by Meredith Davises

Created on: September 06, 2009

The most creative way of using leftover food is to present it at a different meal setting. Leftover dinner mashed potatoes can be used to make a potato pancake for breakfast or a potato patty instead of a side of hash browns. They can also be used to make mini potato muffins for lunch served with a salad or bowl of soup.

Sloppy Joe or barbeque shredded pork are common leftovers. Sloppy Joe mixed with a few fresh herbs and rice can be used in a stuffed bell pepper. Top the bell with a crumb topping and cheese and it will be enjoyed. You can stir-fry onions and peppers and add them as a topping over shredded pork and rice.

Add some taco seasoning and/or green chilies to Sloppy Joe and you can use it for a southwestern omelet, nachos, and enchiladas. You can also add some dry onion soup mix and grated parmesan to Sloppy Joe to use it in a lasagna or goulash.

Chili seasoning, beans, and kernel corn can be added to Sloppy Joe for a skillet dinner or casserole. You can top the casserole with cornbread or biscuits before you bake it.

Make a wrap with leftover shredded pork by mixing it with some cream cheese. Place olives and sweet red onion over the pork and wrap. You can also fry cabbage with ginger and place it and shredded pork in an egg roll wrapper and bake.

Turkey and ham are also two common leftovers. If you have both, you can make a cordon bleu casserole. Ham can be fried or grilled for breakfast or added to country gravy and served with biscuits.

When adding cooked turkey to a skillet dinner or soup, add it last since it is fully cooked and only needs to be warmed, you don't want to over cook it.

Leftovers like lamb with mint sauce, duck with orange, or salmon with ginger can sometimes best be served as is with fresh new sides. The duck might appear more appetizing with a side of sesame noodles and the lamb with a hearty vegetable soup. Crisp oriental vegetables may be served with the salmon.

You may have unexpected leftovers if your freezer stops working and sounds the alarm. Every thing may need to be cooked quickly and refrigerated. Unfortunately you don't have much choice in the cooking methods. It's all about saving the food. Steaks have to be cooked medium to well done.

Now every thing you own is an unseasoned leftover and nothing is tender unless you borrowed twenty slow cookers. In the process of cooking, cooling, and refrigerating these foods, you may have replaced your freezer and can freeze the cooked food but do so in small portions without removing the bone(s).

Some of these meat products can be marinated before it is reheated which will help tenderize and add some flavor and moisture. Steaming rather than simmering or baking also helps to tenderize and preserve more of the natural juices. On the bright side, your leftovers have a longer life in the freezer after they have been cooked.

Leftover garden salads, potato salads, egg salads and tuna salads can be incorporated into a sandwich. An egg salad can be served on a croissant roll with ham or bacon and served at breakfast if it doesn't contain too much onion. A garden salad without dressing can be chopped and added to a cold soup. Potato salad can be added to a pita pocket that is filled with cold deli meats. Tuna salad can often be rescued by adding a few cashews or currants and serving on a fresh patty shell.

Dealing with leftover desserts is extremely rare. A chocolate cake can be sliced, frozen, and made into ice cream sandwiches. An apple crisp or peach cobbler can be used to top hot cereals like oatmeal at breakfast. Fruit cake can be cubed and made into bread pudding. You can use jelly filled donuts to make banana splits.

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