Dressing Up Leftovers

I love leftovers. For dinner, for lunch, for some of each–it’s like having my own instant food, but healthy & from scratch. Sometimes, though, it is nice to have a twist on the previous meal. Like making stew out of leftover chicken & sauce from a crock pot meal; chopping up leftover meat, adding rice and cheese, and wrapping it in a pita or tortilla; making a creative pizza; or tossing a bunch of leftovers in lettuce and calling it Salad Extraordinaire.

What are some of your favorite ways to put a new twist on typical leftovers???

One I just tried… I really love! So I decided I had to share the inspiration with you.

I made Philly Cheesesteaks a couple nights ago, and then last night I made crepes with a chicken-herb-mozzarella filling.

My lunch today?
A crepe filled with Philly Cheesesteak filling. It’s a new hit. 😀

5 Replies to “Dressing Up Leftovers”

  1. This is something I am not good at…when I look at the plate of leftovers all I see is what they were the night before. I would love you to post ways that you make a stew out of a casserole (I always think I am going to kill the veggies and they will turn to mush).

    And are those sauteed zucchini on your plate with the crepes? You are a wonderful cook, Melissa!

  2. Can I get the recipe for Philly Cheesesteak? Thanks!

    I love making “burritoes” out of leftover or doing a “whatcha-ma-call-it” salad =P
    Your food makes me hungry. Seriously! (I ate lunch just a little over an hour ago…)

  3. Here’s a recipe for you- in exchange!
    *smiles*

    Bruschetta Perfetto by Samantha R.

    6 pieces of bacon, cooked and crumbled
    2 medium mushrooms, finely chopped
    1 tbsp chives, minced
    2 cloves garlic, minced
    2 tbsp fresh basil, minced
    1 cup spinach, finely chopped
    1 can (13.75 oz can) Artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
    5 tomatoes, seeded and chopped (plum types are nice.)
    1/2 tbsp lemon juice
    1/4 tsp salt
    1/4 tsp pepper
    1/4 cup Olive oil
    Mozzarella cheese, sliced
    Your favorite Italian Bread/Baguette (I like wheat Italian or sun-dried tomato/parmesan)

    Cook bacon, drain and crumble in pan. Saute mushrooms, chives, garlic and basil for 2 minutes in same pan.
    Pulse tomatoes in food processor for 6 seconds or chop by hand.
    Combine bacon, mushroom mixture, tomatoes, spinach and artichoke hearts together in a bowl. Add lemon juice, salt and pepper. Mix well.

    Slice the baguette into 1/2 inch thick diagonal slices and brush generously with olive oil. Bake at 400* until golden, about 5 minutes. Remove toasts from oven.

    Layer bruschetta mixture, then a slice of cheese on top of the toast.

    Broil in the preheated oven for about 5 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbly and melted.

    Serves: 8

  4. @Samantha~
    Thanks for the recipe! Yum! Time to shop for ingredients. 🙂
    This is what I did for our Philly Cheesesteaks (really simple and basic, but delicious):

    1 pound of rib eye, frozen, and shaved/sliced as thinly as you can manage
    1 onion, sliced fairly thinly
    1 green pepper, also sliced fairly thinly
    splash of olive oil
    salt and pepper, to taste
    dash of garlic powder
    1/2 pound cheese (provolone is traditional; I only had mozzarella)
    4 hoagie rolls (I made these using my normal bun dough, which includes egg – except I used white flour instead of whole wheat)

    Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and pepper, and sautee until caramelized. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and garlic powder, sautee a little bit more, then set aside in a separate dish. Now add the meat to the hot, seasoned skillet. Stir it around and break it up while it cooks; it should only take a couple of minutes to get almost no more pink. Add the veggies back in. Top with the cheese, allow it to melt, and stir it around just a bit. Spoon the mixture on the rolls (you could top it with mayo or ketchup, but the flavor is perfect without it anyway), and serve immediately.

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