll end up scraping the leftovers into the compost bin if you don't think up something unique real soon.
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
Mashed potatoes are a good basis for most creamy soups. In your big soup pot, brown up some diced bacon, about three or four strips. Then, in the same pot, add some cut up celery and carrots, as much as you like. Once they are soft, add diced onion. When the onion is soft, add 1 tbsp. oil, 1 tbsp. flour, and 1 1/2 cups milk and stir until thick. Now add your potatoes and bacon pieces and cook very slowly until nice and warm. This is a simple and filling meal with a little crusty bread alongside.
2) Turkey And Gravy Sloppy Joe's
Break up some leftover turkey either with a fork or dice with a knife. You can use both white and dark meat. Take out a big skillet and cook a couple slices of bacon, diced up. In the same pan, add diced onion and garlic. Add the turkey pieces and put leftover gravy over until the turkey is covered. Add a little of your favorite barbeque sauce or grilling flavor, but just enough to give the gravy its barbeque flavor. Simmer slowly and serve over buns or crusty bread.
3) Curry Turkey Cauliflower Soup
Take your leftover cooked cauliflower and put it in your food processor. Pulse until smooth and creamy, adding a little milk as you go to make it soup-like. Sprinkle in about 2 teaspoons of curry, a little more or less depending on how strong you like it. Then, in a soup pot, cook some chopped carrots and onion, in a little oil, until soft . Pour the blended cauliflower into the pot and add some chopped leftover turkey. Simmer the soup until it's nice and creamy and hot.
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) Egg And Stuffing Breakfast
Coat your muffin cups with non-stick spray or butter. Put stuffing in cup, working up the sides to form a dish for an egg. Crack one fresh egg in each stuffing cup and top with shredded cheddar or Parmesan cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes, just until the egg is cooked and cheese is all melted. When done cooking, remove and let the muffin tin cool for a minute or two before removing the egg cup.
There are many more ways to create a new meal out of holiday leftover dishes. Rethink the leftovers you have on hand, keeping in mind the ingredients that are in that particular dish. Then you'll be able to add just a few ingredients to come up with a new and unique meal. - 16650
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
Mashed potatoes are a good basis for most creamy soups. In your big soup pot, brown up some diced bacon, about three or four strips. Then, in the same pot, add some cut up celery and carrots, as much as you like. Once they are soft, add diced onion. When the onion is soft, add 1 tbsp. oil, 1 tbsp. flour, and 1 1/2 cups milk and stir until thick. Now add your potatoes and bacon pieces and cook very slowly until nice and warm. This is a simple and filling meal with a little crusty bread alongside.
2) Turkey And Gravy Sloppy Joe's
Break up some leftover turkey either with a fork or dice with a knife. You can use both white and dark meat. Take out a big skillet and cook a couple slices of bacon, diced up. In the same pan, add diced onion and garlic. Add the turkey pieces and put leftover gravy over until the turkey is covered. Add a little of your favorite barbeque sauce or grilling flavor, but just enough to give the gravy its barbeque flavor. Simmer slowly and serve over buns or crusty bread.
3) Curry Turkey Cauliflower Soup
Take your leftover cooked cauliflower and put it in your food processor. Pulse until smooth and creamy, adding a little milk as you go to make it soup-like. Sprinkle in about 2 teaspoons of curry, a little more or less depending on how strong you like it. Then, in a soup pot, cook some chopped carrots and onion, in a little oil, until soft . Pour the blended cauliflower into the pot and add some chopped leftover turkey. Simmer the soup until it's nice and creamy and hot.
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) Egg And Stuffing Breakfast
Coat your muffin cups with non-stick spray or butter. Put stuffing in cup, working up the sides to form a dish for an egg. Crack one fresh egg in each stuffing cup and top with shredded cheddar or Parmesan cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes, just until the egg is cooked and cheese is all melted. When done cooking, remove and let the muffin tin cool for a minute or two before removing the egg cup.
There are many more ways to create a new meal out of holiday leftover dishes. Rethink the leftovers you have on hand, keeping in mind the ingredients that are in that particular dish. Then you'll be able to add just a few ingredients to come up with a new and unique meal. - 16650
About the Author:
Nicole Dean is the mostly-sane mom and owner of ShowMomtheMoney.com - a fun and informative site to help moms achieve success working from home. She invites you to learn more ways to save money in her Frugal Cooking Ideas section.
