How to Use Up Left over Bolognese Sauce or Chilli.
If you have left over Bolognese sauce, chilli, enchilada filling or any similar type of pasta sauce or minced beef, lamb or vegetarian leftovers, you can make a whole other meal using this method based on a Shepherd's Pie. Tomato or capsicum pepper based sauces will work best but anything goes really.Ingredients.
Sweet Potatoes or Kumara or Potatoes.
Left over Bolognese sauce, chilli, enchilada filling or similar.
Seasoning (salt & pepper).
Steps.
1. Assess how many people you need to feed and how far the leftover sauce or chilli will go. The method described in this article is very adaptable and has no set quantities. It is up to you how much of anything you use depending on how many people you need to feed. Each portion will be two thirds leftover based and one third sweet potato, kumara or potato mash so work out how many you can cater for on that basis.
2. Bulk up the leftovers if required. If you need to make the Bolognese sauce, chilli or similar go further (feed more people) you can use tinned chilli beans, Ratatouille, tinned baked beans, a jar of tomato or capsicum pepper based pasta sauce, tinned tomatoes, tinned chilli, some of all of these or anything else you think will taste good and have in stock or need to use up.
3. Combine the leftovers and any additions. The final dish will be baked in the oven. You can mix your leftovers with the additions in an oven proof dish that you can serve the completed dish in or a separate bowl. If you mix the leftovers and additions together in a bowl, you will need to transfer the mixture into an oven proof dish. The mixture should fill two thirds of the oven proof dish.
4. Peel and chop enough sweet potato, kumara or potato for each person to have an appropriate portion when the meal is ready. Kumara is highly recommended here! Use ordinary potatoes if you prefer or if you have some that you need to use up. If you have mashed potatoes to use up, even better, use them up! If in doubt, add more kumara or potato, too much is easier to manage than not enough.
5. Boil the chopped kumara or potatoes in a pan with enough boiling water to cover them on a medium heat until tender enough to mash with a potato masher. The smaller you chop them, the faster they cook, putting the lid on the pan will help too. If in doubt, slightly over cooked is better than under cooked.
6. Drain the kumara or potatoes. Pour the water out of the pan but keep the kumara or potatoes in.
7. Mash your kumara or potato with a potato masher. You can add butter or a butter substitute to the mash. Add no more than a standard portion per person if you aren't a confident cook, add as much butter or butter substitute as you like if you've made mash successfully before. Kumara is tasty with or without butter. Ordinary potatoes can be a little bland without any butter. Add salt and pepper to taste. You can add whole egg, egg yolks, milk, cream, spring onions, cooked finely chopped white onions, grated or shredded cheese to the mash if desired.
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8. Spread the mash over the leftover mixture in the oven proof dish. Essentially, you're making a pie. The mash is the topping. Spread the mash evenly over the "pie filling". Add grated or shredded cheese on top if desired. For an attractive finish, run the tines of a fork over the mash.
9. Cook in a preheated oven for 20 to 30 minutes. The oven should be heated to a medium heat. The topping will brown slightly. When the filling is piping hot, you can take your creation out of then oven and serve it.
10. Serve as a meal if desired, the end product has the usual protein, carbohydrate and vegetable / fruit (tomatoes or peppers) components of a meal. You can add bread, vegetables, corn chips and dip on the side / as an accompaniment if you want to.
Tips.
Use up anything and everything you have in this if you know your way around the kitchen and add whatever you like.
Warnings.
Injuries can occur when cooking. Take sensible precautions when using knives, cooking with boiling water and using a hot oven.
Things You'll Need.
Saucepan with a lid.
Oven proof dish/dishes.
Potato Masher.
Serving Spoon.
Oven and hob.
