Using leftovers

I don't know about you, but for me the holidays mean lots of leftovers.  As a teacher, I generally have the week off between Christmas and New Year's. During the holidays I cook a lot of Italian dishes, so that means either baking or buying Italian bread for meals. Frequently only part of a loaf will be used, and instead of throwing it away, I make croutons for salads, and sometimes Bread Pizza. When my girls were little leftovers helped to stretch the budget and one of their favorites was this dish.

Bread Pizza

Leftover Italian bread
Good sauce
Mozzarella cheese
Parmesan cheese
Optional toppings:
Green peppers
Onions
Olives
Mushrooms
Pepperoni
Sausage..
Whatever you have left in the fridge!

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with either foil or parchment paper. Slice the Italian Bread into six inch lengths then split in half.  Cover the bread with sauce, I used Classico's Florentine Spinach & Cheese.

Add toppings, cover with cheese.  Bake for 15 minutes or until cheese is slightly browned and bubbly.

Easy as can be.

Aunt Kathy's Mexican Hash Brown Casserole

My Aunt Kathy used to make a version of this for us kids because it feeds a small army, (two adults and five growing children) and it is not an expensive meal. Also, its heavy on the vegetables, but no one seems to mind. Serve this with the toppings, a side of refried or black beans, and some tortilla chips. Also goes good with the Sangria recipe. Enjoy!

Mexican Hash Brown Casserole

½ of a 1 pound bag of frozen shredded or chopped hash brown potatoes

1 8 oz. can of diced or pureed tomatoes

1 pound of lean ground beef

2 c. of Mexican 4 cheese blend of finely shredded cheese (or just cheddar cheese) divided

1 c. of frozen or fresh corn

1 c. of chopped peppers, I mix jalapeño and green pepper

1 c. of chopped zucchini

1 medium onion chopped

Mexican Spice Blend Mix:

2 tbsp. powdered garlic

2 tbsp. dried onions

½ tsp. ground cumin

3 tsp. chili powder

½ tsp. of cayenne pepper

½ tsp. sea salt

If you have a package of taco seasoning mix that works, but it has a lot more salt. 

Topping suggestions:

Shredded lettuce

Chopped tomatoes

Chopped green onions

Sliced black olives

Sour cream

Salsa

Brown ground beef and drain. Mix spices, add vegetables, tomatoes and spices to the crockpot.  Stir in hash browns, browned hamburger, and 1 cup of cheese. 

Cook on low for six hours.  Turn off ten minutes before serving, and top with the remaining cheese. 

Serve with suggested toppings. 

Crockpot Sauce

Sauce is incredibly important in an Italian household.  If you cannot make a good sauce, there is no way you can marry Italian. I make a pretty good sauce from scratch but during the Winter when good tomatoes are scarce I cook it in the crockpot and start with canned tomatoes.  "Gasp!" Italian women everywhere are shouting "Blasphemy!" as I write this, but it tastes pretty good and is moderately healthy.

Andrea's Crockpot Sauce

1 large can crushed tomatoes 28 ozs.
1 large can diced tomatoes 28 ozs.
1 large can tomato paste 15 ozs.
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 cup chopped onions
1 cup chopped green peppers
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup chopped fresh oregano
3 cloves of garlic chopped fine.


If you can't get fresh parsley, oregano, and basil at your grocers try using the dried, two tablespoons each.  It's not as good, but it will suffice.  Put this in the crockpot and cook on low for at least 6 hours, 8 is better.

Enjoy over your favorite pasta, I like the pasta with vegetables in it.