Barbeque Chicken Pizza

This is quick and a great use for leftover chicken! Pile on the chicken, go easy on the cheese, and have a big salad on the side, and it's pretty healthy, too. 

BBQ Chicken Pizza

Homemade or store bought pizza crust (I used a thin one from my Walmart bakery)
Rotisserie chicken, white meat diced
1/2 cup barbeque sauce (I like the sauce from Rendevous in Memphis)
Fresh mozzarella cheese, very thinly sliced
1/2 whole red onion, cut in half and sliced thinly
chopped cilantro, to taste

Heat oven to 450 degrees.  Spoon a couple of tablespoons of BBQ sauce on the crust and spread it evenly. Top sauce with half the sliced mozzarella. Sprinkle on half the diced chicken and thinly sliced red onion.
Sprinkle with a little salt, about a tablespoon more of BBQ sauce, and then bake for 10-12 minutes, or until crust is golden brown and toppings are bubbly.
Remove from the oven and sprinkle on plenty of chopped cilantro.

Ravioli with Sauteed Brussels Sprouts and Golden Raisins

 

This is the best left-overs meal I think I've ever made! I was trying to use up some stuff in the fridge and based the recipe on this Caramelized Brussels Sprouts recipe (which I thought was a little too sweet, by the way).

Ravioli with Sauteed Brussels Sprouts and Golden Raisins

serves 4-5

1 package refrigerated cheese ravioli

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 pound Brussels sprouts, thinly sliced

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

1/2 cup coarsely chopped pecans

1/2 cup golden raisins

salt and pepper

freshly grated Parmesan cheese, for serving

Cook ravioli according to package directions. Meanwhile, cook garlic in olive oil for a few seconds and then add the Brussels sprouts.  Saute for 5-7 minutes, or until tender.  Add pecans and raisins and stir.  Toast the pecans in the pan for a minute or so. Take the pan off the heat, add the vinegar, stir, and toss with ravioli.  Garnish with Parmesan cheese.

Sweet Potato, Black Bean, and Green Chile Enchiladas

My friend, said that if she were on death row (I wonder what got here there??), these enchiladas might be her last meal.  Yep, they are good.  But I'd say they are a little too healthy to be my LAST meal....I'd probably choose something with way more cheese and fat.  Anyway, this is a great recipe for the leftover Slow Cooker Black Beans from last night.  The kids had just beans and a cheese quesadilla instead, because I wasn't sure they'd go for the salsa verde (you know they immediately start making gagging noises at the sight of something green these days).

Sweet Potato and Black Bean Enchiladas (from here)

2 large sweet potatoes
2 cups leftover Slow Cooker Black Beans
1 cup diced green chilies (2 small cans)
About 2 cups salsa verde
8 oz. Monterrey jack cheese, shredded
10 flour tortillas
Salt and pepper
Sour cream, one lime, and fresh cilantro, to garnish

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Peel and dice the sweet potato. Place in a pot and cover with water; add a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil and cook until tender, around 12 to 15 minutes.

In a large bowl, combine the cooked sweet potato, black beans, diced green chilies, salt and pepper. Mix to combine.
In a large baking dish, spread 1 cup of the salsa verde.  Fill each tortilla with a scoop of the filling, add a handful of cheese, and roll it up. Place the enchilada seam-side down in the baking dish. Repeat for the remaining tortillas. When all enchiladas are in the dish, top with the remaining cup of salsa verde and the remaining cheese.

Place in the oven and bake for 20 minutes, until the cheese is melted.

Serve, garnished with sour cream (mixed with the juice of a lime to loosen it) and chopped cilantro.

Crock Pot Pinto Beans

These beans cook for 20 hours:  overnight and through the day until dinnertime.   It's a long time, but the prep time is less than 5 minutes.  Can't beat that, right?  They are so good this way; the beans are creamy but not mushy, and you can really taste the smokiness of the ham. 

Crock Pot Pintos

1 pound of dried pinto beans
1 ham hock/bone (from leftover ham from Tuesday)
1/2 onion, as a chunk so you can remove it later
2 whole cloves of garlic
8 cups of water
8 beef bouillon cubes (you could also use beef broth if you have a thing against bouillon)

Rinse the dry beans (check for rocks) in the morning the day before you want to eat them, cover with water, and let them soak throughout the day.  That night, rinse them again and put them in the crock pot with the remaining ingredients.  Make sure the water covers the beans by a couple of inches.  Cook on low all night and through the next day (about 20 hours).  Remove and discard the ham hock, onion and garlic.  Serve with shredded cheese, avocado, and a little fresh lime juice (sour cream, tomatoes, and green onions are all good on top, too).

