The Creative Cooking Stretch

As mentioned before I like to cook creatively- a little of this, a little of that, using leftovers to create new dishes...yes, I do have flops every once in awhile (used to have them more frequently but practice helps).  I am excited to share with you a creative cooking stretch that I just did that made two meals into four!  We can all benefit from stretching our meals and budget, right?!

Creamy Chicken Casserole
Cook enough rice to feed your family and a little bit more
Then add one large can of cream of chicken soup
1 large can of canned chicken (drained almost all the way)
1 cup of sour cream
Frozen peas (cooked), about a cup
Season with sea salt, pepper, and Italian seasonings
Mix together and put in a lightly greased baking dish
Crush a row of crackers and put them on top of the mixture (do not mix them in)
Melt 3-4 Tbsp. of unsalted butter and pour over crushed crackers
Bake on 350 for 25-30 minutes (make enough to have about 1/3 of the casserole leftover for another recipe)


Pizza Pasta Bake
Brown 1 lb. of hamburger (put 1/2 to 3/4 of the cooked beef in this recipe and save the rest for another) and season with seasonings listed below (minus the brown sugar)
Cook enough pasta to feed your family and a little bit more
Place pasta in a baking dish
Add pepperoni in with the pasta (mix it in)
Add 1/2 to 3/4 of the meat to the pasta
In a bowl mix 1 or 2 jars of pizza sauce and one large can of diced flavored tomatoes (undrained)
Add Italian and/or pizza seasonings, dried fennel, and dried or fresh basil, a bit of salt and  1 tablespoon of brown sugar
Pour mixture over pasta and mix
Add your favorite white cheese (shredded) to the top
Bake 20-25 minutes on 350 (save 1/3 to 1/2 of a pan for another recipe)

Serve with fresh or frozen green beans as a side (save several cups of beans for another recipe)


Baked Potato Soup
Prepare about 5-6 potatoes (boil them for about 15-20 minutes and then cut off skin and dice up the insides)
Melt 4 Tbsp. of unsalted butter over medium to low heat
Add fresh or dried chives to melted butter
Add 1 tsp. dill and 1/2 tsp. salt and 1/2 tsp. pepper
Add 4 heaping Tbsp. flour and mix thoroughly
Add 4 cups of milk
Let it get thick and bubbly (watch closely)
Then add potatoes and 1 cup of shredded cheese to the base
After 5 minutes or so add the leftover creamy chicken casserole to the soup
Cook for about 10 minutes more (watch closely)
Serve with more shredded cheddar cheese and crumbled bacon on top

Italian Garden Soup
Put about 6-8 cups of water in a big pot on medium heat
Add 2 tablespoons of beef base
Add a hearty amount of Italian seasonings, salt pepper, a bit of garlic, celery salt (season to your liking- the more the better)
Add 1 tbsp. cooking oil (whatever kind you have on hand)
Let broth heat up for about 10 minutes
Add leftover green beans, ground, beef, and pizza pasta bake to soup.
Stir and heat for about 20 minutes.

Serve with another row of crackers for dipping or topping.

So there you have it.  Cook two dinners and use the leftovers for two batches of soup, which could be used for two more lunches or dinners.  Most often your family doesn't realize they are eating leftovers because you have transformed them!:)  Let me know if you have questions and I would love to hear the ways you transform leftovers and stretch them creatively.