Yesterdays Meatloaf Is Todays Sloppy Joes

Remember that song Adam Sandler wrote "Lunch Lady Land"? "Yesterdays meatloaf is todays Sloppy Joes." With a little creative thinking it's possible to use yesterdays leftovers and make them into something totally different your family will love.

For lunch I boiled 12 boneles skinless chicken tenders shredded celery, carrots and onions, salt and pepper to make a delicious broth.

With 6 chicken tenders I made chicken salad. Chopped up the chicken, adding a little shredded red onion, shredded celery, dried cranberries, pecans, apples, mayonaise, salt and pepper.

Did you know at Pita Jungle you can buy a fresh warm, pita for only 39 cents? I will take a scoop of chicken salad and buy a pita and make a delicious lunch. Or I might even go to Fry's and purchase 1/4 cup of their tuna salad, buy a Pita Jungle pita and have a delicious lunch. (That's how I make eating out more affordable.) It costs me 39 cents with my own filling instead of $5.00.

For dinner I made chicken pot pie using left over 6 pieces of chicken and broth, chopped up 2 potatoes, 1 carrot and boiled them til tender.

Chopped up the chicken in chunks and added it to the broth with salt and pepper, threw in frozen peas and corn, the potatoes and carrots, thickened it with milk with flour mixed in.

Poured in a pie tin. Salt & pepper to taste. Made a top crust only useing 1/2 box of Betty Crocker Pie Crust (Smart & Final $2.09 since I only used 1/2 the cost was $1.04 :) Popped it into the oven @425.

My husband had 3 servings, our daughter loved it and praised me for a delicious dinner.

 If I had purchased 3 chicken pot pies at KFC it would have been $15.00 plus the gas to pick it up.

Or if I felt like Mexican food I could take the cooked chicken tenders, shred them and mix with two tablespoons of salsa, add salt & pepper. Fry corn tortillas in canola oil to soften. Add a tablespoon of chicken mixture roll into little flutes or taquitos. Fry in canola oil til crispy. Serve with guacomole & salsa.

Have you seen "The 100 Foot Journey"? Did it make you hungry for Chicken Curry? I had leftover boiled chicken so I cut it into chunks, heated 2 tablespoons of olive oil, chopped up 1/2 onion and brown with chicken. Poured in 2 cups of broth, chopped up potatoes and simmerred til soft. Took 1/4 cup of water mixed in 2 Tablespoons of cornstarch. brought chicken with potatoes and broth to a boil and poured in cornstarch constantly stirring to thicken broth. Added 1 Tablespoon of yellow curry powder, salt and pepper to taste. Serve over white rice.

Hungry for Chinese Stir Fry? Take those same boiled 6 chicken tenders... chop them in pieces fry them in 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Stir fry in 1 packege of Frys frozen Kroger Stir Fry Vegetables. Add 1/4 cup soy sauce, 2 Tablespoons of honey, 1 Tablespoon brown sugar, 2 teaspoons fresh chopped garlic, 1 teaspoon powdered ginger, 1/2 teaspoon hot red peppers or Sirachi Sauce, and cup of broth. Thicken with 1 1/2 Tablespoon cornstarch and 1/4 cup water made into thick paste. Serve with rice.

Statistics show 45% of our food budget is spent on meals outside the home. So if we buy ingredients for different recipes... like curry powder, corn tortillas, a box of Betty Crocker Pie Crust, Soy Sauce, frozen Kroger Stir Fry Vegetables and keep them on hand we can turn our leftovers into something easy and delicious. And enjoy living happily below our means!

With the extra half of the pie crust maybe I'll bake an apple pie (top crust only saving $ and carbs) for dessert tomorrow. Cost of 5 granny smith apples = $1.19. No one will care or guess... as Adam Sandler sang: "Yesterdays meatloaf is todays Sloppy Joes!"