Premeditated Leftover Challenge

Interesting challenge Budget101! Okay, here are our premeditated leftovers Ideas

The pot pie filling can be served over biscuits too, instead of having to make a pie crust if you’re not in the mood!

First night roast chicken
then leftovers used for sandwiches
and the rest are made in soup

well throw it in for even more flavor.

SueMeserve

Meal 1: Steak served with baked potatoes and asparagus.
Meal 2: Cut up steak, saute with onions and bell peppers (add seasoning to taste and personal preference). Serve on hoagies for Philly Cheese Steak. Top with cheese of your choice.

Give it a kick by adding jalapeños and topping with queso!
Meal 3: Take leftover steak from Phillies, warm, and have quesadillas (steak, cheese, even the onions and bell peppers, tortillas)

Meal 1:Roast beef served with roasted potatoes and carrots, yorkshire pudding and gravy.
Meal 2:Roast beef dip made with thinly sliced roast beef served on fresh crusty buns with hot au jus dip made with store bought pkgd au jus mix and fresh green salad.
Meal 3:Quick to make stew with diced roast beef,leftover roasted potatoes,carrots,au jus,gravy and add any other veggie you may have leftover in the fridge peas,corn etc. Serve with warm fresh bread or biscuits.

Chicken enchiladas, bbq chicken sandwiches, and chicken machaca

1. Roast beef with mashed potatoes and gravy, a green vegetable and salad
2. Chop or shred leftover roast beef and add enchilada seasoning and make beef enchilada casserole with refried beans and Mex rice
3.

Use leftover seasoned beef to make tacos or taco salad, served with leftover beans and rice.
I would not necessarily serve these meals within 3 days, that is why I need to win the food saver so I can freeze and serve later.

We’re not vegetarian but we are trying to find meatless ways to eat on a budget because we really cant afford the prices of meat lately.

Here’s our Leftover Layering, premeditated plan

Seared lentil Burgers
4. Lentil Enchiladas w/ Bechamel Sauce

First, cook a big batch of lentils
2 ½ cups French green lentils (rinsed & picked over)
6 cups water (or to cover by about 2 inches
½ teaspoon salt
1 bay leaf, optional

After all, no one wants a mushy salad! Let them Cool Completely, Drain them and remove the bay leaf. Stick them in the fridge until you need them.

For the Salad:

Top with Fresh diced avocado! YUM.

For Seared Lentil Burgers:
In a food processor blitz the following together just until combined:
1 cup fully cooked lentils, well-drained
2 slices bread (small) or 1 large piece of sandwich bread
1/2 cup coarsely chopped onion or leek
about 4 sprigs fresh flat leaf parsley, minced
1 to 2 fresh green onions
2 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 egg
1 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
Form into patties, fry in hot oil. Serve on burger buns with fresh sliced tomato, onions, pickled peppers, etc.

heat the oil in a skillet, add the onions, saute until translucent. Add the zucchini, saute until tender, add the greens, saute until lightly wilted, add the orange zest.
Assemble enchiladas- scoop of cooked lentils, scoop of sauteed vegetables, sprinkle of cheese.Repeat until 9×13 baking dish is full. Cover with cheese over top, then drizzle with Bechamel sauce.

Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes.
For the béchamel sauce, you will need:
5 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
4 cups milk
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 ½ teaspoons fresh ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
1 large egg, beaten (optional)
In a saucepan melt butter, whisk in flour, salt and pepper, cook for 3 minutes. Add half the milk, whisking to ensure no lumps, add rest of the milk, add nutmeg, simmer about 7-8 minutes until nice and thick. Temper the egg in a dish on the side, then add it to the sauce, cook another couple of mintues.

Second meal is chicken potpie (only need grands biscuits and gravy)

Third meal is chicken tacos (Only need tortillas and cheese)

Steak, potatoes and veggies the first day
Day 2 cut up steak and add to rice and veggies
day 3 steak and cheese with salsa in a tortilla for a quesadiea

There are many meals I make from leftovers from an Oven Roasted Chicken with vegetables. This chicken creates a yummy chicken stock that can be used with many meals and there is always leftover chicken and vegetables. I never toss leftovers they are way better the next day.

Premeditated Leftovers:

At the beginning of the week make up some All purpose Ground Beef Mix, or the Beef Mushroom Freezer Mix all of the meals listed below use it.

