Last week was a busy one, with a sick kitty and last-minute blog posts. With a little menu re-arrangement, we were able to have all seven dinners that I planned! Last week, I focused on getting the most out of shopping dollar by re-purposing our leftovers into new meals my family wouldn't balk at. It must have worked, because I got compliments and thumbs-up on the meals that the kids said were "just ok" the first time around.
Utilizing leftovers: Stewed Chicken with Lentils and Tomatoes got transformed into Chicken and Lentil Soup, which later got topped with drop parmesan biscuits and baked into Chicken and Lentil Biscuit Bake.
Tips for using up your leftovers:
Cooking a whole chicken or a roast?
- Have a go-to meal later in the week that utilizes a pre-cooked protein. If you cooked more than enough for one leftover meal, consider portioning and freezing.
Extra roasted vegetables?
- Make a roasted vegetable frittata or create a simple soup.
Extra produce in the crisper?
- Julienne, sauté, and use as a flavor base for pasta. Toss with a quick sauce and you have a quick meatless dinner.
Shopping your fridge and pantry for leftovers to create new dinners is a sure way to please your family, and you might even come up with new favorite meals! It also reduces spending and food waste, and those mystery containers lurking in the back of your fridge (Where Good Food Turns Bad, the sequel). For more tips on reducing food waste, see this post by CarrieElle.com.
Monday
Sweet Potato Frittata with goat cheese
Green Salad
Meatless Monday! Chipotle chili powder gives this frittata a bit of heat with the sweet, while goat cheese adds a tangy creaminess. Frittata also makes great quick lunches, if there is any left over!
Tuesday
Whole Roasted Chicken
Roasted root vegetables
Roasted chicken is one of those simple dinners that is timeless. We will use any leftover chicken later in the week and any leftover veggies will go into eggs for breakfast.
Wednesday
These roll-ups are kid-friendly, and they won't recognize the Swiss chard that I tuck in instead of spinach.
Thursday
Green Chicken Enchiladas
Rice and beans
Leftover chicken, ta-da! Shred up any leftover chicken from Tuesday and create enchiladas with green enchilada sauce. We kick ours up with more green chilies, because we like ours spicy!
Friday
Wildcard Leftover Night
Time to clean out the fridge for Sunday's big game!
Saturday
Grilled Steak
Mushroom, Pepper, and Onion Kabobs
If there are any leftovers, they will be turned into cheesesteak sandwiches, yum!
Sunday
Spaghetti with meat sauce
Garlic bread
Green salad
If we aren't too filled up with snacks while watching the game, we'll have a family-pleasing spaghetti night.
What are your dinner plans for the week? Be sure to visit Creative Mama Messy House on Facebook and join in on the conversation!
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