Guest Post... "Using Leftovers" by Audrey

We try out new recipes on a very regular basis. The question of what to do with leftovers comes up often.

Yes, we can pack lunches. Yes, we can reheat and have another meal. I’ve discovered repurposing leftovers uses them up and everyone seems to love the new creations.

I’d like to share a few repurposing recipes with you:

Meatloaf – If you have leftover meatloaf, crumble it up, add taco seasoning or salsa and create quesadillas the next night. You can also crumble it up and add it to marinara sauce and prepare a pasta dish.

Chinese food –Take your leftover chinese food, including the rice and dump it into a casserole dish. Add a little broth mixed with soy sauce and then bake at 350 degrees until heated through. The chinese food casserole tastes great and uses up all of those leftovers.

Chicken – We make a lot of chicken. This means we often have leftovers. Here are three recipes you can try with your left over chicken:

Chicken Salad

3 cups cooked, cubed chicken
2/3 cup chopped celery
3/4 cup sweet pickle relish
1 bunch green onions, chopped
3 hard boiled eggs, chopped
3/4 cup mayonnaise or Miracle Whip

Combine chicken, celery, relish, onion and eggs. Toss with mayonnaise and chill.


Chicken Casserole

3 cups cooked, cubed chicken
1 - 16 ounce package frozen broccoli florets, thawed
1 - 10 ounce can cream of chicken soup
1/4 cup water
2/3 cup mayonnaise
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 1/2 cups crushed cheese crackers

Combine chicken, broccoli, soup, water, mayonnaise and cheese. Mix well. Pour into casserole dish. Top with cracker crumbs. Bake uncovered for about 40 minutes at 350 degrees.


Chicken and Stuffing

2 1/2 cups cooked, cubed chicken
1 - 6 ounce box of stuffing with seasoning packet
3 tablespoons butter, melted
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
4 eggs, beaten
2 cups half and half

Combine stuffing mix, seasoning packet and butter. Mix well. Press into the bottom of a 2 quart casserole dish. Bake at 400 degrees for 5 minutes. Allow to cool.

Combine chicken and cheese and spread over stuffing mixtures.

Beat sour cream and half and half until well blended. Pour over chicken mixture.

Reduce oven to 325 degrees and bake for 35 minutes


I hope you’ve enjoyed all of these suggestions. A huge thank you to Tasha for allowing me to share these ideas with you.

Audrey


Audrey is mom to two girls and lives in Santa Barbara, CA. In addition to cooking, she also enjoy crocheting, scrapbooking, long walks, reading and playing hearts. You can view her recipe blog at http://audreysspot.blogspot.com