Leftovers are fantastic. I'm pretty sure they're the only way I can convince myself that eating out is a good idea. One meal for eight dollars? No way. Two or more meals for eight dollars? I can't order fast enough.
And I never have a problem figuring out what to do about leftovers from dinners. It's pretty much a microwave thing. But do you ever have problems coming up with clever ideas to transform holiday leftovers? My family has a tradition of pulled turkey sandwiches for the few weeks after Thanksgiving. However, there usually isn't enough left over at Christmas for any semblance of another meal.
If Grandma sends you back to campus with an extra pound of mystery meat, some mashed potatoes and some vegetables, just throw together a quick and simple shepard's pie. Mix the meat and vegetables together in a casserole dish with leftover gravy, spread the mashed potatoes on top and bake in a 350-degree oven for about 30 minutes.
What about those lost holidays that inevitably leave you with extras? Days after Easter are always filled with extra fluorescent green grass and chocolate bunny chunks. Halloween leaves a trail of cheap candy at every store and half-empty bags around apartments. Fear not, sugared-up Badgers! I have come across one of the best opportunities to recycle your old candy and sweets.
So, you're sitting in your dorm, and all you have is some leftover fun-sized Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, Rolos, brownie mix and a cupcake pan. Is all hope lost? Not in the slightest! You have the exact ingredients needed to make what seem like the greatest brownies in the world. I haven't actually tried them, but my TA says they are delicious.
First, combine the brownie mix according to the box instructions. Then, fill each cupcake cup about halfway full. Stick in either a Rolo or Reese's Peanut Butter Cup, and fill the rest of the way. Bake according to the box instructions. When these sweet treats are done, the chocolate candy will have become part of the brownie, and you'll have an extra special surprise waiting for you in the middle. Doesn't that sound so much more interesting than just sitting on your couch eating chocolate only to realize that almost full bag is now empty 20 minutes later? I think so, too.
If more chocolate is not what you're looking for right now—though I don't know a single girl who would truthfully admit to that—perhaps you could still make this dessert and give it to a friend. Even if you don't want to consume all of that chocolatey goodness, your roommates will thank you for the sweet aroma.
Now that it's officially fall—though the current weather may not tell you so—we have to start looking to Christmas and Hanukkah. My family gets right on that train when we make Christmas cookies a few hours after the turkey has left the table. The biggest and most annoying leftover we have from that is extra icing. And what turns this gooey mess into a wonderful and delicious leftover trick? Icing and crackers! No icing on hand? You can do this with frosting from a can. Take a couple of saltine crackers, animal crackers or grahams and spread a little frosting between two. Do this until you run out of frosting. Put them in the fridge, and in a few hours, you'll have the easiest dessert/snack/way to turn leftovers into something else.
The next time you find yourself with leftover candy or dessert, turn it into something even better with some pantry standards and imagination.
So you discovered a way to reinvent a Halloween staple like candy corn? Share your idea with Claire at crwiese@wisc.edu.
