Trying to make the most of get clever leftovers mashed? You are in the right place. Below we break it down in plain English, with practical tips you can actually use.
Key Takeaways
- Leftovers and I have a kind of love-hate relationship.
- I can’t bear the thought of tossing perfectly delicious food into the garbage because I made too much of it.
- So I pack it, seal it and fill the refrigerator with it.
Leftovers and I have a kind of love-hate relationship. I can’t bear the thought of tossing perfectly delicious food into the garbage because I made too much of it. So I pack it, seal it and fill the refrigerator with it. Once a leftover is past prime, looking more like a science project than tomorrow’s dinner, it’s much easier to part with. The solution, of course, is to have an immediate plan for leftovers and then be diligent in following through. Check out these terrific ideas!
Image: Taste of Home
Mashed Potatoes
Potato cakes
Mix cold mashed potatoes with an egg or two, leftover pieces of fish, ham, corned beef plus chopped onion and a little flour to hold it all together. Form into small patties and shallow fry in oil, until brown and crispy.
Topping
Use leftover mashed potatoes as a topping on a savory pie filing. You’re not likely to have a excellent deal of the mashed, so think individual shepherd’s pies or even chicken pot pies.
Lemon, orange cake
Mashed potatoes are an ingredient in numerous gluten-free desserts, paired with gluten-free self-rising flour, like this Lemon & Orange Cake or this Lemon Drizzle Cake.
Potato doughnuts
So simple to make and drop-dead delicious! You can use the mashed potatoes with the added milk and butter. That becomes one ingredient in Delicious Potato Doughnuts. That plus buttermilk, eggs, and several more ingredients. But no yeast. Already. Are you thinking what I’m thinking? The day after Thanksgiving. The day after Christmas. Actually, the day after any meal that included mashed potatoes!
Coffee
Freeze it
Coffee ice cubes are excellent in iced coffee; they don’t dilute the drink as the ice melts. Or add your preferred milk and flavorings to the coffee and pour into Popsicle-type molds for a frozen treat tomorrow.
Make a sauce
After pan-frying chicken or pork, deglaze the pan with coffee instead of wine for a deeper, Southern-style gravy.
Beef jerky
Marinate beef slices in strong coffee and your favorite flavorings for up to eight hours, then dry the beef in the oven at 200ºF for about four hours.
Instead of syrup
Combine hot coffee with melted butter and pour over pancakes or waffles.
Brine a chicken
Coffee-based brines that include spices such as cloves, star anise, peppercorns, and plenty of salt make for delicious and super moist roast chicken.
Dress a salad
For a simple coffee vinaigrette, cook equal parts brewed coffee, balsamic vinegar and maple syrup on the stove at low heat until the mixture is syrupy. Top it off with a little lemon juice.
Meatloaf
Chili
Use chopped-up leftover meatloaf in place of ground beef to make homemade chili. It’s all seasoned and ready to go.
Quesadillas
So simple! Mix together chopped-up meatloaf, onion, green pepper or other toppings of choice. Stir in your favorite BBQ sauce. Cover a flour tortilla with the mixture, top with shredded cheese, and top with a second tortilla. Place tortilla in the skillet cook for 1-2 minutes, until cheese starts to melt and the tortilla start to turn brown. Flip, so each side is golden and crisp.
Spaghetti
Replace ground beef with chopped leftover meatloaf in your favorite meat sauce. Over spaghetti, it’s fantastic!
Grilled sandwiches
Add a slice of leftover meatloaf to your next grilled cheese sandwich!
Sliders
Tiny dinner split rolls plus a slice of meatloaf cut to the same size plus your choice of spreads, bacon onion jam, mayonnaise, mustard, you name it, and what do you get? Party Food! with no party necessary.
