Tips:
- Meat can be expensive. One great way to save and stretch it is to chop it and mix it with other things. We do this often with casseroles but today’s recipe is a different twist on the usual casserole and shows there are other ways to stretch it.
- The next time you bake potatoes or boil some water for something, wipe down the inside of your microwave. There is usually enough steam left in there so that it’s easy to wipe clean.
- If you use mayonnaise in a squeeze bottle or want to get every last bit out of the jar, add a little milk to the bottle and shake it. Then pour it on something like potato salad. You can do the same thing with ketchup except add water, shake and pour into your spaghetti sauce.
Menu:
Roast Beef Potato Salad
Veggie Stir Fry
Sliced Tomatoes
Banana Cream Dessert
Recipes:
Today’s main dish recipe is a quick, easy and unusual way to use leftover roast beef and potatoes. This is a great way to stretch any meat when unexpected company shows up.
Roast Beef Potato Salad
2 cups roast beef, cooked and cubed
2 cups potatoes, peeled, cooked and cubed
1/2 cup green pepper, chopped
1/2 cup celery, sliced
1/4 cup onion, chopped
2 Tbsp. pimentos, chopped (optional)
Dressing:
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2-3 Tbsp. vinegar
2 tsp. prepared mustard
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
Mix dressing in a large bowl. Add remaining ingredients and toss with dressing. Chill 1 hour. Serve on lettuce leaves. Makes 4 servings.
Veggie Stir Fry
4 cups fresh broccoli florets
1 cup zucchini
3/4 cup fresh baby carrots, quartered lengthwise
2 tsp. canola or vegetable oil
Salt and pepper to taste
In a nonstick skillet, stir-fry broccoli and carrots in oil for 5 minutes. Add zucchini, salt and pepper. Stir-fry 5 more minutes or until vegetables are tender. Makes 4 servings.
Banana Cream Dessert
4 medium bananas, sliced
1/2 cup lemon juice
1 cup (8 oz.) sour cream
1 pkg. (3.4 oz.) instant vanilla pudding
1 carton (12 oz.) whipped topping
1/3 cup pecans or other nuts
1 graham cracker pie crust (9 inch)
Toss bananas in lemon juice. Drain well. Set aside. Beat sour cream and pudding on low speed for 2 minutes. Fold in bananas and whipped topping. Pour into pie crust. Chill for at least 6 hours or over night. Sprinkle with pecans.
You might also try this recipe without the crust and drizzle it with a little chocolate sauce.Yummy!
For more easy recipes like these to help you make the most of your leftovers, check out our Dining On A Dime Cookbook!
Jana
Yum! Are you getting your roast beef from any left over beef roast? I usually crockpot my roasts so they couldn’t be cubed as left overs. I am sure shredded would be just as good though. I plan on giving this a try with our left overs next time!
Jill
Yes you can use any roast beef. Often even very tender beef can be semi cubed if you cut it after it is cold but shredded would be fine too.
Cinnamon
Re the Veggie Stir Fry….how much zucchini? Zucchini is not listed in the ingredient list.
Tawra
Thanks for pointing that out. It is 1 cup but you can really adjust the amount of veggies to what ever you have on hand.
Yvonne
I don`t post very often but I do try to read your posts everyday.
Do you beat the sour cream and pudding together?
Tawra
Yes you do. I’m glad you’re enjoying our articles!
Jill
Yvonne hope I’m not to late in answering your question.Yes you beat the sour cream and pudding together.
Bea
That menu sounds so yummy!
luna
On the mayo thing; add a little dill pickle juice ,it is what we do in restraunts and fast food places
grandma
to stretch any creamy dressing mayo, creamy cucumber add a bit of cider vinegar. tastes great and if you do it at the table it gives the dressing on tossed salads a nice fresh taste.
My 80 year old mother said an older friend did this to cut down on the calories when the dressing sort of clumps in the middle of a salad.
Tried it and even my husband liked it and he hates vinegar and only uses thousand islands dressing.
Cider vinegar is good for so many things why not get a bit at every salad meal?