LEFTOVERS

Use of leftovers is an extremely helpful way of helping with the food budget. Last week I picked up a package of chicken tenders on manager's special for a little over $5 for a large package. My first thought was to make satay chicken with peanut sauce as I've been wanting to try that recipe. I fixed the satay chicken on Thursday night with great results but with a fair amount of leftover chicken. Friday night Matt made me grilled lamb chops with several pieces left over from that. Neither was really enough for an entire meal for us but by using them in another way we were able to pull 2 lunches out of them.

Saturday for lunch we took and chopped up the chicken and lamb to make pitas with. We also make a homemade cucumber sauce with greek yogurt (yum) - also another first time recipe for us. We heated the pitas up and then heated the chicken and lamb up together. On the pitas we spread the cucumber sauce, added the meat mixture, and then added lettuce, banana pepper slices, and I added pickles and then rolled them up. We actually had enough of the meat mixture left over that I was able to make these pitas again Sunday for lunch we liked them so much.

Another option would have been to use them in a chicken ceaser salad, crunchy asian salad with chicken, chicken salad, etc.... Don't limit yourself to only using your leftovers in the way they were originally cooked. Sometimes they can be stretched much further by being used in a totally different recipe.