Showing posts with label leftovers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label leftovers. Show all posts

Saturday, April 9, 2011

$5.95 total cost ~ Marianne's Famous Chicken Salad

This week I was really missing my family. Maybe it was the sunny, warming weather, or the upcoming holiday, but I wanted to be in Florida, out by my Dad's pool, chatting with my stepmom Marianne and laughing with my family. Based on that (and my crazy hectic parent-teacher conference schedule) I planned to pick up a rotisserie chicken on the way home Friday. Not because I love roast chicken so much, but because I had a plan for the leftovers!

Marianne's Famous Chicken Salad ~ $5.95 total cost
2 cups chopped cooked chicken (1/3 a rotisserie chicken, $2.00)
1 cup halved seedless grapes (1/4 lb. $0.25)
11 ounces mandarin oranges, drained ($1.00)
1 cup chopped celery ($0.25)
1/2 cup sliced almonds ($1.00)
1/4 cup T. Marzetti's Poppyseed Dressing ($1.25)
1/4 cup mayonnaise ($0.10)
2 tbsp sliced green onion ($0.10)

1. Combine first 5 ingredients in a bowl.
2. Mix dressing, mayonnaise, and green onions in a bowl. Add to chicken mixture, stirring gently.
3. Refrigerate several hours. Toss lightly before serving. Serve over lettuce, with crackers, on toast, or all by itself!

The Verdict
I don't know how many servings this makes. I just know we all love it here and it doesn't last long!



Monday, November 16, 2009

$0.59 per serving ~ Ham and Mashed Potato Casserole with Cheesy Veggies

Josh requested mashed potatoes on Monday... I wound up with way too much left over. This was based on one of my grandma's old recipes with a few changes.

Ham and Mashed Potato Casserole ~ $2.70 total cost, $0.34 per serving
3 cups hot mashed potatoes (free!)
2 eggs, separated ($0.20)
1 cup evaporated milk ($0.50)
1 tbsp. lemon juice
salt
white pepper
garlic powder
1 cup diced deli ham ($1.00)
2 tbsp butter
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese ($1.00)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix lemon juice into evaporated milk and let stand 5 minutes.
2. Blend together mashed potatoes, egg yolks, milk, and spices.
3. Fold ham into potatoes.
4. Separately beat egg whites until stiff. Fold egg whites into potatoes.
5. Butter a large casserole dish. Place potatoes into dish, and dot top with remaining butter.
6. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.
7. Top with cheese and bake 10 more minutes.
Makes 8 servings

The Verdict
This was a HUGE success. Josh ate 3 servings, Julia 2, and Jim 2, plus Josh wants it for breakfast in the morning! I served it with frozen broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots in a light butter sauce ($1.00, $0.25 per serving.) I know what I am doing with leftover potatoes from now on!

Thursday, May 14, 2009

$0.35 per serving ~ Cowboy Chicken Mac N Cheese

Yes, I know, I know. I've been stuck in a rut and not making anything interesting, so I've had nothing to post for AGES! But Puttanesca is back!

Cowboy Chicken Mac N' Cheese ~ $0.35 per serving, $2.10 total cost
1 box of macaroni and cheese, prepared ($0.80)
3 leftover BBQ chicken cutlets, cooked and diced (FREE!)
1 can condensed cheddar cheese soup, undiluted ($0.50)
1/2 cup milk ($0.10)
1/4 cup BBQ sauce, plus some for topping
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese, divided ($0.70)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare macaroni and cheese according to package directions.
2. Stir in chicken, soup, milk, BBQ sauce, and half of the cheese. Pour into greased baking dish.
3. Sprinkle with remaining cheese and drizzle BBQ sauce over the top.
4. Bake uncovered at 350 for 20 minutes.
Makes 6 servings

The Verdict
I served this with green beans on the side, which are always a hit in my house. Josh took one bite of this and said "Mommy, you make the best dinners!" That in itself is made of win. But Jim said nothing... he just ate 3 servings and smiled. Definitely a winner! I got an incredible sale on mac n'cheese (discussed in the last post) so I stockpiled a TON. I will be doing a lot of mac n' cheese experimentation this summer...

