October 16, 2011: Any Leftovers With Any Pasta Recipes

Yesterday I shared with you a recipe I concocted to use leftover pork loin roast. Today I want to share with you several possible combinations of other types of leftover meat, vegetables, pasta and sauce.

Mexican Chicken

Protein: Leftover chicken, shredded

Vegetables: Black olives, tomatoes, yellow onion, garlic, jalapenos or green chile, bell pepper

Pasta: Fideo (or any type of tiny shaped pasta)

Sauce: Velveeta cheese

Garnish: Freshly chopped cilantro

Italian Sausage

Protein: Leftover smoked sausage or minced beef (steak, roast, etc.)

Vegetables: Tomatoes, garlic, white onion, mushrooms, black olives, bell pepper

Pasta: Spaghetti or gnocchi

Sauce: Tomato sauce

Garnish: Parmesan cheese and basil

Vegetarian

Protein: Black beans

Vegetables: Green onions, tomatoes, jalapenos, garlic, celery, mango

Pasta: Macaroni

Sauce: Pasta water and a bit of olive oil

Garnish: Crumbled cotija or goat cheese and cilantro

All American

Protein: Ham

Vegetables: Corn, peas, carrots

Pasta: Penne or farfalle

Sauce: Velveeta

Garnish: Minced parsley and bacon bits

These are just a few ideas for using leftovers with pasta. Hopefully this gives you further ideas of ways to take one night’s dinner and totally, yet easily, transform them into a brand new meal another night. Bon appétit!

Tip: Thicker, wider pastas work best with meats and lots of vegetables.

August 2, 2011: Ham and Potatoes Au Gratin Recipe

Here’s another simple casserole dish that’s easy to make with ingredients you probably already have on hand. Since I was gone over the weekend, I hadn’t gone grocery shopping for a while and that’s the reason I decided to make this dish before we left for my 30th high school reunion in Silver City, NM. It’s simple to put together and tasty – hope you enjoy it!

Ham and Potatoes Au Gratin

3 medium sized Yukon gold potatoes, thinly sliced
8 ounces ham, trimmed and cut into one inch cubes
2 t. dehydrated garlic
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
4 ounces cheddar cheese, grated
¾ cup milk

Preheat oven to 425 degrees and grease a casserole dish. Place one third of the potato slices in the bottom and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Top with one half of the ham, one half of the garlic and one third of the cheese. Add another layer of the same ingredients. End with remaining potato slices and cheese. Warm the milk in the microwave and pour over the casserole. Cover the dish and cook in the oven for 35 – 45 minutes, until potatoes are soft. Remove cover for last five minutes of cooking.

Serves 3 – 4

July 3, 2011: Grilled Ham Recipe

I know I’ve said it before but I’ll say it again – I love grilling in the summertime. It doesn’t heat up the kitchen and it’s much easier to clean up afterwards. But I get tired of the same old boring dishes – hamburgers, steaks, chicken, fish. So I came up with this easy recipe for ham.

Grilled Ham

1 pound cooked sliced ham
1/2 cup Ginger-Ale barbecue sauce (find  my Ginger Ale Barbecue Sauce recipe here)

Brush a bit of the barbecue sauce over each slice. Place on a hot grill, cooking each side for about a minute, just until warmed through and it has distinct grill marks. Remove to a platter and serve.

How easy is that? And it’s tasty, too! This might be a good option for your 4th of July barbecue.

May 18, 2011: Ham and Cheese Frittata Recipe

Looking for a breakfast recipe that is easy to prepare and feeds several people? A frittata is a wonderful way to feed your family before church or treat overnight guests with a morning meal sure to please anyone.

This recipe is based on a Lorraine Frittata, which uses bacon and Swiss cheese. My version, with ham and cheddar, is a bit lower in calories since it uses less fat and olive oil is a healthier alternative to bacon grease.

Ham and Cheese Frittata served with garlic cheddar biscuits and heirloom tomato slices

Ham and Cheese Frittata

½ pound sliced ham, diced (luncheon meat works great)
2 T. olive oil
1 large white onion, thinly sliced
Freshly ground black pepper
8 eggs, beaten with a generous splash of half-and-half
1 cup sharp white cheddar cheese, grated.

Spray an ovenproof skillet (cast iron is ideal) with cooking spray, such as Pam and heat to medium. Add the ham and cook for about 2 minutes, until the ham starts to brown. Remove ham from the pan. Add the olive oil. When hot, add the onion slices. Fry for about 5 minutes on medium heat, then reduce heat to low and cook about 15 minutes longer, until the onions are caramelized. Grind pepper over the onions. Add the cooked ham back to the skillet.

