Eat, Drink, and Go!

I grew up believing that wasting food was simply not an option. I am a member of the clean plate club. Or if I really can’t finish, like if it’s a whole bird or a dish not meant for one sitting, then I wrap it up and stick it in the fridge for tomorrow. And I’m pretty good about actually eating the leftovers. But some dishes aren’t exciting enough to hold my interest the next day, or the day after if there’s STILL more. That is when I turn it into something totally new, or “repurposed” leftovers. 

The best example of the need to repurpose leftovers is that great big Thanksgiving turkey. And I’ve done many variations. But I’ll save that for November, so stay tuned!!  Last night, I realized we had a ton of leftover pizza from kiddie parties over the weekend. So my canvas presented itself. Game on. This one was pretty easy. Let’s make it gourmet pizza!!  

The before…plain cheese pizza squares

What can I add?  Let’s see what I’ve got…bell peppers, tomatoes, artichokes, Olive tapanade, Asiago, fresh basil, and soprassetta. That’ll do!!  Just pile on those fancy toppings, re-bake til it comes back to life, drizzle some good EVOO and a little truffle balsamic for a kick and viola!! New, gourmet pizza that your peeps can’t believe was once that crap in the fridge!  I even had enough pieces to fit together like a puzzle and really make it look like a whole new pie!!

If you ever need ideas for leftovers, let me know – I love the challenge of re-creating something new from something old!!