Southwestern Hamburger Skillet

4 cups Hot, Cooked egg noodles
1 (10 oz) can condensed tomato soup or enchilada sauce
1 lb pkg ground beef mix
Salt to taste
1 (15 oz) can kidney beans, drained & rinsed
Shredded cheddar cheese for garnish
Sour cream for garnish
3 green onions, sliced, for garnish

Hamburger Help Chili Mac Casserole

1 pkg ground beef mix
1 C. water
1/2 C. macaroni or wide egg noodles
2 cans chopped/diced tomatoes (un-drained)
1 T.

Combine all and simmer 20 minutes or until macaroni is cooked. By the way, egg noodles cook in less than half the amount of time.!

Quick-n-Easy Beef Chili Soup:
2 pkgs Ground Beef Mix (2 pounds)
1 minced onion
1 can red kidney beans, drained & rinsed
1 can navy beans, drained and rinsed
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
2 to 3 tablespoons chili powder
2 tablespoons dried cilantro or parsley flakes
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried minced garlic
3 (14 1/2 ounce) cans tomato juice.

Meal 1: Ham cooked low and slow all day with couple sides like mac and cheese and some baked beans.
Meal 2: Chop up some leftover ham for ham and cheese omelets.
Meal 3: Take the ham bone that I leave a little meat on put in crock pot with great northern beans, cook them all day, fry up some potatoes and onions, and bake some corn bread.

Meal 1 baked chicken, usually hind quarters
Meal 2 chicken salad sandwiches
Meal 3 I debone the chicken put it in a crock pot with barbecue sauce, let it slow cook all day, usually make barbecue chicken pizza
Part of meal 4 I boil up the bones and skins to make chicken stock.

Here is another dish that goes along way in my house and what better time of year to enjoy a hot bowl of chili on a cold day to warm us up.

Meal 1: Chili
Meal 2: Chili Mac I use small shells for this. I cook up the shells and add to the chili
Meal 3: Loaded Baked Potato. I bake some potatoes and put chili, onions and cheddar cheese on top

Pot Roast turned Beef Stew
Meal 1: Pot roast (roast, carrots, potatoes, celery, onion)
Meal 2: Beef Stew- pull the leftover roast into small pieces, cut the vegetables into smaller bite sized pieces, put it all in a pot (including all of the leftover juice) add additional carrots and/or potatoes if there’s not much left. Gradually add flour (or instant potatoes) to thicken, salt and pepper to taste. I grew up knowing every time we had pot roast, the next night would be the best stew ever!

To be fair.. i am a single grandmother.. but when i do cook, i keep my family in mind!

Roasted whole chicken, and green beans first night, with the left overs i will then make flautas and freeze and if more chicken is available, a small order of enchiladas.. now i do add additional items to each, like cheese, onions, maybe black beans and anything else i can manage.. !!

i also portion them all into one dish and freeze, so when a family member comes over.. they can pick and chose what they want! they love it, everyone can have have something different!

I almost always have premeditated leftovers every tine I cook. the latest one is:

meal #1 London Broil with mashed potatoes, green beans and brownies for dessert.
meal #2 sliced meat on a mixed greens salad or repeat of meal #1.
meal #3 slice remaining meat and add to tomato base to make Swiss steak and serve over rice or noodles.

My layering go to is pork (or chicken tacos) the first night I cook pork roast. (Boneless roast , 2 tbsp of oil, minced rosemary, cracked pepper, mix in small bowl let sit for at least thirty minutes , I actually use this as my favorite infused oil) salt roast with kosher salt and rub oil over entire roast. Place 2 large carrots 1 small onion and 3 or four leave celery stalks in roasting pan, place roast directly on veggies.

Add 1/2 cup of wine ( what ever is open) or chicken stock. Bake at 350 for 38 minutes per pound (for medium) let stand for 10 minutes. Strain and reserve juices for next day!
Pork tacos, slice pork and put in sauce pan add pan juices and chicken stock to just cover pork, add diced onion and minced garlic.

in a seperate bowl mix two tbsp of left over stock with 1 tsp if corn starch and temper with hot stock from your saucepan. Add to meat and summer till thickened. You may need to add more thickener if you have lots of meat.

You want it just thick enough to stick to the meat. Serve with your favorite taco fixings. To use left overs add a little more of the stock to loosen the meat.

Meal 1: Large Pot roast with extra potatoes, carrots, onions.
Meal 2: Cut into pieces add brown gravy and make a stew.
Meal 3: Pot roast sandwich
Meal 4: if anything left.. put on a salad

My absolute favorite is ribs in the crock pot and pulled pork the next day. Super super yum. And easy because the ribs in the crock pot are fall off the bone.

