Recycling Your FOOD!

You recycle your clothes and your trash--why not your food?? Yes, that's
right, food. (No, I have not gone crazy!) Below I have compiled some of
my favorite ways to "recycle" your leftovers. I love doing this--it saves
money, and cuts down on unneccessary waste. This is just a sampling of
some of the things I've done, but it's easy to think of many more once you
get started!


Chili
Hamburger meat
(If you like beans, don't forget these---a great way to stretch the chili
further)
Chili envelope packet

Make chili according to packet directions. Serve.

To "Recycle":
Make a box of macaroni and cheese. Serve chili over prepared mac and
cheese.

Boil spaghetti noodles. Serve chili over noodles.

Buy a bag of corn chips. Serve chili over chips and sprinkle with cheese.

Buy flour tortillas. Warm and spoon chili in each; sprinkle with cheese;
fold and serve.


Roast chicken
Place 3-4 lb fryer whole in crockpot (stuff cavity with onion)
Sprinkle salt and pepper and any other seasonings on top
Add 1 1/2 c water

Serve.

To "Recycle":
Cut up left over chicken. Add mayonnaise, celery, salt and pepper. Serve
as chicken salad sandwiches.

Cut up leftover chicken. Purchase and prepare a pizza dough in the oven.
Spread marinara or alfredo sauce over pizza, add chicken and cheese. Bake
10 min and serve.

Cut up leftover chicken. Buy flour tortillas. Place chicken and cheese in
tortillas, grill for 10 min, cut into triangles for quesadillas and serve.

Cut up leftover chicken. Boil any type of noodles and add cream of
mushroom soup to chicken. Warm. Toss noodles with chicken mixture and
serve.

Peach-Glazed Ham Steak
Buy 1lb fully cooked ham steak (1" thick)
Mix together peach marmalade/jam, honey dijon mustard, salt and pepper
Spread over ham slice
Grill, glazed side down, uncovered for 6-7 min. Turn ham and top with more
marmalade glaze. Grill 7-9 more min. Serve.

To "Recycle":

Cube up leftover ham and serve on lettuce. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese
and drizzle with Caesar salad dressing.

Slice leftover ham and serve as sandwiches in grilled french bread.

Slice leftover ham. Warm store bought flour tortillas. Place ham in
tortillas and drizzle with honey barbecue sauce; wrap and serve.

Leftover Vegetables (any)

To "Recycle":
Fill a pie shell with chopped leftover veggies, canned shrimp or crab,
shredded cheese, evaporated milk-egg mixture. Bake until set for a great
quiche.

Add veggies to chicken broth and onions. Add beans or pasta for a colorful
and easy soup.

Grilled Porkchops
Spinkle rosemary or other seasoning on porkchops.
Grill in minimal oil until cooked through. Serve.

To "Recycle":
Add 1 can cream of mushroom soup to pork chops and 1 bag cooked instant
rice. Serve.

Mix together an envelope of pork gravy. Pour over pork chops and let heat
15 min. Serve with potatoes.

Shred pork chops. Add barbecue sauce and let simmer. Spoon onto hamburger
buns and serve.

Barbecued Meat
Add barbecue sauce and simmer.
Serve.

To "Recycle":
Shred meat. Prepare french fries in oven. Spoon meat over fries, top with
shredded cheese and serve.

Shred meat. Prepare pizza dough in oven. Top pizza crust with barbecue
sauce, shredded meat, cheese, sliced onions. Warm and serve.

Prepare baked potatoes as usual. Split and top with shredded barbecue
meat. Top with any of your favorite toppings and serve.

Shred meat and add canned beans and diced tomatoes. Sprinkle cumin, chili
powder, and garlic salt into mixture. Let simmer and serve.


Quick tips:

Turn leftover rice into a great casserole by adding a meat or vegetable and
a creamed soup (mushroom or chicken). Bake and serve. (You can do this
with leftover pasta as well.)

Turn any leftover meat or vegetable into a soup by adding tomato sauce,
chicken broth, and herbs. Let simmer and serve.

Roast beef can always be (duh!) sandwiches, an addition to a salad, a wrap
with pita bread or tortillas, or great chopped and mixed with gravy and
spooned over mashed potatoes. YUM!