Heat oven to 450 degrees. Slowly pour the beaten eggs into the pan. Cook, stirring often with a spatula, until almost set. Remove from heat and sprinkle the grated cheese over the top.

Place the pan in the oven and bake for about 5 minutes, just until cheese is melted and eggs are set.

Serves 4.

May 16, 2011: A Manly Salad and Honey Mustard Dressing Recipe

My husband had to go to the doctor last week. He’s really been trying to get healthier by quitting smoking and drinking (he only drinks a beer every now and then) but one thing he hasn’t done is eat better. I try my best to force veggies down his throat when he’s home for dinner but there’s not much I can do about the fact that he stops at Circle K on the way to work and buys a pastry for breakfast or a greasy fast food hamburger for lunch.

Well, at this last doctor’s visit, he was horrified to find out he’d gained another five pounds in the last month or so when he’d already started out heavier than normal. I guess this was his wakeup call, at least for a day or two (we’ll see how long his healthy eating habit lasts)…

So the other night he insisted we just eat salad. Although I’d had a veggie wrap for lunch, which is basically salad in a tortilla, I acquiesced. Although this salad isn’t exactly real low in calories, it’s not too bad since I made the salad dressing. Here’s what we put in our salads (I’m not including measurements here because that’s really up to you and the size of your bowl):

Manly Salad

Romaine lettuce
Green leaf lettuce
Shredded carrot
Heirloom tomatoes, thinly sliced
Black olives
Deli ham slices, cubed
Broccoli sprouts
Hard boiled eggs
Sharp white cheddar cheese, grated
Freshly ground black pepper

Honey Mustard Salad Dressing

¼ cup honey
¼ cup olive oil
1 t. minced garlic
¼ cup Dijon mustard
¼ cup whole grain mustard

Mix all ingredients well. Makes enough for 2 large salads.

May 11, 2011: Red Ham and White Beans Recipe

Did you save the bone from your Easter ham? Now is the perfect time to use it – or at least I thought so since the weather has been rather crummy, cool and windy. Yesterday was a good day for a hot meal and this recipe fit the bill perfectly. It cooked most of the day on a slow simmer, making the house smell great, and my husband and I both enjoyed a hot bowl of this stew-y concoction plus the last of the leftover bolillos.

Red Ham and White Beans

½ pound bacon, cut into small pieces
1 medium-sized white or yellow onion, coarsely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 ham bone
1 can peeled, diced tomatoes (14.5 – 16 ounces)
1 large container chicken broth (32 ounces)
1 pound dry, small white beans, picked over and rinsed
2 cups water
2 t. oregano
2 t. cumin
2 t. garlic salt
1 t. cayenne pepper (or less if you don't want a very spicy dish)

Simmering on the stove

In a large Dutch oven, fry the bacon pieces over medium heat until partially cooked. Add the onion and garlic, cooking until the vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes. Add remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer 4 to 5 hours, until beans are soft. Remove the ham bone with a slotted spoon; cool. Remove any pieces of ham, dice if necessary, and add them back to the bean pot.

Serves 12 – 16.

April 30, 2011: Chicken Cordon Bleu Recipe

This is one of those recipes that sounds much harder than it is to prepare. If you tell your family they’re getting chicken cordon bleu for dinner tonight, they’ll probably imagine you slaved over a hot stove all day in order to treat them with a gourmet meal. I won’t tell them any different if you won’t!

Since I still have a little bit of leftover Easter ham to use up, I figured this would be a fitting end to the last of the holiday leftovers.

Chicken Cordon Bleu served with a classic side of Fettuccine Alfredo

Chicken Cordon Bleu

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded flat
1/2 t. garlic salt
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 t. Dijon mustard
4 thin slices of ham
2 slices cheese (traditionally it’s Swiss but I used Muenster in the chicken pictured)
2 t. dried parsley
1 egg, with a sprinkle of water beaten in
1 cup flour
1 t. salt
1 t. pepper
1 cup bread crumbs (find the fresh bread crumbs recipe here)
3/4 cup dry white wine or chicken broth

Try to pound the breasts as flat as possible, evening out the thickness. I’ve found that a bag of IQF chicken breasts work best because they’re flatter than fresh meat.

