Creative leftover usage... My budgetary savior.

I went grocery shopping last night.

Without a list.

A text from Mr. Lovinangels revealed we had run out of milk. How, I'm not sure. A few more texts and I realized I needed to actually go SHOPPING.

Forty dollars later, I emerged, really tired, but loaded up for the next couple of days.

Or so I thought. I didn't buy anything for supper.

To be fair, there are hamburgers in the freezer right now. And steak. And, a whole turkey. I don't grill. That job belongs to Mr. Lovinangels.

Sigh.

In the fridge, I've got leftover butternut squash risotto, eggs, pizza, hot dogs, and a lot of fresh vegetables and fruit. I want the pizza for lunch tomorrow, so that's out.

Risotto does not heat up well. At least traditionally, in my house. I'm usually the only one that will eat the leftovers, until tonight, when ALL of the children ate it. (even the one that wouldn't eat it the first time around)

How did I accomplish this, you ask?
Why, I fried it, of course. The result was similar to the beloved cheesy tots from Burger King, although without the strange fake colored cheese, and it was delicious.

Recipe-
1/2 batch of leftover risotto, chilled.
approx 1 C AP flour
1 C whole grain roasted garlic bread crumbs
1 large egg, beaten with a splash of water

slice the risotto into silver dollar sized pancakes. Set up a dredging station-flour, seasoned with salt and pepper, then egg, then bread crumbs.

Heat a frying pan with a half inch or so of your favorite frying oil.

Drop the risotto by cake in each coating, roll, then into the hot oil (you do know how to check if oil is ready to fry, don't you?)

Fry about two minutes on each side, until golden brown and delicious.

Sprinkle with sea salt and serve with ranch dressing and fresh raw veggies.