Wednesday, April 15, 2009

What to do with all those veggies?

You know your kids need to eat veggies, but they don't like them. Your hubby won't eat them. YOU don't like them....

Veggie Pancakes or Fritters
2 cups cooked vegetables, broken into small pieces
4 eggs, beaten
garlic
parsley
salt and pepper
3/4 to 1 cup Bisquick

1. Add vegetables to beaten eggs and stir to coat.
2. Add garlic, parsley, salt and pepper to taste.
3. Mix with Bisquick, a little at a time, until a thick batter forms.
4. Cook like pancakes on a preheated pan or griddle, or fry in preheated oil until golden brown.
5. Serve hot.
Makes 10 - 15 pancakes

The Verdict
I made these with leftover cauliflower and this was a HUGE hit with Josh, Jim, and my father- and stepmother-in-law. They are also good with broccoli, grated zucchini, or grated carrots. A great way to use up extra veggies. Josh likes them cold for snacks too!

Monday, March 2, 2009

$0.33 per serving ~ Creamy Ham Chowder

Back at Christmas I froze a hambone with a ton of meat on it. Since a huge snowstorm was predicted, I started this Sunday night. It is definitely worth the overnight work for this one...

Creamy Ham Chowder ~ $0.33 per serving, $3.25 total cost
1 ham bone with meat remaining (free!)
water to cover
1 stick butter ($0.25)
8 tbsp. flour
4 cups low-fat milk, divided ($1.20)
2 15 oz. cans corn ($1.50)
3 carrots, diced ($0.30)
2 tbsp. dried minced onion
2 tbsp. minced garlic
salt and pepper
sweet smoked paprika

1. Crack ham bone. Place in 6 quart CrockPot. Add enough water to just cover. Cover and cook on low 8 hours or overnight.
2. Drain over large bowl. Pick through, discarding bone, fat, and skin. Shred remaining meat and set aside.
3. Allow broth to cool. Skim fat from top (VERY important!!!!!)
4. Melt butter in a large soup pot. Remove from heat and mix in flour until smooth.
5. Slowly add 2 cups milk, stirring constantly. Return pot to stove and cook on low heat until thickened.
6. Stir in corn, shredded ham, diced carrots, dried minced onion and minced garlic. Slowly stir in remaining 2 cups milk and the ham broth.
7. Simmer without boiling 30 minutes.
8. Add salt, pepper, and paprika to taste. Serve and enjoy!
Makes 10 servings

The Verdict
I will never throw away a ham bone again. This was amazing! Everyone loved it, Josh had seconds and Jim had thirds! And there is enough left for two full meals. I definitely recommend using the Hungarian sweet smoked paprika if you have it, it's sweeter and smokier than regular paprika (duh, who'd have thunk it!) You could of course add more/different vegetables... potatoes, turnips, parsnips, peppers, chopped tomato... the possibilities are endless!

Monday, January 5, 2009

$0.91 per serving ~ Cheater Chicken Pot Pie

I belong to a mommies' board since back before my Josh was born. There are a great bunch of ladies there! We have our ups and downs but on the whole they are wonderful and supportive and fun. Michelle passed me this recipe and I HAD to try it...

Cheater Chicken Pot Pie ~ $0.91 per serving, $4.70 total
1 lb. cooked chicken breast ($2.00)
1 bag frozen mixed vegetables ($0.75)
1 can cream mushroom soup ($0.75)
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 lb. bag frozen diced potatoes (hashbrowns)
1 tube of light crescent rolls ($1.00)
1/2 C milk ($0.20)
pepper to taste

My substitutions:
Leftover french fries, diced, instead of hashbrowns (FREE!)
Golden Mushroom condensed soup, instead of cream of mushroom ($0.75)


1. Shred 1 lb. of chicken breast, mix it with frozen potatoes and mixed vegetables.
2. In a separate bowl, mix 2 cans of soup with milk. Add a pinch of pepper to taste.
3. Pour soup mixture over chicken/veggie mixture, stir to combine.
4. Pour into bottom of 9X13 baking dish, bake at 375 until bubbly, about 30 minutes.
5. Unroll tube of crescent dough, separate into 4 flat rectangles. Place onto pot-pie mixture, bake as directed on can (or until they are lightly browned, about 20 minutes).
Makes 6 servings

The Verdict
Definitely EASY. And Josh said "Delicious dinner, Mommy!" It's a hit, and it's definitely a keeper. Thanks, Michelle!