Place the breasts on your work surface lengthwise with the widest end closest to you. Sprinkle with garlic salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Spread the Dijon mustard along the surface, almost to the pointed edge, followed by the diced ham placed across the wide end, and the sliced cheese on top (you may have to tear the slices apart to make them fit). Sprinkle with parsley. Starting at the wide edge, tightly roll up each chicken breast with the filling inside, being careful to tuck any stray fillings and thin edges of chicken back into the roll. At this point, you may secure the rolls with a toothpick, if necessary.

Freshly breaded chix cordon bleu; the short skewer/long toothpick I used to secure them is in the center of each cutlet, hidden beneath the breading. It helped immensely to keep the chicken breast rolls nicely tucked.

Tip: I secured mine with a short bamboo skewer (about the size of a long toothpick) horizontally across the short end seam, catching hold of a piece of all 4 edges.

Place the flour on a plate (paper plates make clean up really easy). Place the bread crumbs on another plate and put your whisked eggs in a shallow bowl in between. Take your chicken rolls and gently roll them in the flour, then dip them in the egg, and finally roll them in the bread crumbs. Do your best to cover the entire surface of each chicken roll without losing any filling!

In a heavy, ovenproof saucepan (cast iron works best), heat 2 tablespoons olive oil (just enough to nicely coat the bottom of the pan) over medium heat. Add the chicken breasts and brown on all sides, about 4 minutes total (don't forget about the narrow sides!). Remove from heat and pour the wine into the bottom of the pan. Slide the pan into a 350 degree oven and bake for 50 minutes or until chicken is cooked all the way through.

Serves two.

April 27, 2011: Yet More Leftover Ham – Impossible Ham and Cheese Pie

I’m not quite sure when Bisquick first developed their impossible pie recipes; I do know they were quite popular back in the 1980s. I’ve certainly made my share of them and adapted many of the recipes to make new impossible pie concoctions. The beauty is that they’re quick, easy, and tasty – perfect for a weeknight meal for the whole family.

This recipe is based on the one from Bisquick for an Impossible Bacon Pie. With a couple subtle changes, it becomes the next best thing to quiche Lorraine without all the work!

Impossible Ham and Cheese Pie

1 ½ cups diced, cooked ham
1 ½ cups shredded Swiss or Cheddar cheese, divided
½ cup chopped onion
1 tomato, thinly sliced (optional)
2 cups milk
1 cup Bisquick
4 eggs
Salt and pepper to taste

In a greased pie pan, layer the ham, one cup of the cheese, and the chopped onion. Beat together the milk, Bisquick, eggs and seasonings until smooth. Pour the Bisquick mixture over the ingredients in the pie pan. Top with sliced tomatoes, if using, and the remaining cheese. Bake in a 400 degree oven 35 to 40 minutes.

Tip: Don’t have Bisquick on hand? Substitute pancake mix (but do remember it will be a little bit sweeter).

April 26, 2011: More Leftover Ham – Breakfast Burrito Recipe

A favorite breakfast of mine comes in the form of a burrito. While you can put nearly anything in your breakfast burrito with a scrambled egg, this is another great way to use up your leftover Easter ham.

Ham and Cheese Breakfast Burrito

1 medium-sized flour tortilla
1 egg
Diced ham (about 1/2 cup)
1 green onion, minced
Diced green chile or bottled jalapenos
Salt and pepper to taste
Grated Colby jack cheese
Salsa, if desired

Scramble the egg in a little bit of butter with the ham, green onion and chiles. Warm the flour tortilla on a burner of your stove (or put in the microwave for about half a minute. Sprinkle the grated cheese in the middle of the warmed tortilla; top with the scrambled egg mixture. Add salt, pepper, and salsa to taste. Roll up starting on one edge, tuck in the sides as you go along.

Heat in the microwave for another half minute, if necessary, to melt the cheese. Serves one.

April 25, 2011: Ham and Leftovers Recipes

Did you cook a ham for Easter dinner? Even if you didn’t, I hope you picked up a ham while they were on sale at the grocery store. A lot of stores had a fantastic price just in time for the holiday; that’s always when I stock up on big ticket meats. And according to something I heard on the radio recently, the leftovers from a ham will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 months as opposed to turkey, which should only be kept for 3 – 4 days!

While I’m not sure I want to put that theory to the test, I do enjoy leftover ham.

First I want to share you with the secrets I’ve learned to making an exceptionally tender, tasty ham and then share a recipe for a simple, quick breakfast (or even dinner) idea using the leftovers.

The Perfect Ham

Place your ham, cut side down in a roasting pan (no need to put it on a rack since the juices are going to keep it nice and moist).

