It's not leftovers that are wasteful, but those who either don't know what to do with them or can't be bothered.
Julian Baggini
I think that most home cooks like me love it when you can get a hot, one-pot meal on the table when it seems like there is little in the refrigerator and pantry to work with. The BakeOver is one great solution to use the little bits of leftovers to make a warm plate of comfort food for cold days like this.
We are expecting an ice storm this afternoon and I certainly have no plans for going out. My pantry is stocked of course - when you live out in the sticks like we do that is important. But when I looked in the refrigerator today, there were leftovers that needed to be dealt with before the week of cooking begins again.
The BakeOver comes to the rescue again. The BakeOver is a concept of cooking from MaryJanesFarm that encourages stretching your food dollar and can be as unique as your imagination will allow. You can make a BakeOver with eggs for breakfast, meat and vegetables for lunch or dinner and even fruit for dessert.
The basic method is this:
Basic BakeOver from MaryJanesFarm
4 cups of filling - can be meat, cheese, eggs, vegetables or even fruit if you are making dessert
topping - can be biscuit dough, pie crust, corn bread batter or for dessert use brownie dough, sweetened biscuit dough or even cookie dough if you have some in the freezer
There is a skillet that is sold from MaryJanesFarm and you can see it here. You do not have to have that skillet but it is perfect for the task (I love mine) - just get a deep, non-stick surface one that can go in the oven (that is important).
Saute your filling in the skillet adding what ever seasoning you like. Cover the filling with the topping you have chosen. Bake in a 425 degree oven for about 20 minutes until the topping is done. Now for the BakeOver part: Place a plate over the skillet and flip it over. Ta-Da! You have a great BakeOver!
Today, my BakeOver was made from leftovers: chicken, mashed potatoes, pepper jack cheese and a biscuit topping. I served it at 2:00pm and by 2:20 it was completely gone and so those leftovers were put to great use. You do not have to use just leftovers either. You can actually plan a meal to be a BakeOver. It is a perfect method too for those meatless meals during Lent when you are looking for something different.
Think about what flavor profiles your family enjoys. Do they like pizza? Make a Pizza BakeOver or a cheeseburger one or maybe a Spanish omelette or jambalaya...it is this kind of cooking that gives you confidence in the kitchen. Trust your instincts - you do not have to have a written recipe for everything you make. ;)
For those classically trained cooks, you may be thinking this sounds just like a Tarte Tian. It is. LOL Personally, I like the more rustic sounding BakeOver. What is in your refrigerator right now that could be included? Let me know in the comments...
Thank you so much for visiting today. Tomorrow is our #BeIntentional day and to Make Every Monday Matter. We will visit the topic of helping the hungry in your community. I hope to see you then.
Peace be with you,
Star Schipp
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Sometimes I make "dumplings" with left over crusty bread. Learned that one in Switzerland. It was a rare occurrence to have leftover baguettes, but it did happen from time to time.
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