Mexi-breakfast-dinner!

I mentioned in my last post that because of my last roommate, I have become spectacular at turning leftovers into something new and this morning I got up early to turn some leftover onions and peppers into the base of a crock pot full of chili (I added some ground beef, a few cans of different types of beans, a can of diced tomatoes, loads of spices, and some garlic and it has been simmering for almost 12 hours now..I can’t wait!).  So, leftovers have been on my mind….

A few weeks ago we made a roasted pork tenderloin with some cheese grits and mashed yams.  The yams and pork were a delicious lunch for me the next day, and a few days later we threw together a bunch of random ingredients to make a dinner neither of us had planned for…a huevos rancheros/huevos motuleños-type dinner with a spicy, cheesy southern twist.  Our cheese grits had solidified in the fridge, so we turned them into adorable cut-out hearts (it was the first cookie-cutter I could find!):

They got pan fried until they were gooey and gorgeously browned.  To go with them I fried up some leftover andouille sausage (from this Cajun Quiche recipe I had used for a knitting party with some co-workers), added some pinto beans and sweet corn to heat through.   I have been adding corn to things as often as possible recently…Matt and I are both in love with the little crunch of sweetness it brings to soups and other creamy things (I’m surprised there was none inside of the grits, actually).

The mix went on the side of the grits, and I topped each plate with two fried eggs with runny yolks (mostly).  Also note that the same pan was used for the grits and the sausage/corn/beans… easy cleanup!

Here’s the finished product:

Both of us were surprised by how quickly this came together and how well all of the thrown-together flavors worked together.  This was one of those nights where we just sort of stand in the kitchen peeking into the fridge and the cupboards, not really sure what to eat…lots of times we’d settle on something like blah sandwiches or something from the freezer, but for whatever reason on this particular night, creativity was our friend and we ended up with a spectacular dinner!  I have been on a kick recently where I crave breakfast burritos, huevos rancheros, and really any other mexican for breakfast.  It’s a somewhat new thing, but apparently it is transforming into a love of mexican-inspired breakfast foods for dinner!

Also, Santana tried to help:

(Also notice the mess that is our kitchen and the many hand towels on the floor…usually while we wash dishes and cook, we manage to spill anything that can be spilled, and towels get dropped to the floor to mop it up…at the end of the night we try to corral all of these towels into the hamper so our kitchen floor is not quite a death trap. If you are visiting, just beware.)

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