Leftovers Can Be Gourmet Dinners!

by Lora
(Pa., USA)

After years and years... and years of cooking, you get pretty good at it, I guess, and creative too. This meal is not really a recipe as it is an attempt to inspire those creative dinner ideas.

One night, a few years back, I looked in the refrigerator for something for dinner. I saw some leftover chicken - but not enough to feed us all. I saw some leftover ham... not enough either, though.

I was feeling fairly determined to make something out of that ham and chicken so that it wouldn't be wasted. Not to mention, I neglected to defrost anything else.

Wheels started spinning when I realized that I had fresh pineapple - ham and pineapple - That's Great! I also had fresh brussels sprouts.

Pure courage took over when I decided to try to mix all these things together. Remember... nothing else was defrosted (and it was after 6pm as it was).

I placed all the ingredients in a large casserole dish - chicken, ham, brussels sprouts, pineapple (with the juice) diced garlic, salt and pepper (maybe some olive oil - can't remember) and roasted until the sprouts were tender.

I nervously presented the concoction (that looked very beautiful, actually) with a side of rice.

It was devoured by husband and CHILDREN! It's so funny because it was unintentionally awesome and a meal that we all remember still. Ha! Gourmet Leftovers!