Recipes

Since the New Year is all about transformations for many people, I thought it would be fun to focus on transforming food. Not only is it a great way to save time since you can double/triple a recipe and eat it all week, it can also be a great way for people in smaller households to use up their leftovers. What are your favorite ways to transform leftovers?

1. Slow Cooker Beef Machaca

• Meal 1: Shredded Beef Machaca Tacos: Serve up this yummy slow cooker beef with corn tortillas and your favorite taco toppings the first night.
• Meal 2: Breakfast Burritos: Use a 1/4 cup of beef mixed with some scrambled eggs, black beans, and shredded cheese to make a quick on the go breakfast burrito.
• Meal 3: Burrito Bowls: Copy your favorite Chipotle Burrito Bowl by using this beef machaca, brown rice, black beans, lettuce, and your favorite salsa.

2. Your Favorite Lean Burgers

• Meal 1: Burgers and Chili Cheese Fries: Serve the burgers up the traditional way the first time you make them with some crispy chili cheese fries.
• Meal 2: Quick Pasta Bolognese: Crumble up some of the remaining patties to make a quick bolognese sauce. All you have to do is mix it into your favorite store bought sauce, saute some veggies, and serve over high fiber pasta.
• Meal 3: Stuffed Peppers: You can make a quick stuffed pepper by cooking some brown rice and mixing it with crumbled burger meat and any veggies you like. Place them in a baking dish and cover with diced tomatoes. Cook for about 30 minutes at 400 degrees for a delicious stuffed pepper.

3. Maple Mustard Chicken

• Meal 1: Maple Mustard Chicken with veggies: The first time you cook it serve it up with some of your favorite veggies and a half a baked potato. Shred the leftover chicken and refrigerate it.
• Meal 2: Chicken Salad Sandwiches: Mix the shredded chicken up with 1-2 tablespoons of fat free Greek yogurt or low fat mayo, a teaspoon of mustard, and some chopped celery to make quick and delicious chicken salad sandwiches.
• Meal 3: Mediterranean Chicken Quesadillas: Make a spin on a traditional chicken quesadilla by using the shredded chicken with chopped tomatoes, olives, artichoke hearts, red peppers, and some feta cheese for a quick and delicious lunch or dinner.

4. Crustless Corn and Bacon Pie

• Meal 1: Crustless Corn and Bacon Pie with green salad: Start out your week serving this healthy quiche with a green salad or low calorie soup.
• Meal 2: Weekend Egg Sandwiches: Toast up some low calorie bread or English muffins and stuff a piece of the corn and bacon pie between the bread. Add some spicy mustard, salad greens, and tomato slices for a yummy weekend breakfast sandwich.
• Meal 3: Cobb Salad: Instead of using traditional boiled egg, make your own version of a Cobb Salad by mixing your favorite veggies with crumbled pieces of leftover corn and bacon pie, some sliced deli turkey, blue cheese crumbles, tomatoes, and more.

5. Beef Chili

• Meal 1: Chili and Cornbread: The first serve up this yummy beef chili with some homemade cranberry cornbread or store bought rolls for a delicious and comforting meal.
• Meal 2: Quick Chili Mac: Cook up some high fiber pasta according to package directions and top with the chli, green onions, and a tablespoon of low fat cheddar cheese for a quick chili mac.
• Meal 3: Chili and Cheese Baked Potatoes: Bake a potato in the oven of microwave and top with 1/2 cup of chili and some cheese for a quick lunch of dinner.