Ham and Cheese Frittata

This post should be subtitled: I was too exhausted to cook dinner because I spent the day at the pumpkin patch with 100 kindergarteners.  Wow, I don't know how teachers do it every day.  They certainly don't make enough for what they do!  

Ham and Cheese Frittata (serves 2)

1/2 Vidalia onion, chopped
1/2 cup-1 cup chopped leftover ham
6 eggs (I use 3 whites and 3 whole eggs)
splash of skim milk
2 slices cheddar cheese
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

Preheat broiler to high.  Saute onion in a drizzle of olive oil in a non stick pan until lightly browned.  Add ham and stir until ham is heated through, less than a minute.  Add eggs beaten with skim milk and stir for about a minute.  Let the frittata cook for about 3-4 minutes, or until eggs begin to set.  Add the cheddar cheese to the top, then put the entire pan under the broiler until browned and fluffy.   Add the chopped basil and Parmesan cheese and cut into wedges to serve. 

Simple Salmon

I did a whole post about where to buy salmon locally in Arkansas and how to cook it back in January when I wasn't too hot to type.  But today, I'm just too darn hot to blog. 

I made Simple Salmon for dinner, along with a spinach and arugula side salad tossed with leftover marinated tomatoes.  I'm in love with those tomatoes, have I mentioned it? Now I'm sitting inside for the evening in my comfy air conditioning.

Farfalle with Arugula Pesto

Remember the Arugula Pesto from Monday's sandwich?  I made a quick pasta for dinner tonight using farfalle (bowtie pasta), leftover Arugula Pesto, and freshly grated parm cheese.  The kids gobbled it up!  I like to use the Barilla Plus pasta in the yellow box because it has more protein and fiber than regular pastas without it being grainy like whole wheat pasta.

We also had leftover bread from the sandwiches that I made into garlic bread by slathering it with butter and sprinkling on garlic salt.

Oh, I almost forgot! See that little salad just dressed with olive oil and red wine vinegar?   See the red pepper on top?  That came from my Mother's Day Garden! The deer and bunnies are really enjoying all my tomatoes, strawberries, lettuce, and zucchini, but I guess they don't care for peppers.  It's all that's left! And this one was the most beautiful and delicious pepper I've ever had. Ok, not really, but it was so cool to pick it from the garden and eat it!

Leftovers Frittata with Bacon

I had such a fun morning making boxed lunches for the NWA Bloggers Meetup today (I'll talk about that later this week),  but I didn't really think ahead to dinner...oops.  Leftover time!!

I love frittatas because you can really add most any meat, vegetables, and cheese you have to some eggs and call it dinner.  Tonight, it was bacon, fresh tomatoes, green onions, orange peppers, and mozzarella cheese.  We also had an arugula salad with my favorite honey vinaigrette, goat cheese, and almonds.

Leftovers Frittata with Bacon

Preheat broiler to high.

Using a nonstick skillet, brown 3 slices of bacon, chopped (I like to use kitchen scissors to "chop" bacon). 

Drain excess fat if there is more than a couple of teaspoons after the bacon is cooked. Add whatever raw veggies you are using (I used fresh tomatoes, green onions, and orange peppers) and cook until soft. 

Meanwhile, whisk 2 eggs per person (I use one whole egg and one egg white per person) with a little milk, and salt and pepper. Pour egg mixture into pan with bacon and vegetables and stir.  Cook for 4-5 minutes until the egg mixture has set on the bottom and begins to set on top. Sprinkle top with mozzarella cheese.

Place pan under the broiler for a few minutes until lightly browned and fluffy. Watch it closely!
Serve by cutting like a pie and with a salad.

Nachos made with Homemade Taco Seasoning Mix

I wish I could say that I made this taco seasoning mix because the stuff in the yellow packet is so unhealthy or so I could save money.  But really, I just made it up because I'm home alone with a sick child and I had to have leftovers for dinner... But now that I've made it, I'm glad I did! The yellow packet stuff is truly full of unpronounceable ingredients and it's like a dollar and ounce. 