Monday, December 1, 2008

$0.25 per serving ~ Leftover Turkey Soup

This is a day and a half process... I did the first step all day Sunday and the rest overnight.

Leftover Turkey Soup ~ $0.25 per serving
Turkey Carcass (free!)
8 cups water
Salt and pepper
4 stalks celery, chopped ($1.00)
1.5 cups carrots, chopped ($1.00)
1 medium onion, chopped ($0.30)
1/2 cup uncooked rice ($0.20)
3 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
sage
thyme
rosemary
ground cloves

1. Place carcass in crockpot and pour water over it to cover. Salt and pepper to taste. Cook on low 8-10 hours.
2. Drain broth into bowl. Return broth to crockpot. Pick meat from carcass and add to broth. Add chopped vegetables, rice, and spices (to taste) to broth. Cook on low 6-8 hours.
Makes 10 servings

The Verdict
Just like Grandma makes. Serve with crusty bread to sop up all the broth!

Sunday, November 30, 2008

$0.38 per serving ~ Leftover Turkey Chili

Day 1 of interesting ways to cook Thanksgiving leftovers...

Turkey Chili ~ $0.38 per serving
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped ($0.25)
1 large bell pepper, chopped (free, leftover from veggie tray)
1 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes ($1.00)
4 cups cooked turkey, diced (free)
2 cups chicken broth ($1.00)
1.5 cups whole kernel corn, drained (free from leftovers)
1 tbsp. cumin
2 tbsp. chili powder
1 bay leaf
coarse salt
shredded cheese (optional)

1. Saute onion, pepper, and bay leaf in olive oil until tender. Add tomatoes, turkey, broth, and corn.
2. Stir in spices and add salt to taste. Cook until flavors are well blended, about 15-20 minutes. Remove bay leaf. Serve topped with shredded cheese if desired.
Makes 6 servings

The Verdict
I've been making this for years. We always love it! You can use 1 can of corn if you don't have any leftover... I served it with dinner rolls we had left over as well. Today I cooked the turkey carcass in water in the crock pot all day as a start to tomorrow's turkey soup. Since we were at my aunt's for the holiday and my sister's for two days after, I don't have as many leftovers as I usually do. No sweet potato muffins this year. Maybe after Christmas!

Monday, November 24, 2008

$2.04 per serving ~ Buffalo Wing Soup and Mashed Potato Pie

Buffalo Wing Soup ~ $1.60 per serving
Adapted from "A Year Of Crockpotting"
2 cups cooked and cubed chicken ($2.00)
2 tbsp minced onion
3 stalks celery, chopped ($0.25)
1/4 cup unsalted butter ($0.25)
1/4 cup flour ($0.10)
2 cups milk, no higher content than 2% ($0.75)
3/4 cup chicken broth ($1.25)
4 oz Velveeta ($1.40)
1/2 cup hot wing sauce ($0.40)

1. Make a roux with the flour and butter.
2. Chop up the onion and celery, and dump it into your crockpot. Add the cooked and cubed chicken. Pour in the chicken broth and milk. Add Velveeta.

3. Stir in the flour and butter mixture. Add hot sauce.
4. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours, or on high for 3-4. The soup is done when the celery and onion reach desired tenderness and the flavors have melded.
Makes 4 servings

Mashed Potato Pie ~ $0.44 per serving
3 cups mashed potatoes (free, leftovers!)
1 cup shredded mozzarella ($1.50)
1 cup seasoned breadcrumbs ($0.25)
Grated cheese to taste

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix cheese and breadcrumbs into mashed potatoes.
2. Spread mixture in 8 inch pie plate. Top with grated cheese and a sprinkling of breadcrumbs.
3. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes.
Makes 4 servings

The Verdict
The soup was delicious, we each added a splash of ranch dressing. Mashed potato pie is a great way to use leftover mashed potatoes... add MORE cheese if you want it super gooey!

