I assembled this dish without a recipe so I cannot give you exact amounts. Just add a little of the spices at a time until it smells/ tastes right to you.

Sauteeing the veggies and meat

Ingredients:

1 lb or more elbow macaroni – I used almost 2 lbs

1 can undrained diced tomatoes – I used the “chili ready” variety.

1 small can tomato sauce

2 cans beans – I used one can kidney beans and one can chili beans

Left over meat – I used about 3 slices of pork tenderloin and some meatballs, chopped into smaller pieces.

green pepper, onion, celery  – 1 each, chopped or sliced

cumin

chili powder

2 Tablespoons butter

Directions:

Cook elbow macaroni according to package directions, but do not cook all the way through. Set aside.

Saute green pepper, onion, celery in a little bit of olive oil. When the vegetables start to become tender, add meat.

When meat is warm and vegetables are tender, add butter, cumin, parsley, chili powder, salt and pepper to meat. Stir until they are well-coated.  Add tomatoes, sauce and macaroni to the meat mixture.  Cook about 30 minutes.

Top with a little hot sauce and cheese.

Enjoy!

I love July because it means fresh cucumbers from our garden. I cannot grow anything and I’m so glad that my husband has a green thumb because I look forward to the homegrown veggies. If you are looking for an interesting way to use up some cucumbers, you might enjoy:

Thai Cucumber Salad

Ingredients:

3 large cucumbers, peeled, cut in half lengthwise and cut into 1/4- inch slices

1 tablespoon salt

1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 cup rice wine or white wine vinegar

2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and chopped (I used one, but will probably add the second one next time.)

1/4 chopped cilantro (I used a sprinkle of dried cilantro since it is what I had on hand.)

1/2 cup chopped peanuts

Directions:

1. Combine the cucumbers with the salt in a colander and let drain for 30 minutes. Rinse with cold water, drain well and pat dry with paper towels. Cucumbers will be less crisp.

2. Using a whisk, combine sugar and vinegar in a large bowl until sugar has completely dissolved. Add the cucumbers, peppers, and cilantro. Toss to combine. Drain excess vinegar. Sprinkle chopped peanuts on top before serving.

How do you use up extra cucumbers?

• Save the heels in the freezer until you accumulate enough and turn them into a big batch of french toast. It may not be gourmet, but it still tastes good and fills hungry bellies.
• Make a triple-decker sandwich with the heel being the center slice. The guys in your life will thank you. They say the best way to a man’s heart is through his stomach. “They” knew about triple-decker sandwiches.
• Croutons – These are just pieces of hardened bread, so why not use the firm bread you already have on hand? There are numerous recipes online, so search a site like Allrecipes.com and look for a recipe you like.
• Cut into strips and top with garlic butter (softened butter mixed with crushed garlic.) Then broil for just a few to make homemade bread sticks.
• Use your food-processor and turn the ends into bread crumbs for meatloaf or meatballs.

Friday’s Frugal Tip of the Day: Before you throw away the ends of the bread loaf, be creative and see what else you can do with it.

What are your ideas? If you use those last bits of bread, what do you do with it? If you still want to save even more on bread, read this post.

For more frugal tips, visit Biblical Womanhood and Cents to Get Debt-Free.

• First and easiest, rewarm the leftovers, but create a buffet. Let the family choose, as if it were a restaurant. The younger children love this, but don’t forget to give your restaurant a name. If you have small children and especially if they do not like leftovers, create a quick menu in which they can select their own dinner. My children loved the menu idea when they were younger, especially when mom sported the folded towel draped over one arm as their server.

• If you have eggs, possibly a little meat, some veggies and cheese, you can make a quiche. If you’re doubting the men in your life will be receptive to quiche, you can call it “Ham and Egg Dinner Pie” or a “Chicken and Spinach Bake.” You get the drift… You can make the quiche with either a homemade or store-bought crust, though the store-bought will be quicker. Provided you have a little creativity and a few necessary ingredients, you should be able to find a quiche recipe that will work.
  

• If you routinely have small amounts of leftover meat (ground beef, ham or sausage are the best) you can start a bag in your freezer to collect pizza toppings. When I have ground beef or chicken, I sometimes turn the pizza into a barbecue or cheeseburger pizza. I mix in a little barbecue sauce with the pizza sauce and top it with shredded cheddar instead of mozzarella.

• If you have an assortment of noodles or rice, veggies, and even a little meat, you can turn it into a soup. Just grab some stock, choosing an appropriate one based on the meat you have on hand, and rewarm in a pot. Add a few suitable fresh ingredients to stretch it into a big enough meal for your family. Depending on which foods you have left from a Mexican dinner, you might be able to create a taco soup. A minestrone can be created with leftover pasta and beans. The veggies, rice and noodles can also be good ways to stretch canned soup when your time is limited.

• If you have chicken and veggies, you could mix up some dumplings from a baking mix or even from scratch, and allow to cook until done on top of the chicken soup. In addition to stretching the meal, the dumplings will be helpful in thickening the soup.

• Betty Crocker has a series of recipes using Bisquick called Impossible Pies that are also great for using miscellaneous leftovers. While the recipes call for specific amounts of the veggies and meat, I’m certain that you could do a little substituting if you are comfortable in the kitchen. However, there are so many recipes for the Impossible Pies that you may not need to substitute.

I hope this helps you find some new ideas to spice up your leftovers. Using food before it goes to waste works for me. You will find more Works for Me Wednesday Tips at We Are THAT Family.

If you enjoyed this post, please check my main page tomorrow or subscribe to the RSS feed (top right) for more “Spring Clean Out” posts.

• First and simplest, my kids love them as a filling, protein-laden snack. Just add a little salt and pepper and enjoy.
• A classic stand-by, egg salad is quite filling for growing children. Smash the eggs with a fork and add the salt and pepper to taste before adding the other ingredients. Add a little mustard, mayo and pickle relish to taste.
• Making meat loaf? Hollow out a cavity once the meat is in the pan, place 2 hard-boiled eggs in the cavity and place the remaining meat on top of the eggs so that they are covered. (Cheese is also great to hide inside the meat loaf.) Then, bake as normal.

**Update. I’ve received quite a bit of comments and questions about the eggs inside of meatloaf, so I found a recipe to show you what I’m talking about. It’s not the same one I use, but the one at Eggland’s Best will give you an idea of what it looks like.**

• Eggs are perfect in almost any salad – potato salad, macaroni salad, tuna or on top of a tossed salad.
• Of course, we can’t omit the obligatory Deviled Eggs. I like to use a Crinkle Cutter to slice the eggs in half. (This is the same crinkle cutter that apparently makes carrot sticks taste better. You can read about it in this veggie post.) Prepare your favorite recipe and place into a pastry bag or a zippered plastic bag and snip off the corner. This makes refilling the eggs much neater and prettier than using a spoon. For extra flavor, sometimes I add ranch dressing and a little less mayo.
• If you still need unique ideas for Devilled Eggs, check out DevilledEggs.org. I would have never guessed there are more than 50 ways to fix these eggs.

If you need some pointers on boiling the perfect egg or a way to save on them through the year, check back tomorrow.

This post is linked to:

Kitchen Tip Tuesday at Tammy’s Recipes

I Am Blissfully Domestic at Blissfully Domestic

Tempt My Tummy Tuesdays at Blessed With Grace