When you make up the taco meat, don't forget to add salt, because there isn't any in the mix.

Homemade Taco Seasoning Mix

Yield: Enough to season about 7 lb. of ground meat
Prep Time: 5 minutes

4 tablespoons chili powder
3 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon paprika
3 tablespoons cumin
1 tablespoon + 2 teaspoons onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper


1. Whisk together all of the ingredients in a small bowl.
2. Over medium heat, brown 1 lb. of ground beef and drain. Add 2 tablespoons of seasoning mix and ¾ cup water and 1 tsp salt to the ground beef. Simmer, stirring frequently, until the sauce thickens and coats the beef, and there is not much liquid left.
3. Store remaining seasoning mix in an airtight container at room temperature.


Nachos
I really don't think I even need to say this: put chips on a cookie sheet, cover with taco meat and cheese.  Broil until bubbly, one minute. Top with salsa, sour cream, tomatoes, cilantro.  Duh, right?

Creamy Pesto Penne

Pesto is so good during the summer, but it can get a little boring on pasta.  So tonight, I added some cream cheese to leftover pesto....We ate by the pool and it was a great summer meal.

Creamy Pesto Penne
3/4 lb whole wheat or enriched penne
1/2 cup pesto
1/2 cup lowfat cream cheese
heavy cream, half and half, or milk
fresh basil

Boil the penne in salted water and drain when done.  Meanwhile, melt the cream cheese with the pesto.  Thin with whipping cream, half and half, or milk until desired consistency.   Toss drained penne with the sauce and top with fresh basil.

Potato and Mushroom Frittata

Got a bunch of leftovers in the fridge?  Then it's the perfect night for a frittata.  You can put anything in it and it works, and it's really fast.  You can also serve a frittata for breakfast, lunch, or brunch, too. 

I made mine with leftover potatoes from a local restaurant, fresh mushrooms, rosemary, chives, and goat cheese. 

Basic Frittata

Preheat broiler to high.

Using a nonstick skillet, cook on medium high heat whatever raw veggies you have with a little olive oil until almost done.  Add any leftover meats, potatoes, or pasta and cook until warmed through.  Meanwhile, whisk 2 eggs per person (I use one whole egg and one egg white per person) with a little milk, salt and pepper, a dash of hot sauce, and any herbs you are using. Pour egg mixture into pan with meat and vegetables and stir.  Cook for 4-5 minutes until the egg mixture has set on the bottom and begins to set on top. Sprinkle top with any cheese you like.
Place pan under the broiler for a few minutes until lightly browned and fluffy. Watch it closely!
Serve by cutting like a pie and with a salad.

Open Faced Roast Beef Sandwiches/SOS

Open Faced Roast Beef Sandwiches are my favorite leftover!  Gravy is typically reserved for Thanksgiving in our house, but sometimes you just need gravy.
Both my dad and John's dad were in the armed forces in the 60s, and tell of a special meal they were served called SOS.  SOS can stand for various things....same ol' stuff, stew on a shingle (toast), or what they crudely call it, sh$t on a shingle.  It's chipped beef with a white gravy served on toast. We were laughing that we ate SOS tonight!

Gravy 101

There are so many ways to make gravy.  Once you learn the basic technique, you make any kind of sauce! Here's how I do it:

Start with a roux (pronounced roo). Melt 2 tablespoons of butter with 2 tablespoons of flour.*  Cook over medium heat, stirring, until the roux is medium brown.   Add about 1/2 cup of leftover cooking liquid from the roast (or beef stock) and whisk until thick.  Add another cup of liquid, bring to a boil, and whisk out the lumps.  If it's lumpy, add some more liquid and keep whisking.  When it's as thick as you want it, you've got gravy.   Don't forget salt and pepper.

*Use the one to one ratio with any fat such as bacon fat, turkey drippings, breakfast sausage drippings, or olive oil.
*For the liquid, use chicken or beef stock, or milk to make white gravy for biscuits.

Freezer Turkey Chili with White Beans

I had to spend the majority of the day steam cleaning the sofa (go-gurts don't just wipe off of upholstery come to find out), so I was so happy to have White Bean Turkey Chili in the freezer for dinner tonight.  I just thawed it in the microwave, then put it on the stove to simmer until we were ready to eat.  We added some shredded sharp cheddar cheese, sour cream, and a little cilantro to the serving bowls.