Sunday, November 16, 2008

Leftovers and a brief break from the blog

We're eating leftovers today.

Tomorrow is my first day back to work since June 6. I won't be blogging, since we'll be eating leftovers and I'll be exhausted. Back on Tuesday! Have a great weekend! And GO GIANTS!

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

$0.20 per serving ~ Leftover Rice Pudding

Jim's mom LOVES Chinese food. But she always has a ton of leftover brown rice and she gives it to us. Other than some of the rice dishes my mom used to make in the crock pot, this is one of my very favorite ways to use it up.

Leftover Rice Pudding ~ $0.20 per serving
2 cups rice, cooked (free!)
3 cups milk, any kind ($0.60)
1/4 cup white sugar ($0.05)
1/4 cup brown sugar ($0.05)
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp nutmeg, to taste
2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup raisins ($0.50)
1 tsp cinnamon, to taste

1. Combine all ingredients in saucepan.
2. Heat over medium high heat and stir often until milk and rice thicken, about 20 minutes.
3. Serve warm or chill, if desired.
Makes 6 servings

The Verdict
Jim and Josh both love rice pudding more than any other dessert, so I love to make this for them. You can use any type of milk or cream or a combination. Omit the raisins, substitute golden raisins, cranberries, or cherries. Use all white or all brown sugar. Change the proportions of spices if you want. (If you want to make an Indian-style pudding, subsitute honey for both sugars, chopped dates for the raisins, and use ginger and cardamom in addition to the nutmeg and cinnamon. )

Monday, October 27, 2008

$0.75 per serving ~ Picadillo Bean Burritos

Mmm, the second meal from that crockpot recipe...

Picadillo Bean Burritos ~ $1.06 per serving
2 cups bean picadillo, warmed on stove (from Saturday's recipe) ($2.24 from Sun.)
4 burrito-sized tortillas ($1.50)
1/2 cup shredded colby jack cheese ($0.50)
4 tbsp. sour cream

Lay out tortillas. Layer cheese, warmed picadillo, and sour cream, then roll up.
Enjoy!

The Verdict
I overfilled the burritos, so they fell apart and we had to eat them with a fork. Still good, though. I served them with frozen veggies - baby carrots, broccoli and cauliflower ($1.00). yum!

Friday, October 24, 2008

FREE - leftovers and planning for the weekend, and dessert disaster take two

We have a LOT of leftovers today... in fact, I'm eating almost nothing but leftovers today!

Breakfast ~ $0.45
Leftover pancakes from Monday... you can freeze pancakes!
1 Yoplait yogurt

Lunch
Leftover minestrone soup and garlic bread

Dinner ~ $0.10
Leftover turkey disaster pie and fresh bread from my breadmaker. I caught the mixes on clearance at 10 for a $1 back at the beginning of the summer at the dollar store!

Dessert
In hopes that I can get things done before going back to work, I started my Christmas cookie baking yesterday! Josh helped me and our ginger snaps and snickerdoodles came out great. But somehow, even following Mom's 30-plus year old recipe to the letter, the chocolate chip cookies came out all deflated and mushy. Josh looked at them and said "We can put ice cream on them, Mommy!" He's so my kid. Of course, my buddy Amy came over with a tub of homemade marshmallow frosting for us to enjoy... so instead of ice cream, we had marshmallow sandwiches. Yum!

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

FREE! Or, why I love leftovers...

That's right, it's leftovers day! Today we eat to clean out the fridge and start all over again tomorrow. We have leftover penne with meat sauce, ravioli with peas and rose sauce, mashed sweet potatoes, and broccoli and carrots in garlic and oil. So here's my plan:

Breakfast
Sweet potato cakes... just mix the sweet potatoes with some bread crumbs and chopped nuts, and fry briefly in very hot oil. Yum!

Lunch
I'll mix last nights with ravioli with the broccoli and carrots, top it with shredded mozzarella and grated cheese, and bake for 20 minutes at 350.

Dinner
Penne with meat sauce and garlic bread. No reason to mess with perfection :)