How to Make Leftovers into New Meals

My daughter hates leftovers, however my budget is tight so I have figured out some great ways to make new dinners out of leftovers, that makes my daughter happy and my pocketbook happy too.

First always remember that when cooking ground hamburger, shredding chicken, or cubing any kind of meat, set some aside. You can cook it all but it is likely like us you tend to have leftovers, so set a cup or so aside of the meat before it is combined into any spices or sauces so you can use it later in something else. This means you can have a completely new meal and not even have to worry. However if you are like me and still end up with leftovers after making meals then here are some great combos.

If you make big batches of soups or stews such as Chicken Noodle Soup, Chicken and Dumplings, Vegetable Beef, or even Chili. You can make these into a casserole. Take your soup and if it is runny add extra veggies, pasta, or even rice. To thicken the broth you can add a gravy packet, flour, or cornstarch. Then pick your starch to put on top. With any type of chicken or beef soup you can make up instant mashed potatoes, mixed with garlic powder and some shredded cheese. Place the soup into a baking dish and your potatoes over the soup then bake in the over until the top of your casserole is bubbling and golden brown. You can also add biscuits to the top instead and it turns it into a pot pie. With chili crunch up some tortilla or corn chips and toss a layer on top with some shredded cheddar cheese and then bake, now you have Frito Pie.

Another great tip is make sure to keep ingredients separate, such as if you are making spaghetti and meatballs or just spaghetti with marinara, the next night you can either place the meatballs in a hoagie for sandwiches, or add alfredo sauce to the leftover sauce and then you will have Penne Rosa sauce which is delicious. Remember if you start meals out with the less spicy or sauce meals first such as baked chicken or steak, you have more choices to add sauces and change the flavor, or even cut and shred the meat for tacos, burritos, or salads.

Lastly another leftover trick is making your chicken, potatoes and carrots from the night before into a soup. Or many other meals you have. If you make sure to keep either vegetable broth or bullion in your home at all times you can always shred chicken, mash the potatoes, and cut the carrots into a pot with broth and have a mashed potato soup. Even leftover burrito meat can be added to chicken broth, with Velveeta cheese or just a can of diced tomatoes and the correct spices for a yummy Mexican soup.

Biggest thing while trying to tweak your leftovers don't be afraid to experiment. Some of the best meals come out of experimenting and mistakes.