Ways to Liven Up Leftovers

by Michele Cheplic | More from this Blogger

09 Aug 2008 12:30 PM

The calendar (and the thermometer) still says it's summer, but for many families the new school year has already started. This means that family time is more precious than ever and with a house full of kids waiting to be shuttled to school and extra-curricular activities, plus your desire to make the most of the nice weather, who wants to spend any more time in the kitchen than absolutely necessary?

I try to minimize the juggling act by making double duty recipes. Meaning I cook more of a certain ingredient (or ingredients) to use two nights in a row. For example, the BBQ Chicken Salad recipe that I included below features grilled chicken breasts. It's a great dish to utilize leftover chicken and corn that you grilled the night before. Likewise, the Brat Lasagna is a tasty way to bring new life to leftover brats on Monday that you grilled up on Sunday.

The recipes are also great ways to save money. No more wasting perfectly good food just because it has been labeled "leftover."

BBQ CHICKEN SALAD

Ingredients:

2 chicken breasts, grilled, chopped and tossed with BBQ sauce

6 to 8 cups mixed salad greens

1/4 cup sliced red onion

1/4 cup chopped cucumber

1 chopped tomato

2 tablespoons chopped bacon

1 diced avocado

1/2 cup cooked corn (a good way to use leftover corn on the cob)

2 tablespoons sliced black olives

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:

Place the salad greens on a large plate or two separate plates. Top with remaining ingredients. Serve with your favorite salad dressing.

BRAT LASAGNA

Ingredients:

9 to 16 No-Cook Lasagna Noodles

2 lbs Grilled Brats Chopped

32 oz. Ricotta Cheese

16 oz. Small Curd Cottage Cheese

2 Large Eggs

26 oz. jar Your Favorite Spaghetti Sauce

14.5 oz can Diced Tomatoes

8oz. can Tomato Sauce

6oz. can Tomato Paste

24 oz. Mozzarella Cheese

Garlic Powder

Italian Seasoning

Directions:

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Chop brats into small bite sized pieces.

In a large bowl, mix together Ricotta cheese, cottage cheese and eggs together until smooth. Set aside.

In another bowl, mix together tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, and spaghetti sauce together. Add Italian seasoning and garlic powder to taste.

Grease a 9x13 lasagna pan.

Add a little of the sauce to the bottom pan. (Just to coat.) Add a row of 3 to 4 lasagna noodles to cover the bottom of the pan. Layer with a light coating of sauce, then add some brats, and more sauce to cover the brats. Next, add some of the cheese mixture. Layer with 3 to 4 lasagna noodles and repeat process. Do this for about 3 to 4 layers. On the last layer, add lasagna noodles, more sauce, brats, a little more sauce, and then cover with mozzarella cheese.

Place pan in oven and bake for 1 hour.

Serves 6.

Related Articles:

Hearty Vegetarian Lasagna

Whole Wheat Turkey Lasagna

Buffalo Chicken Lasagna

Learn more about Michele Cheplic

Michele Cheplic was born and raised in Hilo, Hawaii, but now lives in Wisconsin. Michele graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a degree in Journalism.

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