Category Archives: Recipes & Cooking

Favorite simple yet delicious recipes in my Texas Homestead kitchen.

Planned Leftovers: Carnitas Tacos from Pork Roast

by Texas Homesteader ~

I hate food waste. Now I’m sure we ALL hate food waste, but for some reason it’s a deep-seated hatred for me. I’m not sure where such strong feelings originate – I never recall going hungry a day in my life. But for some reason I simply cannot stand food waste. I keep an eye on food freshness in my kitchen like a ninja!

I’ve spoken before about my Cook-Once, Eat-Twice method of cooking where you cook a boatload of main dish & freeze the rest for future meals. These entrees will be served exactly as they were cooked. Homemade Meat Ravioli or Stuffed Bell Peppers are two examples.

But there’s another method of cooking I often employ to stop food waste in its tracks: Planned Leftovers. This is a little different, a main ingredient is made in large quantities and then the leftovers are made into completely different dishes.

For instance I might cook a Slow-Cooker Sticky-Chicken one night and then make Tortilla Soup with the leftover chicken. Make sense?

Now hear this: recently I purposely made massive quantities of Slow Cooker Pork Roast. One of my all-time favorite leftovers planning is Carnitas Tacos. Oh man you’re gonna love this!

Planned Leftovers - remake leftover pork roast into a totally new dish: Carnitas Tacos. Delicious & you can make your own taco shells too! #TexasHomesteader

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Homestead Hack: Leftover Roast Into Hearty Stew

by Texas Homesteader ~

Who doesn’t love a hearty stew when the weather’s cold? And if you’re using leftover roast to make it, that meal can be on the table in minutes.

Recently I wrote about the benefit of planned leftovers. That’s the method of cooking when you purposely cook more of an item than you will eat at one time.

Then bibbidy-bobbedy-boo presto-changeo remake the leftovers into brand new and delicious recipes.

But today I’m sharing the quickest & most basic delicious leftover idea: a Hearty Stew!

Planned Leftovers remade into the quickest meal possible - a hearty meat/veggie stew. Check out this Homestead Hack. #TexasHomesteader

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Quick & Easy Chicken Tortilla Soup Recipe Using Leftover Chicken

 by Texas Homesteader ~ 

Got leftover chicken and wondering how to use it? I use Planned Leftovers cooking!

Turn leftover chicken, a few dried out corn tortillas and a few cans of veggies into delicious, hot & satisfying Chicken Tortilla Soup FAST! 

Chicken tortilla soup with corn black beans and tortillas #TexasHomesteader

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Planned Leftovers: Easy Slow-Cooker Pork Roast For FAST Meals!

by Texas Homesteader ~ 

With planned leftovers you cook lots of a main ingredient to incorporate into future meals. It really simplifies things in the kitchen! Recently I cooked up a huge pork roast in a slow cooker. Come see the many dishes I have planned with that one roast.

I like to cook with planned leftovers in mind. Recently I cooked up a huge pork roast in a slow cooker. See what I have planned. #TexasHomesteader

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Quick & Easy: Rich, Chocolaty Hot Cocoa Recipe

by Texas Homesteader ~ 

Don’t resort to the powdered stuff sold in packets. Homemade hot cocoa is delicious & only uses cocoa, sugar & milk – flavored with vanilla & a few miniature marshmallows floating on top. So easy! (and there’s a secret flavoring ingredient that intensifies the chocolate taste. shhhhh….)

Homemade hot cocoa is delicious & only uses cocoa, sugar & milk - flavored with vanilla & a few miniature marshmallows floating on top. #TexasHomesteader

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Homestead Hack: MYO Crispy Taco Shells Using Plain Corn Tortillas!

by Texas Homesteader ~ 

Do you hate to waste money on hard, stale taco shells? If you’ve got plain corn tortillas you can easily make them into the crispy taco shells you love. Check out this Homestead Hack for making your own lightly crispy (aka: not shatter-hard) taco shells.

Do you hate to waste money on hard, stale taco shells? Check out this easy Crispy Baked Taco Shells Homestead Hack & make your own! #TexasHomesteader

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