Leftover Makeover for Cranberry Orange Chicken

The week before Christmas week is always the busiest week of the year for me. There's shopping to do, gifts to wrap, cookies to bake, friends to visit, family to see, mantles to decorate, trees to trim, on and on. All this is in addition to my normal life of schlepping kids wherever they need to go, overseeing homework, keeping the house tidy, taming the laundry beast, and cooking for my family. The secret to a successful Christmas is to plan and organize. Santa's not the only one who needs a list to get through the season. I need quite a few lists, actually.
I make a menu plan each week, but special attention was given to this particular week because I didn't want to spend much time preparing supper each night. So, this is the perfect week for Leftover Makeovers. First, I cooked a fun Cranberry Orange Chicken in the slow cooker. I made sure I had plenty chicken, rice and broccoli left over, so I could throw together the Chicken Fried Rice later in the week. I included butternut squash and broccoli in the dish because those veggies are in season now and, therefore, plentiful, fresh, and less expensive. But, you could use carrots, peas, green beans, or your family's favorite veggies as a substitute. Chicken Fried Rice is a recipe that I never make from "scratch" on the night I serve it. In other words, it is always made with leftovers. The trick is that I plan to have the leftovers.
This recipe calls for 2 cups of cooked diced chicken. That chicken could come from a roast, a rotisserie deli chicken, grilled chicken breasts, or baked chicken parts. As long as you have 2 cups, you'll be fine. In fact, if you'd prefer to decrease or omit the meat altogether, you can. Just increase the substantial veggies. You want approximately 6 cups of rice, veggies, and/or meat (all combined) to create the right consistency for fried rice.
Try this Leftover Makeover by cooking your rice, broccoli, butternut squash, and chicken early in the week for other meals, then toss together the leftovers for this easy and filling one-dish meal.

Chicken Fried Rice

2 T peanut oil
1 c. butternut squash, diced
1/2 c. red pepper, diced
1/4 c. onion, chopped
1 c. broccoli, steamed & chopped
2 c. cooked, diced chicken
2 c. cooked, cold rice
1 egg, beaten
3 T soy sauce
1 T sesame oil
1/4 t. salt
black pepper to taste
chopped green onion, optional
toasted sesame seeds, optional

Heat peanut oil in wok (or large skillet) over medium heat. Saute butternut squash, red pepper, and onion until squash is nearly tender. Reduce to medium and add broccoli and chicken, heating through. Stir in rice. Make a well in rice mixture, add egg and scramble. Stir scrambled egg into rice mixture. Add soy sauce and sesame oil, stirring well. Add salt and pepper to taste. Top with chopped green onion and toasted sesame seeds, if desired.


*note* You can use a variety of cooked meats in this recipe, if desired. Slivered ham, sliced cooked beef, cooked shrimp, sliced cooked pork all work well as a substitution for the chicken. Or create a veggie meal by substituting the meat for chopped cooked cabbage.

Cranberry Orange Chicken

2 1/2 to 3 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs and/or breasts
8 oz. whole cranberry sauce
2/3 c. Orange marmalade
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 envelope dry onion soup mix
1/4 c. flour

Mix cranberry sauce and remaining ingredients. Pour sauce evenly over chicken in slow cooker. Don’t stir. Cover and cook on low for 3 to 5 hours, or until chicken is cooked through. Serve chicken with steamed broccoli and rice topped with the sauce.

A Spicy, Sweet & Smoky Treat

The smoky, spicy taste of the chipotle pepper adds a unique, Southwest flavor to many dishes. Experiment with the amount of pepper you use to determine just the right kick. I find it difficult to remove seeds (which decreases heat) from the chipotle, so I just use one pepper in most of my dishes. Using more than one will increase the heat and flavor.
I add a chopped chipotle pepper and adobo sauce to chili, casseroles, veggie beef soup, cornbread, even macaroni & cheese. Chipotle peppers can be added to any dish that could use a smoky, spicy, Southwestern kick. If your family likes the flavor, experiment a little by adding one chopped chipotle pepper with a little adobo sauce to your favorite dish.
I buy chipotle peppers in adobo sauce in the can. Generally, I only use one or two at a time. So, what do I do with the rest of the can of peppers? I line a cookie sheet with wax paper. Then I place each pepper with a little bit of adobo sauce about 2 inches apart on the wax paper. Top the peppers with another sheet of wax paper, press lightly, and freeze on the cookie sheet until firm. Remove from freezer and cut squares around each pepper making individually frozen peppers for future use. Stack frozen peppers (still pressed between wax paper) in a gallon-size freezer bag and freeze until needed. This same method works for pesto; freeze in tablespoon or 1/4 cup portions.

