Using left-over foods for new meals

 How to use your left-over foods

We are all suffering from high cost foods, but how do we use everything we buy?

There are a few meals that are even better the next day, at least for us, including beef stew, lasagna, and spaghetti, but in today's world of high cost, those meals are stupid expensive for the average family. Sad isn't it, to say that spaghetti is now too expensive to make? But I digress...

I wanted to share some recipes with you for using some of your left over foods or maybe just some extras that did not get cooked, and you do not want them to go to waste.

Potatoes! One of what used to be the cheapest ingredients in your pantry. Now? They are climbing in cost. 

So, let's use them all up!

Recipe 1: Using left over baked potatoes and the odd slice of bacon.

Potatoes, cabbage, and ham

• ½ medium head cabbage, sliced
• 3 slices bacon, diced
• 1 onion, thinly sliced
• 1 cup cubed cooked ham
• 1 tablespoon butter or margarine. Though I do not ever use margarine.
• 3 cups potatoes - baked, cooled and thinly sliced
• ½ teaspoon paprika
• salt and pepper to taste

I save bacon grease. I have made this before with no meat, or just very little, but using bacon grease for flavoring. 

Directions

Instructions Checklist

• Step 1

  In a medium saucepan, cook cabbage in a small amount of water for about 5 minutes, or until tender. Drain, and set aside.

• Step 2

  In a well-seasoned cast iron skillet, cook bacon and onion until onion is soft and bacon is cooked. Add ham, and cook until heated through. Add butter, then mix in the cooked cabbage and potatoes. Season with paprika, salt, and pepper. Cook until browned on bottom, turn, and brown again.

Mashed Potato Pancakes

Ingredients

Ingredient Checklist

• 2 cups mashed potatoes
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 onion, finely diced
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, bacon grease, lard, or vegetable oil

Directions

Instructions Checklist

• Step 1

  Beat egg in a medium size mixing bowl. Mix egg and onion with mashed potatoes. Add salt and pepper.

• Step 2

  Heat olive oil in a medium size frying pan, over a medium heat. Scoop the potato mixture into the frying pan in 4 inch circles, pat with a spatula to flatten the mounds to approximately 1/2 to 1 inch thick. Cook until bottom is browned. Flip the patty over and brown on the other side.

Baked Potato Hashbrowns

Put your left over baked potatoes in the fridge after dinner.

Next morning, (or when you want them), peel, (or not), your potatoes.

Shred them into a bowl.

Add diced onion, (or not)

Add diced green pepper, (or not)

Add diced ham or bacon bits, (or not)

Mix carefully, trying not to mash the shredded potato. Does not matter if you do, but I prefer it all shredded.

Fry in your favorite frying pan, (I prefer cast iron), in bacon grease, butter, lard, or olive oil. Just enough to cover the bottom of the pan, you are not deep frying these. Crisp/brown them on each side, as much as you prefer.

I hope these recipes helped you.

Have a blessed day!