Pour a baking sauce into the bottom of the pan. This year I used:

Juice of one large orange
¼ cup honey
1 teaspoon each of cinnamon, curry powder, and paprika

Cover the roasting pan and place in a low (225 – 250 degree) oven. Cook for several hours (about half an hour per pound), basting with the pan juices occasionally. Remove the cover during the last 15 minutes of baking to crisp up the fat.

And here’s a tasty dish to use the leftover ham (serves one person for breakfast or a light dinner):

Simple Eggs Benedict

1 bagel or round sandwich thin (these are kind of like really thin bagels made by Oroweat), halved
Dijon mustard
Sliced ham
2 large slices fresh tomato
2 slices Muenster cheese
2 eggs
Freshly ground salt and pepper

Lightly toast the bagel or sandwich round halves. Spread with Dijon mustard; top with ham, tomato slices, and cheese. Broil for a couple minutes, just until the cheese starts to melt.

In the meantime, poach the two eggs. Carefully slide the raw eggs into boiling water to which you’ve added a sprinkle of vinegar. Turn down the heat to a gentle, rolling boil and cook for about 5 minutes.

With a slotted spoon, place the poached eggs on top of the bagel halves. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

April 9, 2011: Breakfast Panini Melt Recipe

Last year my husband and I bought a new grill. Not just any kind of grill – this one is what I refer to as the “Mack Daddy” of grills. It’s stainless steel, it has an infrared burner, a steak searer and – a Panini press! Now that the cover has been taken off the grill and the spring grilling season is officially in full swing (although it's supposed to snow again today!), I’m cooking less and less inside while cooking as much as possible outdoors. I’m always looking for recipes outside of the usual barbecued chicken or steaks I can make on the grill.

This recipe is a great way to use your homemade sourdough bread (it tastes scrumptious in this recipe) – and create a breakfast sandwich that is tastier and healthier than you can order at the fast food drive-through. It doesn’t just have to be breakfast, either; this sandwich is filling enough that it makes a nice, light dinner when served with a green salad.

Ham, Egg and Cheese Panini

4 slices sourdough bread, sliced ½” thick
4 T. Dijon mustard
2 slices Havarti cheese
2 slices deli ham (or substitute 4 strips bacon, cooked or 2 slices pancetta)
2 eggs
2 t. grated Parmesan cheese
1 t. milk
1 t. minced chives (or green onions)
1 t. + 1 T. butter

Beat the eggs with the Parmesan cheese, milk and chives. Melt the teaspoon of butter in a nonstick or seasoned cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add the eggs and cook as you would an omelet, lifting the cooked edges and letting the runny eggs slide to the bottom. Cook just until done but not quite set on top.

Spread mustard on one side of each slice of bread. Arrange half the cheese and ham on each slice. Top with half the cooked eggs. Place the remaining slices of bread on top, mustard side in, and brush the outsides with half the melted butter. In a skillet over medium heat, or a Panini press, place the sandwiches butter side down. Brush with remaining melted butter on the outside bread slices and close the press, or, if using a skillet, place another heavy skillet on top of the sandwiches; flip halfway through cooking time. Cook about 5 minutes or until golden brown and cheese is melted.

April 6, 2011: Overnight Breakfast Casserole Recipe

This is a recipe I made a couple years ago for our church’s annual Easter breakfast, served right after the Easter sunrise service. It came out delicious – and it was a breeze to serve it on Easter morning since the preparation was all done the night before. You could also make this after Easter – if you’re serving a ham for the holiday dinner, the leftovers are perfect for this casserole.

In typical Candy fashion, I took the original recipe and added a bit of heat with green chiles while making it a bit healthier with the addition of chopped vegetables. Serve this breakfast casserole with sliced fresh fruit and it is a complete breakfast.

Overnight Breakfast Casserole Recipe

8 eggs, beaten with a fork
2 cups milk
1 t. salt
1 t. pepper
1 t. dry mustard
2 green onions, thinly sliced
1 small tomato, seeded and diced
1 can mild green chiles (or 1 – 2 fresh roasted green chiles)
8 slices soft bread (white or wheat)
2 cups grated cheddar cheese
1 cup cubed ham (or cooked, crumbled sausage)

Mix eggs, milk and seasonings. In a 9 x 9” glass or ceramic baking dish sprayed with cooking spray, layer half the bread slices, vegetables, ham and cheese. Repeat with remaining ingredients. Pour egg mixture over all. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. Bake at 325 degrees for one hour, or until completely set.

Note: I doubled the recipe to make enough to serve about 16 people.