Pulled pork leftovers chili

Pulled pork leftovers chili

This recipe got its inspiration from "The Weary Chef," a handle that well describes me this week! We had a load of leftover pulled pork from our wedding weekend, and this creation turned out surprisingly well.  

~4 C leftover barbecued pulled pork

2 15 oz cans black beans

3 15 oz cans minced tomatoes and 1 15 oz can tomato sauce OR 4 cans minced tomatoes

kernels from 4 cobs roasted corn, which we had in the freezer (or ~2 C plain ole frozen corn)

~2-3 T chili powder

salt & pepper, to taste

smoked paprika, to taste

chopped cilantro and/or green onions, for garnish

Mix it all together in a soup pot and heat it up for 15-20 minutes.  We made cheese quesadillas on the side, and it was fine comfort food on a snowy night.

Wedding leftovers shepherd's pie with turkey

Wedding leftovers shepherd's pie  

Dusty and I had loads of leftover turkey and mashed potatoes after our wedding. Here's how we used some of it up (there are loads of similar recipes on the internet, I've since discovered, but I was adapting from the shepherd's pie recipe in Joy of Cooking) -- although it seems inaccurate to call it shepherd's pie, which traditionally has red meat. Two out of three of our kids liked it, which I count a success, and it seemed to get better after a day or two. Also, a bonus: it only uses only one pan!

3 T light oil (grapeseed, olive, safflower)
1 medium onion
1 stalk celery
~1 cup frozen peas
1 T fresh rosemary
1 1/2 t dried thyme
3-4 C leftover turkey, chopped
~ 4 C leftover mashed potatoes (more or less depending on how thick on the potatoes you want it)
salt
pepper
2 T flour
~1 C chicken bone broth
~1 C shredded cheddar


1.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. In a large cast iron skillet, heat the oil, then sauce onto and celery until translucent. Add the peas, rosemary, and thyme and cook for another few minutes.
3. Stir in the flour to vegetable mixture.
4. Add turkey, broth, along with salt and pepper to taste. Cook until it thickens, 5-10 minutes or so.
5. Remove from heat and top with a layer of mashed potatoes, covering the meat mixture evenly.
6. Sprinkle cheddar on top.
7. Put the skillet in the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes, until potatoes become fluffy, then broil for another few minutes until the top becomes golden brown.