One of the things I love about cooking is taking some leftovers and turning them into something fabulous. Roast chicken is usually my favourite - using the meat for something like Chicken al King, or the bones to make creamy chicken, mushroom and chilli soup. Arancini from leftover risotto is a great one too. And of course, not forgetting dessert!Amaretti is the perfect way to use up leftover egg whites. Just freeze the leftover whites when you’ve been using the yolks to make custard or to glaze a pie, then defrost them when you need them. This Chilli lasagne (or chili lasagna for you guys in the US) is another example of using the leftovers from a great meal and presenting it in a delicious and different way. My husband is the chilli con carne chef in our house, so I get him to cook at least a double batch. Then I’ll freeze the other half and save it to make an easy lasagne later.I’ve included the full recipe for Chris’s chilli below, so you may be alarmed at how many ingredients there are, and how long the cooking time is. But the recipe is really for two meals.Ideally you’ll just be grabbing the defrosted leftover chilli, which cuts the time down to about 40 minutes. You’ll probably have most of the ingredients for the chilli in your store cupboard, but if you’re missing an ingredient or two (like the chipotle or the chocolate) don’t worry too much, it’s quite a forgiving recipe. You may notice the recipe only calls for 500g/17.5oz minced/ground beef - to make 4 portions of chilli-con-carne and 4 little lasagnes. Believe me, it’s not often my husband is light-handed when it comes to meat, but the sauce is rich enough, and there are plenty of other goodies in there like beans and peppers that you really don’t need more meat. I love serving these little pots with a giant salad and lots of toppings like fresh coriander, red chillies, sour cream and sliced red onions. Do you have a favourite dish you make from leftovers? I’d love some more ideas! Stay updated with new recipes!Subscribe to the newsletter to hear when I post a new recipe. I’m also on YouTube (new videos every week) and Instagram (behind-the-scenes stories & beautiful food photos).
Chris famous Chilli Con Carne RecipeOur Quick and Easy Chicken Fajitas - always a hit with the kids tooMexican Chicken Skewers - great on the BBQFish Tacos - a favourite of Chris and I from our trip to Morro Bay CAVegetarian Loaded Tortilla PanMexican ShakshukaOh and if you have a little extra time this Slow Cooked Pork and Beef Chilli is AMAZING!
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