Use-Up Month: An Update

Just a quick update on use-up month...
Things are going swimmingly.

So far I've been able to use up a lot of canned goods that would have probably expired within the next few months.

I made lasagna soup, using up frozen ground beef, canned tomatoes and noodles. This is one of our favorite soup recipes.

I made the aforementioned mandarin orange chicken recipe, and it turned out pretty good. McPreachy seemed to like it.

We somehow had three half-empty bags of tortilla chips in the pantry, so I made chicken nachos the other day! I used canned black beans and frozen chicken breasts that I seasoned, broiled and chopped. They were delish!

I made my friend Katie's pineapple chicken. You make it by sauteing cubed chicken and then adding 1 small can of crushed pineapple and one 1 packet of onion soup mix to the saute pan. That's it... super simple but super delicious!

I've made basics too, like the big batch o' spaghetti I made last weekend. (We've been eating leftovers for the past few nights).

I used up the remains of my meat and cheese drawer by making Monte Cristo sandwiches the other day. They were magical.
Here's how you make 'em:

• Lay down a piece of plain old white bread. Top it with Swiss cheese, ham, turkey and another piece of bread. (You can also add Dijon mustard to the sandwich if you like)
• In a shallow dish, mix together a few eggs and a splash of milk (like you would for French toast). Add salt, pepper and a dash of cinnamon.
• Heat up a skillet or griddle to medium high heat. Butter it 'till it begs for mercy.
• Finally, yep... you guessed it. Carefully dip the sandwiches in the batter, completely coating them. Be careful to keep the sandwich in tact, and place it on the hot griddle. Cook until golden and then carefully flip it (have I mentioned yet that you need to be careful?). Cook until golden on the second side and until the cheese is melted and the sandwich is heated through.
• Slice the sandwich diagonally and dust with powdered sugar. Serve with a dollop (one of my favorite words) of raspberry jam on the side! Enjoy!
• I just also feel the need to mention that Disneyland makes the BEST Monte Cristo sandwiches in the world, and you MUST get one the next time you're there. You can get one at The Blue Bayou or Cafe Orleans.

On the menu for this week:

• Lasagna (I have frozen sausage in my freezer and 3 half-used boxed of lasagna noodles in the pantry.)
• Pizza (another favorite way to clean out the meat and cheese drawer of the fridge.)
• These sandwiches from my favorite website of all time. (I already have bacon and cheese on hand, and I have some frozen hamburger buns I want to use up).
• As you can see, it's low-cal week at the McPreachy home! :0) Come on over if you are in the market to gain 5 pounds.

Whoops.. did I say "quick" update at the beginning of this post? Sorry!

So how are you guys and dolls doing? Anyone else successfully cleaning out the pantry one meal at a time?