Tuesday, July 5, 2011

BBQ leftovers, my mealtime Bff

I love leftovers, in fact I have been known to throw a few extra drumsticks on the BBQ in preparation for the next nights dinner. It's an easy shortcut and will help with weekly meal planning. Here are a few of my favorite tricks. 

Brats and sausages: These are great for making a morning scramble, a classic quiche or even a nice brinner.   To start, slice your brats into coins or chop into small pieces. Mix into some scrambled eggs and throw in a pan. If I have some, I like to mix in some chopped peppers, onion and mushroom too. Serve on top of toast or a pile of hash browns and you have a quick, tasty breakfast. 

Chicken: First off, I have found that bone in chicken is much more versatile for leftovers because the bone adds flavor and holds in moisture. You can get some pretty awesome deals on family packs of drumsticks, thighs and breasts. I like to have my husband BBQ these up, or I will do a simple oven roast. For the second meal, I like to pull all the meat off the bone. If we want something spicy I will simmer the chicken for about 30 minutes in a mixture of 1/2 cup water, 1 tbsp red pepper, salt and pepper to taste, 1 tsp cumin and a few dashes of hot sauce. This spicy chicken breaks down into a "pulled chicken" which is great for tacos, burritos, sandwiches and nachos! 

Ham: I really hate ham, but we always seem to end up with pounds of this stuff after Easter and Christmas. I can't stand to waste food so my go to is to make a nice split pea or bean soup out of the stuff. If I don't have time to soak the beans overnight and let the soup simmer all day, I chop it up and make a classic quiche! Just line a pie pan with a simple crust (I actually go store bought on the crust) mix together the chopped ham, some diced green chilies, 1 cup milk, 4-6 eggs and about a cup of shredded cheese. Throw it in the pie crust and bake at 350 for about 30-40 minutes.