Feta, Potato, and Rosemary Grilled Pizza

Have you ever grilled a pizza?  You must try it!

The dough:
I've made dough from scratch before and I've also used the refrigerated dough, but really, that's all just too much for a weeknight dinner as far as I'm concerned.  The Walmart bakery has a premade thin pizza crust they call "napoli style" that is perfect for grilling.  It's thick enough that it doesn't burn and thin enough to get good and crunchy. 

The toppings:
I made a cheese pizza for the kids that was just spaghetti sauce and mozzarella.  For John and me, I copied a pizza I love at ZAZA in Little Rock: Feta, Potato, and Rosemary. The ingredients are olive oil (instead of sauce), caramelized onions (I made these earlier in the day because it takes 20 minutes or so), feta cheese, leftover potatoes, cherry tomatoes, fresh lemon juice, and rosemary (also leftover from Tuesday). 

Grilling:
After grill is hot, grill top side of pizza crust first until brown.  Turn down the grill to low, flip the crust, put on all the toppings, and close the lid.  Cook until everything is hot, checking to make sure the bottom doesn't burn.  If it is burning, you can move the pizza off the direct heat. 

Refried Bean Quesadillas

You can make the leftover pinto beans into tacos, burritos, or quesadillas and it's really all the same.  Mash up the beans, add some cheese, and put it on a tortilla.  Dinner is served in about 5 minutes.  Perfect for a busy night!

Grilled Ham and Cheese

I was going to make a frittata (basically a baked omelette) with leftover ham, potatoes, and cheese for dinner, but I was out with the kids and when I got home John was making his special grilled cheese sandwiches with ham (I don't know what he does to them, but they are so good, and that's why we call them "special"!). Who can turn down a handsome husband who is cooking dinner for you? Not me! So the frittata will have to wait for another day.

We served the grilled ham and cheese sandwiches with raw veggies instead of chips.  We got into this habit a while back, and after a while you really don't miss the chips anymore.

See I told you I was going to use up all that ham!  I'm going to have the rest in an omelette for breakfast.  

Steakhouse Salad

The big salad is my favorite way to eat leftover steak. We didn't have much leftover, so the kids had baked potatoes last night while John and I ate this deliciousness. 

Steakhouse Salad

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/3 cup olive oil
1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon honey

Shake in a jar or wisk to combine.

Toss salad greens with dressing and add crumbled blue cheese and steak. Salt and pepper to taste.

Chicken and Corn Chowder (subtitled Not My Best Effort)

Chicken and Corn Chowder
Adapted from Southern Living

1 small onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 (4.5-ounce) can chopped green chiles, undrained
2 cups half-and-half
2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
2 (14 3/4-ounce) cans cream-style corn

Leftover roasted chicken
3 dashes hot sauce
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Saute onion, garlic, and green chiles 10 minutes. Stir in everything else except cilantro and cook over low heat, stirring often, 15 minutes. Stir in cilantro. I use a lot because we like cilantro.

I decided to go for a run at 4:30 pm (and by "decided" I mean my husband got home early from work and I immediately darted out of the house for a little quiet after a snow day at home with the kids), which meant by the time I took way too long a shower and it was after 6:00 and the kids were starving.  So....they ate those frozen Kids Cuisine meals.  I only have them in the house as a dinner treat when we have a babysitter.   But I was desperate!   And they were happy.  Oh, and while the "dinners" were in the microwave, they ate 2 cookies each.  Yep, that's what happened.  Confession over.

So then I started in on our dinner.  Chicken and Corn Chowder: the creamy, delicious soup I know is so bad for me that I save for really cold days.   As I was opening the fat free half and half (the 1996 version of myself who loved those SnackWells cookies can't resist a fat free label), I noticed the second ingredient was corn syrup.   Huh?!  And then I looked at the label on the cream corn: sugar.  I totally thought cream corn was just corn.  I don't ever ever ever buy canned vegetables except for this recipe, but I thought canned vegetables were just vegetables.  Wrong again.  Lesson learned.

Hot Roast Beef Sandwiches

Leftover roast beef, sourdough bread, monterey jack cheese, melted in oven.  Dinner is served in about 5 minutes.

I served this with hummus and red peppers.

This picture is of my plate.  I typically eat more veggies than the rest of my family and I only eat half a sandwich.  The husband ate a whole one and the kids ate theirs disassembled.