by Alexandra Heep

Created on: September 09, 2008

HOW TO KEEP YOUR DOGGIE BAG FROM GOING TO THE DOGS

How many of you have taken home leftovers from a restaurant, stuck them in the fridge, and days later thrown them out because even the dog turned its nose up at the content of the "doggie" bag? Fear not, there are some easy ways to create snacks or meals using restaurant leftovers. Most importantly, this does not involve fancy ingredients or a lot of time.

The biggest challenge seems to be the soggy fries. It's a mystery how something that smells and tastes so good while served fresh in the restaurant can turn into the most unappetizing limp tasteless mess within hours.

Here is a way to turn leftover fries into a good-smelling, appetizing concoction. This recipe works even if there are stray items such as chicken wings, chicken fingers, popcorn shrimp or even most appetizers mixed in. The ingredients needed for this recipe are:

2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup milk
1 cup shredded cheese (any pre-packaged type will do)
1 chipotle pepper
seasonings (such as black pepper, red pepper, salt, or whatever you prefer)

Turn your oven on to 375 F and let it heat up nicely. Depending on your type of stove, probably around 15 20 minutes. It's very important to let the oven heat up all the way. Line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil and spray the foil with a non-stick cooking spray. Spread out the fries in a single layer. Now, turn the oven off. This is very important! Slide the cookie sheet on the center rack and close the oven door.

Melt the butter in a saucepan on low heat. Add the flour and whisk together briskly with a wire whisk. Pour in the milk carefully and heat until the mixture bubbles. Turn heat off and add the shredded cheese. While the mixture thickens, cut up your chipotle and mix it in. Add seasonings to taste.

Your fries will be ready once they start smelling nicely. Don't open the oven door during the cooking process, or valuable heat will escape. Don't worry, you can't burn or overcook them as the heat is turned off. The actual time varies by your equipment, but just go by smell. This should take around ten minutes or so.

Once you remove the fries from the oven, transfer them to a plate. Top with the cheese sauce and you will have a delicious meal. The sauce should make enough for two servings. If you want to make more, just adjust the ingredients proportionally. If you want to make less, still use the two tablespoons butter to two tablespoons flour, any less may burn the pan.

Suggestion/modifications/substitutions:

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