Mixer Time

It's amazing what a fridge,, freezer and pantry can yield up. A home chef can whip up anything , from meals to snacks to desserts.It's just being knowledgeable and creative along with being fearless.Let the spirit move you.

One of the best mix in's is cheese, especially Sargento's.Their bags of shredded cheddar, mozzarella and Mexican blends are perfect for adding creaminess and flavor to omelets and salads. For a fun and tasty brunch or lunch idea, combine chorizo with Sargento's Mexican shreds and beaten eggs.It makes for a delicious and spicy omelet which can even be turned into filler for a sandwich. One tasty idea is a "cold' pizza. Stir Sargento's mozzarella shreds with sun dried tomatoes and olive oil. Add a dash of oregano and spoon over slices of Italian bread. It's the perfect Friday or Saturday night supper on a hot August day. The dried tomatoes with olive oil is also great mixed with finely chopped yellow onion. Add cubes of Italian bread for a take on the classic Neopolitan bread salad.Any color of chopped pepper is a great mixer. Cook it up with sausage or even serve it cold with salami.Another versatile mixer is canned corn, either plain or fiesta style. It can be added to instant potato soup for more color or flavor or fried with onions and turmeric to create a tasty side dish or snack.

Sweet odds and ends can also be combined to form a treat.One of my favorites involves broken Nabisco chocolate wafers, strawberries, blueberries and whipped cream.It's layering  the wafer bits with the fruit and topping with aerosol whipped cream for my take on Eton Mess (which I have made too with the wafers, my aquafaba meringue disaster and whipped cream) The same principle can apply to Nabisco's Nilla wafers and blueberries for a different blend of sweet and fruity. Clever home chefs can create their own personal trifles by filling a sundae dish or with layers of leftover pound cake and whatever ice cream is in the freezer.It's a great  way of getting rid of those last scoops.You can also do the same with Eggo waffles and ice cream.Blitz any M&M's or Juniors Mints in  a mini chopper and mix into the ice cream  for a true treat. Want something a bit more healthier? Then chop up strawberries and bananas and layer them with ice cream for a yummy parfait. Toss in some granola for  crunch and texture for an entirely different spin.

Mixing allows home chefs to test their creativity - along with getting rid of those edible odds and ends. It's amazing what a cup of this married to a teaspoon of that will yield. Try your own variations and have fun doing so,