Leftovers Part 3: Spaghetti Sauce

***This is an old post moved here from my old blog.***  

    Welcome to Leftovers- Part 3! In Part 1, we talked about ideas to use leftover chicken, and in Part 2, we talked about beef. Today we will talk about leftover spaghetti sauce. I like to make a big ol' pot of sauce whenever we have pasta, because I love using the leftovers for other meals. Alternatively, I simply freeze the sauce, so that I have it ready for a last minute meal. Just simply thaw and heat. Using the defrost feature of the microwave is an excellent way to thaw the sauce quickly. Now, let's ask the question:

What Can I Make With Leftover Spaghetti Sauce?

• Make Soup. I like to do this with a meat sauce. Add some broth, cooked veggies, small pasta or cheese tortellini, and maybe some beans, to the pasta sauce and simmer. 
• Meatball Subs. heat the sauce and add cooked meatballs for meatball subs.
• Homemade Pizza or Calzones. Leftover spaghetti sauce makes a great sauce for homemade pizzas and calzones. 
• "Shepherds Pie". Make a shepherds pie by browning some ground beef, adding some leftover sauce and some cooked veggies. Put in a baking dish and top with mashed potatoes. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes.
• Polenta. Heat the sauce and use it to top polenta.
• Dipping Sauce. Heat the sauce and use it as a dipping sauce for bread sticks. Melt some cheese in the sauce got added, gooey, yumminess.
• Stuffed Shells. Combine some leftover chicken or beef, mushrooms, garlic, parsley, and an egg in a food processor and process until well blended. Cook and drain large shell noodles. Fill the shells with the meat mixture, place in a casserole dish, top with cheese and leftover sauce and more cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes.
• Cheesy Bread Pizzas, Spread some sauce over bagels, English muffins, pitas, sourdough bread, or leftover garlic bread. Top with cheese and broil until the cheese is bubbly.
• Potato Skins. Top baked potato skins with sauce, cheese, and a little basil & bake until heated through and cheese is bubbly. 
• Sloppy Joes. Brown some ground beef with chopped onions and bell peppers. Add in some sauce and heat through. Serve on buns or rolls with cheese.
• Pasta Bake. Brown some ground beef and add leftover sauce. Add to cooked and drained pasta, such as rigatoni or penne, put in a casserole dish, and top with cheese. Bake until bubbly. OR... Mix cooked and drained pasta with pesto sauce and put it in a casserole dish. Top with leftover sauce and shredded mozzarella cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes.

    How do you like to use leftover spaghetti sauce?

Leftovers Part 2: Beef

***This is an old post moved here from my old blog.***  

    Hi, and welcome to Leftovers- Part 2! In Leftovers-Part 1, we talked about creative ways to use leftover chicken. Today I will be talking about Beef. For these leftover ideas, you can use a variety of cuts of beef. Tri-tip is my favorite, but you can use any variety of roast, or even leftover steak. So, let's ask ourselves:

What Can I Make With Leftover Beef?

• Make a Stew. Cut the leftovers into bite-sized chunks and make into a stew by mixing it with roasted veggies and beef gravy.
• Make a Soup. Cut the leftover beef into small pieces and add it to beef broth and cooked veggies.
• Dress Up Your Ramen Noodles. Slice the beef and heat it, then top cooked ramen noodles with it.
• Make French Dip Sandwiches. Slice the beef thin and  heat it with some with Au Jus for dipping.
• Make Cheesesteak Sandwiches. Slice the beef thin and fry it up with some cheese (add onions, mushrooms & bell peppers for a really yummy sandwich).
• Make Barbecue Beef Sandwiches. Shred or chop the beef and mix with your favorite barbecue sauce. Heat and serve on rolls.
• Beef and Gravy. Cut up the beef and mix it with brown gravy. Serve over mashed potatoes, rice, or noodles. Add steamed or roasted veggies for a complete meal.
• Tacos and Enchiladas. Shred, season and use the beef for taco or enchilada filling.
• Make Fajitas. (I did this on Monday!) Sautee up some bell peppers and onions, add some leftover beef, cut into strips and serve with tortillas, cheese and salsa.
• Make a Casserole or Pot Pie. Combine chunks of beef and Cream of Whatever Soup made with beef broth, and cooked veggies. Cook the mixture in a pie shell or in an oven safe casserole dish topped with mashed potatoes.

 What yummy ideas do you have for using leftover beef?

Leftovers Part 1: Chicken

***This is an old post moved here from my old blog.*** 

    Let's talk leftovers... or as I like to call them, "Strategically Planned Meals"- makes me sound smarter, right? (Just say yes.)
    Whether you are on a budget or you just don't like wasting food, making plans for your meal's leftovers is a smart, frugal thing to do. I have decided to compose a series of Frugal Friday posts with ideas for a few frugal ways to use your leftovers.
    One idea is simple and it can be done with whatever leftovers you have. Make your own TV dinners. Simply freeze individual portions of your leftovers and have them ready for a quick lunch or dinner for one.
    In this series, each post will focus on one main dish. I sometimes like to make extras just so that I have the leftovers ready to be re-invented into another great dish. So ask yourself this:

What Can I Make With Leftover Chicken? 

    You can find one of my favorite chicken recipes here. I like it, not only because it tastes GREAT, but because it makes a LOT. Perfect for leftovers! Here are some ideas to put those leftovers to good use:

• Make a broth. Remove the meat from the bones, place the bones in a large pot of water with some garlic, onions, celery, carrots, and seasonings of your choice to make your own chicken broth. Just let it simmer away for a few hours, then strain it. The broth can be used in various recipes. You can freeze it in small portions to have on hand anytime.
• Make Soup. Simmer some veggies in the broth until they are tender, then add your chicken and some leftover rice or noodles.
• Top a salad. Make a simple salad into a main dish just by adding chicken!
• Make Chicken and Dumplin's. Make some dumplings (or cut up some canned refrigerated biscuits), and add them to a large pot of your homemade broth- make sure the broth is at a good simmer first. When the dumplin's are about finished, add the chicken.
• Make it into a country-style gravy. Make your favorite white, country-style gravy, and add some of your cut up leftover chicken to it and heat through. Serve over mashed potatoes, rice, or noodles. Add a side serving of steamed or roasted veggies for a complete meal!
• Make a Pot  Pie. Mix your cut up chicken meat with Cream of Whatever Soup, and some cooked veggies, and add to a pie crust. Bake until golden brown. 
• Make a Stuffing Casserole. Mix your cut up chicken meat with Cream of Whatever Soup, add cooked veggies if you wish, and top with boxed stuffing mix and bake.
• Make Chicken Salad for sandwiches. Chop up the chicken meat and use it in your favorite chicken salad recipe.
• Make Chicken Enchiladas. Cut up the chicken and use it in your favorite chicken enchilada recipe. 
• Make Chicken Quesadillas. Cut up chicken and add it to your quesadillas.
• Make Chicken Alfredo. Mix cut up chicken with cooked pasta, broccoli, and alfredo sauce.
• Make Barbecue Chicken Sandwiches. Shred chicken and mix with your favorite barbecue sauce. Heat and put in a roll. Easy and yummy.

    Now, I know that there are many more ideas out there for great ways to use leftover chicken! If you have an idea, I would love to hear it!