Making Over Your Leftovers

Growing up in a large family, with three older brother, leftovers were non-existent. When I married, I continued to cook for a large number, which meant my husband and I had more food then the two of us could consume in a day or two. My options to eliminate waste: freeze the leftovers for future use, consume the food within a day or two, or learn how to use the food in a different way. It took me while but over the years I have learned several ways to remake our leftovers. Here are just a few suggestions:

Roasts	slice to make sandwiches; shred for enchiladas or barbecued beef; cube to make shepherds pie or beef and noodles; add to a vegetable stirfry
Steaks/Chops	thinly slice and cook with fajita seasoning, onions and peppers; top a tossed salad for a quick meal
Chicken	shred to make chicken salad (add leftover grapes, nuts and celery for a crunch); use in casseroles, soups, and tacos; top a tossed salad for a quick meal
Vegetables	baked potatoes can be cut up and fried, or make twice baked potatoes, potato planks, potato soup, or a quick potato casserole  other vegetables can be used in salads, soups, omelets, pasta dishes and casseroles; puree them and use in sauces and meatloaf
Fruit	puree to be used on ice cream or pancakes; add to salads, yogurt, cottage cheese, or jello; add to muffin and quick bread batter before baking
Bread	bake bread pudding; make croutons, bread crumbs, or cheesy garlic toast
Rice	make rice pudding, fried rice; add to meatballs, meatloaf, soups or casseroles
Pasta	make a pasta salad, add to soups, casseroles, and vegetables dishes -or- make my favorite ‘Spaghetti Pie’ (see recipe)

Don’t forget leftovers can spoil quickly, so take necessary precautions to keep the food safe to eat. Immediately place leftovers in covered containers in the refrigerator and use within one to two days. Leftovers can also be placed in the freezer for 2-3 months. Don’t forget to label them.

Spaghetti Pie

When you are tired of spaghetti with pasta sauce, spaghetti pie is a great dish to use up the leftovers, you can bake it right away or label it and freeze for later use.

• 3 1/2 cups cooked spaghetti (leftover cooked spaghetti used)
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 15 ounces pasta sauce with meat (add leftover meat, peppers and onions; puree a few vegetables to stretch the sauce; cut up meatballs and layer on top)
• 1 cup cottage cheese
• 1/2 shredded mozzarella cheese

Combine cooked spaghetti, butter, Parmesan cheese, and eggs; mix well. Press into a 10-inch pie plate. Spread the cottage cheese over the spaghetti mixture. Top with the pasta sauce with meat mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Bake 5 minutes longer. Yields: 6 servings.