Home Cooking with Jess – Leftovers

Leftovers.  

Why didn’t I like leftovers as a kid?

Nowadays, if I have food in the fridge, I’m more excited on my drive home from work. Mexican food is a go-to of mine and it’s a win because the kids like tacos and quesadillas. If I make a pound of taco meat, I always have leftovers.

I’ve started making my own taco seasoning because I don’t always have the taco seasoning packets, but I do always have the spices to make it myself. Sometimes I’ll sauté some onions and peppers, put them in a bowl over taco meat and add a couple of fried eggs on top.

So. Good.

Leftover Meat and Casserole

I’ve also turned that into a pretty killer omelette with some sour cream and salsa, but if I have taco meat in my fridge on Sunday’s, I’ll grab some red/yellow/orange bell peppers and make taco peppers for the game. These are in dollar baskets a lot at Jebbia’s, usually 3-4 for $1. The just-past-ripe peppers are perfect for these, too, and I serve these with optional salsa and sour cream. I love the meat with the tender, crisp sweetness of the red pepper with the creamy, cool sour cream.

Another leftover meat that I usually have in abundance is pulled pork, but I found a recipe for a casserole that used left over pulled pork and it was super yummy!

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But then I had leftover casserole. Ha! Using the wonton wrappers I mentioned in last week’s blog (found in the organic section at my Kroger), I bake them into little taco wrappers. These are good just as is, but you can top with cheese and they are also great topped with coleslaw. You could also use leftover taco meat and make these two-bite tacos. 

Taco Peppers

Ingredients:

• Colored sweet bell peppers
• 1/2 lb taco meat
• 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Optional:

• Salsa
• Sour cream

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 425.
2. Cut peppers into 3rds or 4ths and remove seeds. 
3. Place peppers in a baking dish and fill with taco meat.
4. Sprinkle cheese on top each pepper and bake for 10 minutes.
5. Serve with salsa and sour cream. 

Wonton Tacos

• 1/4-1/2 lb of pulled pork
• Wonton wrappers
• Cooking spray

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 400.
2. Take a cooling rack and put it on a baking sheet.  Drape the wonton wrappers over two of the wires on the rack forming a triangle.  (You can also use a baking pan and drape the wonton wrappers over the sides.) 
3. Spray with cooking spray.
4. Bake until crispy, about 4 minutes. 
5. Heat up the pulled pork and fill the wonton tacos.

Eat as is or add coleslaw. 

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