Chipotle Sweet Potato Biscuits

5 T cold butter, cut into small cubes
2 1/4 c self-rising flour
1/2 - 2/3 c. buttermilk
1/4 c. brown sugar
1 c. sweet potatoes, cooked, mashed, and cold (or sweet potato casserole *see note)
1 chipotle pepper, chopped
zest of 1 lime, chopped
juice of ½ of one lime

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Cut butter into flour with a pastry blender or fork until crumbly. Add buttermilk and remaining ingredients stirring the mixture just until moistened. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and chill in refrigerator for about 1 hour. On lightly floured surface, pat dough to 1/2-inch thickness; cut with a 2-inch round biscuit cutter. Bake at 425 degrees for 10-12 minutes or until lightly golden.

*If you use leftover sweet potato casserole, you may want to decrease the brown sugar a bit so that your biscuits aren’t too sweet (as if there is such a thing!)

*These unbaked biscuits freeze well up to 3 months. Chipotle Sweet Potato Biscuits can also be used as toppers for pot pies or casseroles. Simply top the unbaked casserole with the cut dough and bake. Try them as a topper for your Turkey Pot Pie after Thanksgiving!

Scanning the Grocery Flyers SAVES money!

The closest grocery store to my house is Food Lion, so naturally, I do most of my weekly shopping there. When scanning the weekly flyer, I am looking for the best deals, not necessarily what the flyer is showcasing. This week’s flyer highlights 9 meats, but the best deals save you the most money. Each week, Madame Deals compiles this information on www.madamedeals.com so the work is done for you. Here are my meat and produce picks for this week (10/28-11/03), along with prep and storage tips:
1. Boston Butt Pork Roast is $.98 a pound. Ask the butcher to trim it to cut down on the fat. You can marinate and roast this cut creating a tender, tasty meal. Smashed potatoes and honeyed peas & carrots complete the meal. Or cook the roast in the slow cooker creating bbq. Once cooked, you can freeze your barbecue in quart-sized freezer bags for a quick meal later.
2. Smithfield Center Cut Ham Slices are 50% off. This cut of ham is a great choice for a Leftover Makeover. Bake or pan fry the ham slices the first night. Then, cube the leftovers to add into your macaroni & cheese, escalloped potatoes, or fried rice. And, potatoes are on sale this week, so you’re saving money by choosing meats and veggies when they are value priced.
3. Holly Farms Grade A Whole Fryers are $.59 a pound. Another great choice for a Leftover Makeover. Roast your chicken the first night. Then use about 2 c. cooked chicken for chicken noodle soup, chicken ‘n’ dumplings, chicken enchiladas...choices are almost limitless! Or, freeze chopped, cooked chicken for up to 4 months.
4. Fresh Ground Round is $2.49 a pound this week. Make a double batch of chili this week and freeze half in quart-sized freezer bags for chili mac or taco salad later. Onions, cluster tomatoes, and avocados (for topping) are also on sale making chili an economical choice this week.
5. Smithfield Smoked Bacon is BOGO. Many fall dishes tend to have the smoky, homey flavor of bacon, so stock up on these and freeze. Since they are flat, they don’t take up too much space in the freezer. And, who doesn’t love the smell of bacon cooking in the morning? Don’t like to fry bacon and make a big mess on your stovetop? Bake bacon on a sheet pan in 425 degree oven for 10-15 minutes, turning once. When bacon is crisp, drain on paper towels.
6. Martha White Corn Muffin Mix is 3 for $1. Great savings. This mix is good for making corn bread, corn waffles, corn bread crusts, and as chicken and pork breader. Baked corn bread can also be crumbled and made into a stuffing for chicken and pork. Quite versatile to have on hand.
7. Potatoes and carrots are also on special this week. Five-pound bags of white potatoes are BOGO and 2-lb. Bags of whole carrots are $1.29. Excellent savings and perfect sides for the roasted pork and chicken.

Think about what you will cook this week as you are looking through the flyer. Meal plan and make a shopping list before you go to the store. STICK TO YOUR LIST. You’ll spend a little more time planning and preparing, but the reward is saving money, healthy eating, and plan-ahead meals that will make your life easier!
Have questions or want recipe suggestions?? Email me at cookwithconnie@gmail.com