The Reinvention of Leftovers

I am always looking for creative ways to reinvent leftovers - this a big part of how I keep to a strict weekly grocery budget of $100-$150 a week. I make sure to use my leftovers instead of cooking every night and watching them just go to waste. It totally kills me when I throw away all my culinary creations on Monday morning to take out to the trash. It's a big money waster as well. So instead I plan all my meals a week at a time with leftovers included. It saves me a lot of time as well. 

Here is a recipe I found Family Friendly Food that I can't wait to try. I often will buy an already roasted Chicken from Costco - they are really good and already cooked and give me a lot of options that don't take any time whatsoever.

Creamy Orecchiette with Roasted Vegetables, Chicken, and Leafy Greens



Leftovers:
1/2 onion, small chopped
1/3 roasted whole chicken, pulled/cut to large bite-size pieces
3 breakfast sausages, diced
3-4 cups roasted vegetables (potatoes, yams, sweet potatoes, rutabagas), diced if not already
Blanched kale and chard, chopped
½ cup crème fraiche  (substitute with heavy cream.)
1/3 cup grated cheese (mozzarella, monterrey jack, or parmesean)

Pantry items:
Olive oil
1 clove garlic
½ box of orecchiette or any kind of short pasta


Bring water and salt to a boil and cook the pasta according to the instructions on the box.
Meanwhile, in a big big skillet sauté onion in olive oil until it softens. Add the garlic clove. Move to the side of the skillet and add the leftovers. Warm it all up good.
When pasta is ready, drain and add to the leftovers, add salt, ground black pepper, and crème fraiche. Mix and toss it all together. Serve with grated cheese.

Makes 6 servings