Making Over Your Leftovers

November 18th, 2010 at 12:00pm Nancy Urbanec

Have you ever prepared a large meal and the family either has other plans or they just aren’t hungry? Or are you a planner and have come to learn that a larger meal prepared earlier in the week can be used later in the week in a different way? If you answered yes to either of these questions then you have learned that using up your leftovers is a great way to minimize food waste and save time.

Here are some simple, yet tasty ways to makeover your leftovers:

Pasta	use in casseroles, soups and vegetable dishes
Cooked Rice	use in fried rice, rice pudding, soups and casseroles
Bread	use to make your own bread crumbs to coat fish or chicken; cube to make your own seasoned croutons for salads or soup; or make individual sized pizza crusts from tortillas, English muffins or pita bread
Vegetables	use raw or cooked in soups, salads, omelettes, quiche, pasta dishes, lasagne or casseroles; baked potatoes can be fried, sliced for soups or casseroles; chopped raw onions, celery, and peppers can be frozen for use in soups, stews and casseroles
Fruits	add to salads; puree for ice cream or pancake toppings; mix with yogurt, cottage cheese or pudding; fold into muffins or quick bread batter
Roasts	shred for tacos, enchiladas or barbecue; sliced for sandwiches; cube for beef and noodles, casseroles, soups or shephards pie; mince for ravioli, burritos, or crepes
Steak/Chops	slice and cook with onions, peppers, and fajita seasonings; saute with onions, peppers and cheese for sandwiches, salads or stir fry
Turkey/Chicken	slice for sandwiches; shred for barbecue, tacos, empanadas or tostados; cube for chicken/turkey and noodles
Ham	slice for hot or cold sandwiches; cube for ham and potato/pasta casseroles, quiche, salads or soups

Take care to preserve nutrients and keep food safe by immediately placing leftovers in covered containers in the refrigerator. Use within two to three days or freeze and use within 2-3 months.