DAY 1: anything with mashed potatoes! Usually a protein with a mashed potatoes side
Option 1 Day 2: Mashed Potato Pizza with bacon (recipe below)
Option 2 Day 2: Shepherds Pie
Day 3: Potato pancakes (add an egg, flour, cheddar cheese and scallions to your potatoes, shape into 3-inch flat rounds, dust with flour and fry up!)

ingredients:

• 2-3 cups leftover mashed potatoes
• uncooked pizza dough (make your own or buy from grocery store)
• 2 cups shredded cheddar
• 8 sliced bacon, crispy cooked and crumbled
• chives and/or sour cream (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees
2. Grease a 6-8 inches pie or cake pan
3. Press dough into pan, ensuring it going at lease half way up the side of the pan
4. Sprinkle evenly half of your cheddar cheese and half of bacon onto dough
5. Add all of your potatoes next, spreading evenly
6. Add the remaining cheddar and bacon
7. Bake for 20 min at 375 degrees.
8. Cool for 10 min, and serve with sour cream and finely cut chives

I usually make a beef roast in the oven, then the next day I will make either beef tostadas or Carne Asada tacos, followed the next day by steak and cheese sub sandwiches or french dip sandwiches.

We make tacos one night.
Then we use the left over taco meat for taco salad. Through in some red kidney beans and chips to stretch it.

1 Baked whole chicken with noodles, gravy & corn
2 use leftover chicken, noodles gravy & corn for chicken noodle soup
3 Turn leftover soup into chicken pot pie ( thicken up with can cream of chicken, add more veggies if you like )..the pot pie is my family’s favorite

Food saver vacuum sealer!

Baked or smoked chicken is my favorite especially smoked because I can smoke a weeks worth of meat at one time!
The first night we will have chicken with various veggies
The second day chicken salad for lunch then turn the meat that is left and bones to broth for chicken soup. The soup will usually last us 2 meals because I feel it with lots of veggies and either noodles/rice.

Meal 1: Chili
Meal 2: Chili spaghetti & garlic bread
Meal 3 (if there’s any left) Chili bake (layer Chili, shredded cheese, and mashed potatoes and bake)

Then we make mashed potatoes.

Night 2: We cut up leftover chicken breasts. Take a casserole dish and layer leftover potatoes, chicken and vegetable mix. Cover in shredded cheese and bake at 350 for about 20 min.

My first meal is a pork roast
I save enough meat to make

2nd meal Pork tacos
3rd meal BBQ pork steam buns (from a Jamie Oliver Cookbook- Save with Jamie) so simple!

We love the changes and try to come up with new each time.

Meal 1: Roast,potatoes & carrots
Meal 2: Hot roast beef sandwiches
Meal 3: Vegetable beef soup

Technically there are 2 more meals from the starting meal, because after meal 1 on the following day for lunch, I take about a cup of the chicken, celery, crasins, walnuts and apples to make chicken salad on wheat wraps and a side of fruit salad (bananas, strawberries, bluberries, and kiwi) that’s then used for a fruit pie by adding gelatin to the fruit. This chicken salad wrap and fruit salad are meal 2.5 and 3.5 technically lol 🙂

Round 1- I cook a large pork loin seasoned with salt, pepper, garlic and either fresh or dried minced onions, in the crock pot and make BBQ sandwiches.
Round 2 meal- Pork roast and gravy made from the broth from the roast, mashed potatoes or rice, usually broccoli and homemade biscuits.
Round 3 meal (lunch)- Pork tacos (save some of the broth to keep meat moist and I add cumin and chili powder) with all the trimmings, spanish rice and homemade re-fried beans.

Cook until done. Instant portable meal. Good for lunch boxes.

Meal 1: I recently discovered Carne picada in the Walmart meat case. It comes in packs of about 2 lbs. I brown it with onion and garlic and drain the fat just like ground beef.

Meal 2: I use the leftover beef in tacos served with mexican rice and mexicorn.

Meal 3: I mix the leftover beef and corn into the leftover rice and have it ready for a quick lunch.

Leftover chicken gravy gets added into the chicken pot pie. I cover the chicken bones with water and some spices and veggies and simmer to get my own broth for the soup. I get every little bit out of the chicken.

The carrots and celery,etc that get cooked with the broth get diced up and added to the soup.

First night roast pork with roasted root vegetables,carrots potatoe & turnips. Night two pulled pork on buns with coleslaw & fruit. Night three pork tacos with chopped up remaining veggies, along with traditional toppings.