How to Turn Leftover Meat into Tasty New Dishes
Recipes for Cooking Basic Foods While Stretching Grocery Dollars
Jul 27, 2009
Save money by reusing leftover beef and chicken and turning them into delicious soups, luncheon sandwiches or dinner menus.
There are dozens of ways to stretch a dollar and even more to make an economical and tasty meal using leftover meat. From stews, to soups to cold sandwiches, here are a handful of suggestions to help make sure leftover food doesn't go to waste.
Vegetable Beef Soup
- Cut leftover roast beef into bite size pieces. Following package directions dissolve one or two packets of beef bouillon in hot water. Use more water if needed. A few squirts of Worchestershire sauce, catsup, or dried herbs can also liven up the stock.
- Add beef pieces to hot bouillon in pot. In a frying pan, sauté a chopped onion in olive oil and add a teaspoon of crushed garlic (optional.) Add to pot.
- Throw in any leftover vegetables from the fridge or some finely chopped fresh beans, carrots, turnips or any of the family’s favorites. Let simmer until all vegetables are soft and flavors blended about 20 to 30 minutes.
- Add salt and pepper to taste.
Hot Roast Beef Sandwiches
- Layer thinly sliced roast beef on one side of buttered bread. Use leftover gravy or prepare a packet of beef, gravy mix on top of stove or in the microwave.
- Place sandwich on a dinner plate and pour hot gravy on the inside and outside of the sandwich coating all the bread.
- Serve immediately with a fresh or canned vegetable or a side salad.
Leftover roast beef also makes an excellent cold sandwich. Spread with a favorite mustard, and add a side pickle for a delicious lunch or snack.
Beef and Vegetable Pie
- Chop leftover beef into quarter inch pieces.
- In a large saucepan, sauté one medium onion in olive oil. Add beef and one teaspoon of crushed garlic to pan.
- Remove from heat.
- Add cut up, leftover vegetables or finely chopped fresh vegetables.
- Dissolve a packet of beef gravy mix in hot water (add a little more water than recommended for thinner gravy,) add to beef and vegetable mix.
- Turn heat on low and slowly add gravy to beef and vegetables stirring until smooth. Simmer until vegetables are soft and gravy thick.
- Set aside and cool thoroughly in fridge
- Make sure beef mix has chilled or bottom piec rust will be soggy
- Thaw frozen prepared pie crust or make crust from scratch.
- Pour chilled beef and vegetable mix into bottom crust, seal top crust with warm water. For browner crust, brush top with beaten egg
- Bake for recommended time, usually 25 to 30 minutes or until crust is brown and filling bubbly.
Substitute Cooked Chicken in Preceding Recipes
- Remove skin, bones and any excess fat from cooked chicken. Chop into small pieces.
- Substitute chicken gravy mix and chicken seasonings like poultry seasoning, bay leaf, or Soya sauce. Hoisin sauce also adds a nice sweet flavor to the dishes.
Adding ¼ cup of cooked rice or egg noodles or any leftover plain, cooked pasta to the soups makes them a filling and nutritious appetizer or main dish.
The copyright of the article How to Turn Leftover Meat into Tasty New Dishes in Recipes is owned by Sheila Aylesworth. Permission to republish How to Turn Leftover Meat into Tasty New Dishes in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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