Leftovers ~ What To Do With Them!

I believe if you are adventurous, and a little sneaky--you can prepare a wonderful meal for your family using leftovers and they'll never know the difference.

Here's some ideas to get you rolling...

"This recipe combines leftover ham and mashed potatoes with cheese, garlic, and vegetables to make a delicious casserole the whole family will love."

Leftover Casserole

• 12 potatoes, cubed
• 1/2 cup milk
• 2 cups cooked ham, cubed
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
• 6 tablespoons butter, divided
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley
• 1 cup Cheddar cheese, shredded

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add potatoes and cook until tender, about 20 minutes. Drain and mash with 1/4 cup of the butter and milk.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F . Combine mashed potatoes, ham, garlic, mushroom soup, butter, egg and parsley in a mixing bowl. Transfer mixture to greased casserole dish and bake for 20 minutes. Sprinkle with cheddar cheese and bake an additional 15 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Ham Casserole

• 2 cups chopped cooked ham
• 1 (8 ounce) package elbow macaroni
• 2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
• 1 cup milk
• 1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup
• 1 (15 ounce) can mixed vegetables, drained
• salt and pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).In a large bowl combine the ham/leftover meat, macaroni, cheese, milk, soup, vegetables, salt and pepper and mix well. Spread mixture into a lightly greased 9x13 inch baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 45 minutes, or until hot and bubbly.


Turkey Junk


• 1 (6 ounce) package dry bread stuffing mix
• 1 (16 ounce) container sour cream
• 1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
• 1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of celery soup
• 1 (1 ounce) package dry onion soup mix
• 2 (14.5 ounce) cans French-style green beans, drained
• 2 cups cooked, chopped turkey meat

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).Prepare stuffing according to package directions. In a medium bowl, mix the sour cream, cream of mushroom soup, cream of celery soup and dry onion soup mix.Spread the green beans in a 9x13 inch dish. Top with a layer of turkey. Pour the soup mixture over the turkey. Top with stuffing.
Bake in the preheated oven 30 minutes, or until browned and bubbly.

Leftovers for Breakfast….shhhhhhhhh

• 3 eggs, beaten
• 1 pinch ground black pepper
• 1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup
• 16 ounces sour cream
• 1 (2 pound) package frozen hash brown potatoes, thawed
• 2 cups leftover cooked ham, cubed
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3/4 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
• 1/4 cup butter, melted
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.Season beaten eggs with pepper; pour into baking dish. In a large bowl, combine soup, sour cream, hash browns, ham, onion and cheese. Mix thoroughly and pour over eggs. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes. Remove and drizzle butter over top of casserole. Return to oven and bake for an additional 15 minutes, until golden.


Chicken & Biscuits


• 1/4 cup butter
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 cup chopped celery
• 1/2 cup chopped baby carrots
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons white sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 1 (10 ounce) can peas, drained
• 4 cups diced, leftover cooked chicken meat
• 2 cups buttermilk baking mix
• 2 teaspoons dried basil
• 2/3 cup milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.In a skillet, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Cook and stir the garlic, onion, celery, and carrots in butter until tender. Mix in the flour, sugar, salt, 1 teaspoon dried basil, and pepper. Stir in broth, and bring to a boil. Stirring constantly, boil 1 minute, reduce heat, and stir in peas. Simmer 5 minutes, then mix in chicken. Transfer mixture to the prepared baking dish. In a medium bowl, combine the baking mix and 2 teaspoons dried basil. Stir in milk to form a dough. Divide the dough into 6 to 8 balls. On floured wax paper, use the palm of your hand to flatten each ball of dough into a circular shape; place on top of chicken mixture.Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. Cover with foil, and bake for 10 more minutes. To serve, spoon chicken mixture over biscuits.



Chicken ala Leftovers



• 1 cup diced, leftover cooked chicken meat
• 1 (10 ounce) package frozen mixed vegetables, thawed
• 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1 (5 ounce) can evaporated milk
• salt and pepper to taste

Combine chicken, vegetables and broth or wine in a medium saucepan over medium low heat. Stir all together and let simmer until heated through.In a small bowl beat cornstarch into evaporated milk and add to chicken mixture. Reduce heat to low and cook, stirring constantly, until thickened. Season with salt and pepper to taste, unless leftover chicken has enough of its own seasoning already. Serve hot.