Judy Dodd, MS, RD, LDN, Giant Eagle^® Corporate Nutritionist

“Leftovers” bring to mind those bits and pieces of food that get pushed to the back of the refrigerator to spoil. However, “leftovers” can also be creative, nourishing meals made with extra portions of holiday foods, and they save you time and money, too.

Here are some ideas to get you started:

• During the holidays, prepare enough meat to make multiple meals. Extra turkey, ham, beef, or stuffing seldom go to waste — and make great additions to salads and casseroles.
• Take the time to separate, refrigerate and freeze extra portions of holiday foods to ensure food safety and quality.
• Start a “soup pot” collection. Cooked vegetables, meat, chicken, turkey, broth, and gravy freeze easily when divided up and placed in small freezer bags. Once frozen, put your soup ingredients in a larger container, and thaw them whenever you want to make soup or stew.
• Use extra holiday foods to fortify other foods or dishes. Add vegetables or meat to your favorite canned soup, your trusty macaroni and cheese recipe, or your weeknight casserole, and add nutrients and flavor. Looking for new ideas for pantry staples? A can of beans takes on a new look with some chopped meat or extra vegetables.
• Think creatively when it comes to extra cherries or berries, fresh veggies or herbs. What to do? Cook and freeze!
  • Place the cherries or berries in a microwave safe bowl and heat for three to four minutes. Sweeten to taste, and create a delicious fruit sauce for ice cream or flavor for a smoothie.
  • Place chopped, fresh herbs in ice cube trays, cover with water (or broth) and freeze. When thawed, fresh herbs make great additions to sauces, soups and stews.
  • Grill or roast red or green bell peppers and onions. Once they cool, freeze them and use them to flavor your favorite dishes.
• Perform a food makeover on yesterday’s meal, but do it within three days to prevent spoiling.
  • Combine mashed potatoes with a beaten egg, chopped onions, vegetables, and seasonings. Form into potato cakes and sauté on top of your range. Alternatively, oven fry the potatoes for a tasty treat. (Tip: To oven-fry, spray the potato cakes with vegetable oil spray, place on a baking sheet and bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 15-20 minutes.)
  • Create a stir-fry with leftover turkey, beef, chicken, pork, or shrimp. Add a package of stir-fry vegetables from the freezer, or create your own mix of mushrooms, celery, onions, bell peppers, zucchini, and a can of sliced water chestnuts. Moisten your stir-fry with Giant Eagle^® broth and season to taste (a touch of ground ginger root is nice). Serve your stir-fry over cooked brown rice or noodles.
  • Create your own savory salad for sandwiches. Use your food processor or grinder to finely shred leftover turkey, chicken, ham, beef, or pork. Freeze your shredded meat until you're ready to use it. Create your salad by combining meat with pickle relish, mayonnaise and seasonings.

Need recipes or more ideas? Contact one of our registered dietitians at Nutrition@gianteagle.com.

December 2010