Category: Leftovers/ Freezer Meals

Thai Sweet Chili Chicken Thighs and Veggies

Asian, Leftovers/ Freezer Meals, poultry

Evening, ya’ll! Can the weekend really be almost over? It always goes by too fast! Tonight dinner was super simple and extra tasty! I bought this marinade for my chicken. I highly recommend it! Sweet with a kick of spicy.

007

Thai Sweet Chili Chicken Thighs and Veggies (mushroom, onions, peppers), Naan Bread

Ingredients

1 bottle of this marinade

3 -5 chicken thighs -I did 3 with the marinade and 2 without for the girls. They are not spicy fans, yet.

about 3 peppers, chopped- I used an assortment of red, green, yellow, and orange. I am planning on making a veggie frittata later this week with the leftover peppers.

1 container of mushrooms chopped in half or thirds depending on the size

1 Onion, chopped

Directions

Put 3 chicken thighs in a baggie with about 1/2 the jar of marinade. Marinate it for about 20 minutes in the fridge. In the meantime, chop your veggies. Slice your chicken in to strips or small chunks. Heat your skillet on high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil. Add in your chicken and veggies. Add the rest of the marinade. Cook for about 15 minutes or until your chicken is cooked through. Enjoy with rice, noodles, or a side of Naan bread. We used the bread to scoop up the delicious mixture. I am adding the leftovers to some  lo mein from the other night to have for lunch tomorrow.010

012 014

Veggie Fettuccine

Leftovers/ Freezer Meals, Pasta, Vegetarian

So tonight the girls had dinner with the grandparents, while I went to yoga. When I was in shavasana (total relaxation pose), I was thinking of what I could make for dinner when I got home. I was totally relaxed and zen. My body was loose and stress free. Then my stomach growled and I knew feeding it pasta would be the only choice. This was yummy, and I will be taking the leftovers to lunch tomorrow.

Veggie Fettuccine- I cleaned out my fridge and cabinet for this one. Please use what you have and be inspired by this recipe!

3/4 box fettuccine

3 carrots, sliced

1 small onion, chopped

2 cloves of garlic, minced

3/4 can black olives, sliced (the girls ate the rest)

1 can diced tomatoes

3 tablespoons tomato paste

1 tablespoons red pepper flakes

1 tablespoon Italian seasoning

olive oil- about 1/3 cup or so…use your judgement

1 teaspoon pepper

salt if needed—-olives are super salty, so don’t overdo it

Directions

Add a few tablespoons of olive oil to a med heat pan. Add your carrots and onions. Cook about 5 minutes. Add your garlic and tomato paste. Stir and cook 2 minutes. Add your black olives, red pepper flakes,  Italian seasoning,  and a bit more olive oil if needed. Cook about 5 minutes or more.

Meanwhile, cook your pasta in salted water just under done. Add to sauce and cook long enough to mix pasta in sauce and cook a few more minutes. Add a splash of that starchy cooking water. veggiepasta

Pesto Pasta with Corn and Pine Nuts

Leftovers/ Freezer Meals, Pasta, Vegetarian

Hey kids! Hope you had a great Monday! My day was pretty awesome, and tonight is pretty chill at home. We had burger night; everyone gobbled up their burgers. I have made burgers a few times here on the blog, so I hope you check it out. This is how I made them…https://funfoodiefamily.com/2013/08/28/burgers-2/

As I was making dinner, I was thinking about what to take for lunch tomorrow. I am pretty good about taking my lunch to work, but sometimes I end up buying the school lunch. It is not bad, but I don’t like to take my chances. On the days I don’t bring my lunch, the salad bar is usually a safe bet. There is even the occasional gem like chicken wings or mozzarella sticks.

I was looking through the fridge and decided to make a pasta mash up. Basically, I took a bunch of ingredients that were separate and added them all together. In this case it was some leftover Annie’s mac and cheese, corn, leftover pesto, and pine nuts from said pesto. I have just enough for 2 servings…one for me and one for my lunch mate. We usually take turns making food for each other. Today she brought spicy tofu and veggies with coconut milk and noodles. It was delish!

This combo turned out really great! I hope you feel inspired to take a look at what you already have in your fridge or pantry and make it work!

005

Chicken Pot Pie using leftovers…

Chicken, Crockpot /Make Ahead Meals, Leftovers/ Freezer Meals

It has been a bit since I have posted. Lots of repeat dinners and friends giving yummy food to our family. Recently we have gotten a KFC feast. Fried chicken and all the fixings? Can’t complain!!! Apparently everyone thinks we are a family of 12 instead of 5… no worries! Just gotta find something to do with the leftovers. Chicken Pot Pie to the rescue! Here is my crazy recipe…

Dice up and cook an onion, along with 2 diced carrots,celery,and 1 container of sliced mushrooms in 3 tablespoons of butter.
Stir the veggies around and cook them for 3 to 4 minutes, until they just start to soften.
Then throw in cooked KFC green beans, mashed potatoes, and 1/2 the gravy, and the chicken. I like to have a mix of white and dark meat shredded or cut into big chunks. I took the meat off the bone and took the skin off. If a little skin stays on, it will not hurt the mixture =) Sprinkle a little flour (2 tablespoons) all over the top. Then pour in 1/2 cup or so white wine…chicken broth if you are all out of wine… add 1 teaspoon of salt and pepper, turmeric… a bit of dried thyme and fresh chopped parsley (optional)
Add a splash of half-and-half or cream for a little creamy richness.
Finally, just let the mixture bubble up until it’s nice and thick; add in frozen peas and cook for 2 minutes. Then set it aside for a sec. (If it gets too thick, just splash in a little more wine or broth.)
Move mixture to a casserole/oven safe dish. Soak biscuits with remaining gravy then crumble on top. Cook at 350 for 20 minutes.
026

029

028

Spicy Chicken and Veggie Risotto

grains, Leftovers/ Freezer Meals, Side dishes...veggies, potatoes, grains

It seems lately I have been on a spicy kick. I have been adding hot sauce, red chili flakes, and jalapenos on just about everything. Maybe it is the cool weather rolling in that makes me want to spice it up? In any case, I felt like adding a punch to my dinner last night. Everyone was doing their own thing and going in different directions, so it was either have straight up leftovers or create something out of the leftovers from the fridge. I decided to create something new from something old.

Spicy Chicken and Veggie Risotto

Ingredients

1/2 rotisserie chicken, finely chopped or shredded
3 tablespoons butter or oil
half a can of tomato paste
3/4 opened stock in a box
half an onion, chopped
handful of mushrooms, quartered
can of green chilies
about 1/2 cup rice
1 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 cup parm cheese

Directions

Heat 2 tablespoons butter in medium sized pot over medium heat. Add onions and mushrooms and sauté until beginning to soften and brown around edges, about 5 minutes. Add 1 more tablespoon of butter. Add rice and stir 1 minute. Add in tomato paste and green chilies. Mix together well. Add 1 cup broth and simmer until absorbed, stirring frequently, 3 to 4 minutes. Add remaining broth by 1/2 cupfuls, allowing each addition to be absorbed before adding next, stirring often, about 15 minutes. Continue to cook until rice is just tender but still very creamy, stirring gently and often, about 10 minutes longer (about 25 minutes total cooking time). Remove from heat. Stir in 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese and chicken. Stir to warm the chicken through, about 2 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to large bowl and serve with additional Parmesan cheese. You could make this vegetarian by leaving out the chicken and using veggie stock or water.

002