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Do you have way too many leftovers from that delicious Easter dinner last night? Since we have only three in our family and I always over-estimate the amount of food we need (it’s a long standing joke that in my previous life I cooked for an army and haven’t been able to re-adjust down to small family-sized portions), I never have to worry about cooking for several weeks after a holiday meal. I’m good with this – but, my very particular daughter turns up her nose at a repeat meal after seeing it…once.
So, I’m always wracking my brain and scouring the Internet for leftover ideas, and I thought I would share some of the ideas I’ve found with you. When I cook, following a recipe is a very loose concept; but, for those of you who freeze up in the kitchen without a recipe, I’ve included links to exact measurements just for you. 
Boiled Eggs (you know, those bazillion eggs that your children needed to dye and promised to eat without complaint? ha!)
-They make great, fast breakfasts! Whip out a hard-boiled egg, pair it with toast and fruit for a simple meal.
-Deviled Eggs Recipe (from my favorite site!)
-Egg Salad Sandwiches (simple to make for lunch and it uses up your eggs much faster)
Mashed Potatoes
- 30 Minute Shepherd’s Pie Recipe (Substitute mashed potatoes for the first five ingredients; and, instead of ground beef, you can use any leftover meat)
-Potato Pancakes (Extremely easy, albeit time consuming! Just mix your mashed potatoes with an egg {and cheese if you like} and fry them. This is one of my husband’s favorite recipes from his childhood – which usually results in disappointment when his wife doesn’t have time to make them. )
-Ultimate Twice Baked Potatoes (If you don’t have enough mashed potatoes for a meal or if you’re trying to jazz up an old dish, make this recipe without the additional potatoes. Just add the bacon, cheese, milk, etc; put it in a 8×8 pan; and bake it. While I’ve never made this dish, several friends swear by it!)
-If all else fails, you can freeze mashed potatoes for a month. Then, when Easter leftovers are a distant memory, you can pull them out of the freezer (bake them at 350 degrees – make sure you do NOT thaw beforehand), and you have a nice addition to your meal with minimal work!
Ham
-Ham and Potato Soup (Simple crockpot dinner)
-Brunch Strata (One of those breakfast for dinner recipes!)
-Again, you can freeze leftover ham. Dice and separate it into small Ziploc bags before freezing. That way, you can pull out a bag, put it in the refrigerator the night before, and make a quick breakfast omelet in the morning.
Roast Beef
-Our absolute favorite is to make Roast Beef sandwiches for lunch: just slice the roast and add lettuce/tomatoes/condiments. For some reason, that tastes even better than eating it on the day you cook it! If you’d like to make the sandwiches the night before (so your family can take a bag lunch in the morning), leave out the condiments to avoid soggy bread.
-For those who would like a fancier sandwich, here is a recipe for Easy French Dip Sandwiches.
-Stir Fry (Substitute roast beef for chicken. To be honest, I’ve never used a recipe for stir fry in my life. I generally head to the grocery store, purchase what vegetables are on sale, dice them along with the meat and an onion, add a dash of salt, and toss them over medium heat. It’s pretty much impossible to “mess up” stir fry!)
Lamb
-Irish Lamb Stew (Another great Crockpot dinner!)
-Gyro with Tzatziki Sauce (For those of you who have a food processor…)
-Indian Lamb Curry
How about you? Do you have any favorite recipes that use up leftovers?
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