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Tag: leftovers

Roasted Pesto Chicken Pizza

Roast Pesto Chicken Pizza What do you do with leftover roast chicken and cauliflower??? Well, you make individual, homemade pizzas, of course!

  • One large pizza dough from a pizzeria cut into four pieces
  • ¼ cup all-purpose flour

Preheat convection oven (preferred) to 450 degrees F.

Take one piece and form into a round ball and using some of the all-purpose flour roll into a 9-inch circle. Keep aside. Repeat with the other three pieces.

  • 1 cup fresh tomato sauce
  • 1 cup shredded mozzarella

Spread the tomato sauce on each rolled out pizza dough. Sprinkle the shredded cheese evenly and keep aside.

  • 1 cup leftover roast chicken, potatoes and cauliflower- cut into small pieces
  • Salt
  • Pepper

Add a quarter cup of the roast chicken mixture on top of each pizza and bake for 8 to 10 minutes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Serve hot.

Cilantro Chicken Shepherds Pie with Brussels Sprouts

I made shepherds pie with the leftover chicken from yesterday. I paired Brussels sprouts with the yummy chicken and it was a bit hit!!!

  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 2 cups shredded Brussels sprouts
  • 2 cups of leftover cilantro chicken, shredded with gravy
  • 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • Salt
  • 4 to 5 medium yellow potatoes, peeled and 2 inch pieces
  • ½ cup half and half
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1 egg yolk
  • Salt
  • Pepper

Heat a frying pan with butter. Add the shredded Brussels sprouts and sauté on medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the chicken and sauté for another 2 to 3 minutes. Add the flour and sauté for another minute on medium heat. Slowly add the broth and bring to a boil and let it cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Add salt for seasoning. Keep aside.

In the meantime, bring the potatoes to a boil in a medium saucepan with water. Let simmer for about 10 to 12 minutes or till the potatoes are soft. Drain and mash, leave in the saucepan. Microwave the half and half and butter in a small bowl for a minute. Add the mixture to the mashed potatoes and mix well. Add the salt and pepper. Mix well and check for seasonings. Add the egg yolk and mix well.

Transfer the chicken mixture into an ovenproof 8X8 dish. Top with the mashed potatoes making sure all the edges are covered. Bake in a 400 degrees oven for about 30 minutes or till the top is golden brown. Let sit for 10 minutes and serve with a salad.

Shepheards Pie

Leftover Black Rice and Beans Cakes

I love repurposing leftovers into something completely different. These cakes were delicious and made a great lunch with a salad….

  • 1 cup leftover black rice and beans
  • ½ cup leftover steak, chopped
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 2 green onions, chopped
  • ½ cup panko crumbs
  • ½ cup cilantro, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • Left over blood orange and tomato sauce

Add the rice, steak, egg, green onions, panko crumbs, cilantro and salt to a medium bowl. Mix well and form into 4 to 5 cakes. Heat a frying pan with the olive oil. Place the cakes into the pan and cook on a medium heat, 3 to 4 minutes on each side. Serve with the sauce.

Risotto with Leftover Chicken Stew

What do you do with leftover stew??? Well, I have an amazing way to transform stew leftovers!!! Why not make a risotto?? I needed to pat myself on the back- this is brilliant. The risotto has amazing flavor thanks to the stew…I love coming up with ways to reuse my leftovers and make completely different dishes…

  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 cup Arborio rice
  • 1 cup leftover sauce and vegetables from the stew
  • 2 to 3 cups warm mushroom or chicken stock
  • ¼ cup half and half
  • Salt

Heat a medium sized frying pan with the oil. Add the Arborio rice and sauté over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the cup of leftover stew and stir on medium heat for a minute. Add 2 cups of broth, mix well and cover with lid and cook for 10 minutes on a low heat. Take lid off and add more liquid, stir and simmer, covered with a lid for another 5 to 7 minutes. Take the lid off and continue cooking, while stirring till the rice is cooked through. Add the half and half. Check for seasonings and add salt if necessary. Serve warm.

Leftover Scallops with Linguini

I love when I am able to reuse my leftovers in a completely different dish. In this case, I had made seared scallops with salsa verde the day before (check the previous recipe on the blog) and decided to use the scallops in another way. I always have fresh tomato sauce in the fridge- which can be used in a variety of ways. I used it as a pasta sauce and before I knew it, I had a delicious pasta dish! I served it with a nice big salad and some wine!

  • Left over scallops
  • 1 cup marinara sauce, preferably homemade
  • 1 cup cooked linguini

Heat up the marinara sauce in a frying pan. Add the pasta and mix well. Add the scallops and heat through without over cooking them. Serve immediately.

Leftover Quesadilla

I love, love creating something completely different with my leftovers in the fridge. I had the grilled chicken and plum sauce from yesterdays posting. I decided to reuse them through the week and create quesadillas. My favorite tortillas to buy right now are the habanero lime ones from Trader Joes. They are not super spicy but have a nice kick to them.

It was a very quick meal to put together which is very convenient through the week. I paired it with some mild mozzarella cheese and the quesadillas were delicious. I served an avocado salad and a glass of refreshing Rose!!

  • Left over grilled plum chicken, cut into bite size pieces
  • Left over plum barbecue sauce
  • Shredded mozzarella cheese
  • Tortillas of choice
  • Olive oil

Heat a non-stick pan with the olive oil. Add the tortilla. Place the shredded cheese and the chicken pieces on the tortilla. Drizzle some sauce and top with the other tortilla. Cook well on both sides or till the cheese melts. Cut and serve with salsa.

Leftover Meatball Lasagna

Leftover Meatball Lasagna Why not finish off the week with another pasta dish? Like yesterdays post, this one made with leftovers as well- I love making a completely different dish the next day. This one is quite simple as well since most of the work was already done. All I made was the béchamel sauce and layered the lasagna noodles with crumbled meatballs. It took almost no time and I had a delicious dish.

Next time you have leftover meatballs, make this delicious lasagna…
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