Frugal Foodies, thread 2! Favourite leftover dishes, avoiding waste, menu ideas.

[Ninkanink]

Hey everyone!

1st thread is here

Hope that link worked! I’ve never done it that way before...

💐 and 🍰 and ☕️ to all!

It’s the substitutions that are killing me! I’m ordering my usual amounts as it’s just me, the smaller sizes aren’t available and I’m instead getting HUGE packages I can’t use!

Help me!

I have a pizza, 2 Mac cheese pies (yes you read that right they’re a thing here) that are both dated 8 April but I also had 2nd portion of chicken casserole that needed used today and as that was home made and not packaged I felt that needed used more urgently.

So... I’ve NO room in the freezer so will I be ok using the aforementioned items over next 3 days? I can’t eat them any faster than that,

Question for @Weedsnseeds1

If I cook the pies and pizza (just cheese and tomato I add my own extra toppings) will they last longer? If so how much longer?

I’m fine eating them cold.

The collation of recipes is very handy but I’m wondering if a list of how long certain items last past usual use by date could also be handy? Perhaps compiled by weedsnseeds1 if she wouldn’t mind? And has the time?

I would find it incredibly helpful.

I am definitely trying the fries topped chilli! Love that idea. Admittedly my chilli tends more to the smoky/mild but still...

I keep forgetting to take photos! Usually realise halfway through eating when the dish looks less than appetising

I’ll try to remember in future

@Graphista I’ll try to do that for you today, will just take me some time so bear with me. 🙂

Also we do like our chilli quite hot but we make it smokey as well so I’m sure if you made it less spicy it’d still work well with the cheese sauce. This is the recipe I used,

sallysbakingaddiction.com/spicy-nacho-cheese-sauce/

I halved the recipe as I didn’t want to make loads, and I adapted it by adding some crepe fraiche in place of some of the milk because it needed using and also I thought it would help to stabilise the sauce because I was having to use semi skimmed milk which is more likely to split. It wasn’t that hot even with the tablespoon of chilli sauce I used, more like a pleasing warmth and depth of flavour. I didn’t add the cayenne pepper because the chilli was already on the hot side.

@Weedsnseeds1 that looks right up my street!

That's what im cooking today, I froze some chicken thighs with that recipe in mind before the lockdown.

I’m clearing out some space in the freezer for new things coming today so I finally get to have my ‘Christmas dinner’ that’s been pushed back so many times by now. Yay!

We’re going to go collect our groceries from the farm shop today and I’m so excited to have a proper veg box!!

Graphista they should be fine 3 days in the fridge. No need to pre-cook.
I will try to put together a list of guidelines for you, but am trying to do some work today, so will be later on.

Just thought of another "handy hint". I always fold and store my butter wrappers in the fridge. Perfect for greasing tins without using the "good" butter, or for the type of steamed puddings that need a piece of buttered greaseproof on top while cooking.

Oh that’s a great tip! I just threw one out yesterday!

My Gran always used to do it, hang over from the war I suppose.

Leftover chilli from the freezer for us - jackfruit for me, beef for everyone else.

This isn't a very healthy tip I'm afraid but we have half a pack of tortilla wraps that are a bit too firm and definitely past their best. We are going to cut them into Dorito shapes and lightly fry then sprinkle with a little salt. Used to do it as a treat years ago but I've been on health kick last few years.

It’s perfectly fine and healthy to have tortilla chips... 🙂

@Ninkanink maybe not fried ones when you are trying to lose weight though 😂 a treat a week is still healthy though. I'm just not counting the wispa I ate yesterday!

Of course. 🙂 So it’s not so great for a diet, but it’s still a perfectly fine tip to share.

Please don't point and laugh.

My mind has gone blank, and all the stuff online seems complicated.

How do you cook chicken breasts?

You can easily do them in a tray bake, in a stew or in a pasta sauce or curry, or just fry them in a pan.

Do you mean time/temp or just menu ideas?

One of my favourite ways to cook them is outlined above (except I make them with mascarpone and prosciutto).

@Ninkanink Thank you for being kind.

I was meaning time and temp. I don't usually do much cooking and chicken breasts are usually coated with something and provided with instructions when I got them.

Today I got a box from a sandwich shop with some great looking veg and some plain chicken breasts. My mind just went blank.

Also got garlic, fresh ginger, courgette, onion, pepper, sweet potato and potato.

@Meckity1 my daughters favourite is wrapped in foil in the oven with lemon juice/lemon slices, salt, pepper and dried thyme for about 30 mins depending on how big they are, unwrapped for last 10 mins. We do them on about 160 degrees.

@cricketmum84 Thank you, that sounds gorgeous. I have some lemon juice, and I'm sure I've got some dried thyme at the back of the cupboard. It sounds perfect.

Ah ok! Well @cricketmum84’s suggestion sounds great, glad it appealed and that you have the ingredients! 🙂

Not sure if I’ve misread the spirit of the thread (haven’t read it yet), but I’ve just served the kids gnocchi that was out of date-officially-last June. Was in a vacuum sealed pack, cooked it with some peas and pesto that had been in the fridge a while (after using each tine I pour olive oil on the top to seal it and prolong it’s life further)

Kids loved it-I think I originally had it in my stockpile from the early days of Brexit (before the dates kept changing). Gnocchi is a good substitution for pasta (I’ve seen people in tv roast it in oil like mini roast potatoes-although I haven’t tried it yet!)

The spirit of the thread is definitely to make good use of all foodstuffs and to avoid waste wherever possible, so using non perishables that are perfectly fine is definitely in keeping! 👍👍Many of us are also very relaxed about bbe/use by/etc in favour of reasoned and knowledgeable judgement on food safety.

Will paste my opening post from the first thread here:

Thought I’d start a thread for everyone to post their tips and ideas on how best to use foodstuffs. Hoping it could be an easy guide as well for those who maybe aren’t so used to home cooking or using leftover foods, or understanding how best to utilise everything you have, expiry dates etc.

We have always been very conscious of food waste so we plan very carefully to use every scrap of food, it’s not hard, it’s just a skill one develops.

I’ll post some of my favourite leftover/using up bits meals and menus here and if anyone else wants to as well, please do!

(I’ve seen people in tv roast it in oil like mini roast potatoes-although I haven’t tried it yet!)

There's a Nigella recipe for that (can't remember what she says, but I think it's about 20 mins at 180°C - best check online though, because I tend to think that about lots of things ) - and it's really nice and very child-friendly.

I had 5 cooked sausages left over. Cut them into chunks, caramelized some onions, threw some soft peppers in, sliced fresh tomatoes over and covered the whole lot with a mustard cheesy mash. Baked till bubbling - went down very well!

Any ideas for swede? We’ve a giant one and it really needs eating or at least cooking & freezing soon.