Lowdown on Leftovers
- For an interesting side dish, stir-fry leftover spaghetti noodles until golden, then add uncooked scrambled eggs. Cook until eggs are firm.
- Leftover sausage and vegetables make a quick and tasty meal when stirred into prepared macaroni and cheese.
- Mix leftover crushed pineapple with applesauce for quick, refreshing salads.
- Chop leftover cooked meat and use it in salads, soups, stir-fries, dumplings, omelet fillings, stuffed peppers or acorn squash, meatloaf, pasta sauce, tacos or burritos. Or simply slice and use it for sandwiches, or combine with a sauce and serve over rice.
- Crumble leftover rolls that have hardened and use them as a topping for casseroles. Store the crumbs in separate airtight freezer bags. Freeze for up to three months.
- Leftover sandwiches can be brushed with butter and cooked in a shallow pan.
- Use leftover beans to make refried beans. Heat a little oil over medium heat; add beans. Cook beans until heated through, then mash with a fork.
- Leftover Pie Dough -- Extra pie dough? Cover it with some parmesan and gruyere cheese and you'll bake a delicious appetizer -- at the very same meal with your pie as dessert.
- Money Saving Meal Mates: Add a simple salad of greens to a pasta meal. Toss in some leftover cooked or raw vegetables to make the salad unique.
- Leftover vegetables, mushrooms, and trimmings can be added to stocks for additional flavorings.