Nasty Leftovers
I hate to throw food away and since I am on a budget, it is important for me to use up leftovers. Saving some leftovers is still a mystery. Does anyone like leftover McDonald’s hamburgers for example? With some research most leftovers can be saved and be made into a delicious second meal.
Here are some foods that taste terrible as a leftover:
1. Mashed Potatoes
2. Macaroni and Cheese
3. French Fries
4. Chicken
5. Spaghettios
I haven’t found a way to make Spaghettios or French fries taste better as a leftover. Maybe some of you like Spaghettios as a leftover. To me it taste like dog food and gets all watery and slimy. I can’t eat it. The life of a french fry that has been cooked in a deep fryer is about 30 minutes. After that it tastes like cold grease. Baked french fries last longer.
French fries and spaghettios may not be saved, but most leftovers can be reused to make delicious dishes. Some people love left over chicken or turkey. I can’t stand it. Chicken looks so good but after I bite into leftover chicken I feel let down. I taste nothing but the refrigerator. I hate throwing chicken away so I have tried to find a way to eat left over chicken or turkey and like it. So far I like to put leftover chicken in casseroles and soups. I don’t like leftover chicken in salads too much. Casseroles, especially with stuffing and cream of chicken soup taste wonderful. There are many recipes online that make use of leftover chicken. Chicken pot pie is another favorite.
Mashed potatoes is another dish that just tastes nasty as a leftover. I can still remember as a four year old hating left over mashed potatoes. I don’t think we had a microwave back then, so I don’t know how the mashed potatoes were heated up. My mother gave suggested through the years ways to make mashed potatoes taste good. I added butter and milk when heating it up. I still did not like it. So I experimented a bit and found a way to like leftover mashed potatoes. I mix ranch dressing, ham or bacon and cheddar cheese, with a little butter and heat it up in the microwave.
Instant Macaroni and cheese is a little trickier. The homemade macaroni and cheese tastes wonderful as a leftover, but my kids for some freaky reason prefer the instant macaroni and cheese which not only cooks instantly, but you have to eat it instantly. If you don’t, the cheese hardens and it tastes like plastic. I asked around for advice on how to make macaroni and cheese leftovers taste good. My mother told me to try putting the leftovers in a pan and add butter and milk. I tried this and it actually tasted better than the original. I now love leftover macaroni and cheese.
There are certain foods, like pizza, that taste wonderful as a leftover. Another great dish is soup or stew. Some foods, however, taste horrible as leftovers. Fortunately, there are ways to save leftovers so you don’t have to throw them out. Some foods cannot be saved and if they must be eaten, you must do so while holding your nose.
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I agree with you about the bad leftovers. One thing I do to make chicken taste better the second time around is cut it into chunks and season it really well. You can still eat it by itself but then it is reall easy to add to thing, or to have on sandwiches
Comment left on November 8, 2007 @ 9:05 pm
I love leftover potatoes!
Comment left on November 9, 2007 @ 7:36 pm
Does JJ still put ketchup on his?
Comment left on November 14, 2007 @ 12:35 am
Yes he does and Sariah loves Ketchup as well!
Comment left on November 19, 2007 @ 2:53 pm
Leftover french fries, no problem! Cut them into little diced up cubes, add them to scrambled egg, and crumbled breakfast sausage or chorizo mexican sausage and cheddar cheese in a tortilla, instant McDonald’s like burritos. Other options to add are sweet red or green pepper minced, minced scallions, and a thin layer of refried pinto beans in that tortilla to add more flavor or more protein or more spice!
Comment left on December 30, 2007 @ 6:35 pm
Another leftover french fry idea, from the South!
Chili, cheese, fries! Just open a can of your fave chili add any cheese you like: cheddar or monterey jack are very good and serve hot over reheated in the oven fries.
Comment left on December 30, 2007 @ 6:38 pm
Leftover mashed potatoes!
Try Shepard’s pie?
cook ground beef crumbled with 1 medium onion minced; drain add one can of diced tomatoes and a 1/2 cup of frozen baby peas with the following spices:
1tsp oregano, 1 tsp garlic powder, and 1 tsp of adobo spice
mix well put in a corningware pan layer on top with mashed potatoes and bake for 15 min at 350 then top with grated cheddar cheese bake a little more until cheese is melted and serve.
Comment left on December 30, 2007 @ 6:42 pm
Another Southern Mashed potato leftover recipe
Mix them with a drained can of corn a little more milk to soften
add 1/2 cup of crushed cracker crumbs then roll them in beaten egg and flour with salt and pepper to taste and fry in oil, crisco, or whatever you use for frying. Serve with over easy eggs for breakfast or sprinkle them heavily with parmesan cheese and lightly with parsley and serve with leftover italian meatballs and spaghetti sauce.
Comment left on December 30, 2007 @ 6:45 pm
Turn your leftover mashed potatoes into creamy “baked potato soup”
just add half n half and a little more butter to the potatoes to make them thinner and heat. Add pepper to taste, bacon bits, cheddar cheese, scallions minced and a dollop of sour cream if you like it.
Tastes just like baked potato soup served at the restaurants you pay $4-6 a serving for.
Comment left on December 30, 2007 @ 6:48 pm
I am the Iron Chef of leftovers! I can make your leftovers seem like fresh food and totally different from the day before, the day before that and even a more previous day! I believe in cooking one day and eating from that with a few changes for 3-4 days and less than 30 min in the kitchen for leftover nights! I can make your leftovers taste like restaurant fresh foods served at premium prices too! I can save you time and save you money and expand your family’s pallate. Email me with your problem leftover and I will help you discover new and exciting ways to serve it to your family and no one will guess it’s leftover! I’ll do this for free, but I do have a life and a family to feed too, so give me time to respond to your emails.
Dlectable@aol.com
Comment left on December 30, 2007 @ 6:56 pm
In the summer, leftover macaroni and cheese can be turned into a macaroni salad! Just add a few of your fave ingredients from this list and the “dressing” to make the salad.
The dressing part is easy, it’s similar to cole slaw mix, just mayo, a little lemon and some sugar sprinkled in.
Add ins: sweet red pepper minced, celery thinly sliced, hard boiled egg. Then a meat: bacon bits or minced ham or for you northwesterners like me flaked dungeonness crab! You can also add more grated cheddar cheese.
Comment left on December 30, 2007 @ 7:01 pm
Turn leftover macaroni and cheese into an italian casserole with cooked ground beef with minced onion, a can of roasted diced tomato with garlic and basil from HUNTS or a thinned with a little water spaghetti sauce mixed in and bake for 2o minutes@350 and then top with motzarella cheese and a little sprinkle of italian spice blend bake a little more to melt the cheese. Serve with garlic bread and salad!
Comment left on December 30, 2007 @ 7:06 pm
Mexican macaroni and cheese casserole
Make some taco meat according to your fave taco spice package
add 1/2 lb of velveeta cubed or a can of Campbell’s cheddar soup to the leftover mac and cheese mix it all together put in the oven or microwave and heat until all cheese is melted and bubbly. Serve with spanish rice and a salad.
Comment left on December 30, 2007 @ 7:09 pm
Sorry about the spaghettios, no one in my house will touch them.
But I will be happy to give leftover spaghetti noodle recipes for both spaghetti plain and already sauced pasta. Just email me.
Also email for leftover chicken, turkey recipes like quesadillas, fajitas, tetrazzini, divan, soups, tacos, enchiladas, casseroles ect.
Comment left on December 30, 2007 @ 7:13 pm