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Jim Koepke
10-11-2011, 3:58 PM
Sometimes I enjoy what can be done with leftovers more than I enjoyed the original preparation.

I do like a good roast beef dinner, but a good beef stew in the next few days is something that has my mouth watering before the roast is out of the oven.

I also like making beef burritos with left over roast beef. It depends on what Candy would like. She is not fond of beef stew.

Corned beef is another. I always have Candy make an extra. Corned beef sandwiches is something we both enjoy and one of my favorites is to chop up the leftovers, add some potatoes and onions and make some darned good corned beef hash for breakfast. Candy enjoys this enough that she will sometimes buy 3 corned beefs when we want to have some.
One day's dinner, the next day's lunch and the third day's breakfast, Heaven on earth.

Turkey is great for sandwiches, but I love to make turkey soup.

With pork we used to make burritos much like we would with beef. Typical red sauce with what ever we have to add in. Sometimes we would add rice, sometimes corn, sometimes neither. Some times we would use pinto beans or variations, other times we would use black beans or maybe refried beans.

Many ways to do the same thing.

Lately with left over chicken or pork I have been making chilli verde burritos. This is a milder green sauce.

First start some rice cooking. This is so it will be done by the time the rest of this is finished. I usually put one chicken bullion cube in for each cup of water used. This is something a friend let me in on when I raved about how good her rice tasted. I have since shared this with people including one of my daughters when she and her kids were all amazed at the special rice grandpa made. She thought it was the brand of rice.

I also heat up some refried beans to serve with this. I use Pace medium on my beans, your choice may vary.

Start by chopping up some onion and start it cooking in a pan. Then pour in a small can of diced green chilies. For chicken one of the left over breasts or a leg and thigh is chopped up and placed in the pan, use more if you like. Then add a 16 oz. jar of salsa verde (green sauce, La Victoria is Okay, but I prefer Herdez when available). I also like to chop up some jalapeno peppers in the mix. I have been using the Mezzeta brand sliced. Either the hot or the tamed version are fine.
The tortilla is rubbed on both sides with wet hands. This gets the tortilla damp but not soaking. Then the tortilla is heated in a microwave for about 30 seconds. This is how to get the effect of a steamed burrito shell at home. If you have added cheese to melt, set the microwave to 40-50 seconds. A scoop or so of the chili verde sauce is put in the shell and rolled up. A little more sauce on top makes it irresistible to those with a fork.

I also like this sauce by itself on rice.

My making it tends to have the meat a little sparse. This is so most of the meat can be put into the burrito shells and the sauce without meat can be put on top of the burrito and rice.

There are no set rules, so make it your way.

yummy

So, anyone else have creative ways to use their leftovers?

jtk

Matt Meiser
10-11-2011, 4:43 PM
About 1/2 the time we put them in the refrigerator for lunches or a different day with good intentions and then throw the stuff from a few weeks earlier away. "When did we have _______?"

There are a number of things that I actually like as much, maybe more reheated. Spaghetti and chicken tiki masala come to mind. We also like to make a lamb roast and cube up the leftover for something that resembles gyros.

Augusto Orosco
10-11-2011, 5:18 PM
Whatever white rice is leftover from the day before, I stir fry with some oil, sliced hot-dogs, strips of fried egg and scallions. Add some soy sauce and I satisfy my fried rice craving!

Chris Damm
10-12-2011, 6:37 AM
At 6'4" and 300 lbs, I ask what are leftovers?

Gary Hodgin
10-12-2011, 4:02 PM
If food is left on the table at our house it's not worth putting in the frig.

Belinda Barfield
10-13-2011, 9:50 AM
Sometimes I enjoy what can be done with leftovers more than I enjoyed the original preparation.

I do like a good roast beef dinner, but a good beef stew in the next few days is something that has my mouth watering before the roast is out of the oven.

Lately with left over chicken or pork I have been making chilli verde burritos. This is a milder green sauce.

First start some rice cooking. This is so it will be done by the time the rest of this is finished. I usually put one chicken bullion cube in for each cup of water used. This is something a friend let me in on when I raved about how good her rice tasted. I have since shared this with people including one of my daughters when she and her kids were all amazed at the special rice grandpa made. She thought it was the brand of rice.

So, anyone else have creative ways to use their leftovers?

jtk

I rarely eat beef stew on the day I prepare it. It goes in the refrigerator for the flavors to meld and I reheat on the second or third day.

In my world enchiladas and burritos are always served with verde sauce.

I use half water/half chicken stock when I cook rice. I also don't follow the standard directions. I heat olive oil in a pot, add the rice, let it "fry" for a minute or so before adding the water - same as when making Rice Pilaf.

I always cook extra chicken breasts to use in salads and other dishes.

Other than that, I rarely have leftovers but when I do they usually end up in the back of fridge and become a science experiment.

Cyrus Brewster 7
10-13-2011, 10:18 AM
I rarely eat beef stew on the day I prepare it. It goes in the refrigerator for the flavors to meld and I reheat on the second or third day.

The same thing with pizza - or should I say not so good pizza. The local delivery is not the best, but I have asked him to half cook it and then added some ingredients when I received it. Threw it in the fridge and baked it the next day - much better.

As for straight leftovers, there is nothing like the following couple of days after Thanksgiving. A sandwich with a fresh hot baguette filled with turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, stuffing and cranberry sauce is something I look forward to every year.

Belinda Barfield
10-13-2011, 10:29 AM
I must be outside of the norm on Thanksgiving leftovers. Just not a big fan with one exception. I always have one sandwich made with leftover turkey with potato chips added. I love turkey and potato chip sandwiches.

Cyrus Brewster 7
10-13-2011, 11:22 AM
Roast beef and potato chips, tuna and potato chips, ham and cheese and potato chips... Potato chips are good.

Gary Hodgin
10-13-2011, 1:55 PM
I normally like dressing a little better a day or two after thanksgiving. But, usually it doesn't survive opening day. So if I want some I'd better get it while available.