Friday Night Mash Ups

Friday means the end of the busy work week. Some celebrate by going out with friends and co workers, others order in pizza or Chinese. However there are the stalwart home chefs who still want to cook. Yet what's there to make? A week of leftovers can provide chefs with some interesting new creations.The best part is that they're easy to make , even better it's a home cooked meal, enjoyed with family.

If you have left over meat, whether chicken or steak, cut it up into bite sized pieces and make it the protein in chopped salad. This is an easy mix of leftovers and canned veggies Add already chopped fresh salad along with some sesame seeds and croutons for crunch and texture. It's also a great way of getting rid of eggs. Hard boil them and then slice them. Eggs can also be made into egg salad for sandwiches. Amp them up by serving them on croissants bought from the local Dunkin Donuts.Ham  and chicken salad are also easy to make , especially if you use devilled ham or chicken and mayo.You could also make this with any leftover roasts too. What about those cold cuts used for brown bag lunches? Heroes! Create a truly great one with all those salami, cappicola and prosciutto slices. Add tomatoes , along with different cheeses for a simple yet fun dinner.A chef 's salad is another way of getting rid of those uneaten slices.

A lot of sides can also be repurposed into main meals .Mashed potatoes can be turned into mouth watering croquettes Take spoonfuls of mashed potatoes and mix with beaten eggs (use one egg for every cup of mash) , and parsley. Roll into balls and them roll into breadcrumbs. Using your palm, smash them lightly and fry in oil or margarine. Serve with dipping sauces. Leftover rice can be repurposed this way too, in the form of arancini or little oranges in Italian. As with the potatoes, mix in egg and bread crumbs and fry until crisp. You can put ham or mozzarella in he center for more flavor. This is a great recipe for getting rid of leftover risotto. Leftover corn can be made into a yummy chowder along with being turned into a cold salad. All those veggie sides can be cooked together to create a vegan stew. Just add tomato paste to stretch it and give it more flavor.  serve it with crusty French or Italian bread for dipping.

It's Friday! Time to get creative with all those leftovers from the week past. Make a fun salad or spread or a tasty stew everyone will love!