Deli Tray Leftovers?

After Ella's party on Friday we were left with a ton of leftovers from several deli trays. What can a family of four do with a veggie tray, a bunch of condiments and a pound of cold cuts? I decided to make a supper using as many of the ingredients as possible. The end result was Pasta Primavera with an Italian Salad and bread pudding for dessert. Here's a rough breakdown of what I cooked...

Pasta Primavera

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 small onion, chopped

3 cloves of garlic, minced

1 cup sliced mushrooms

leftover assortment of veggies, chopped

- we used zucchini, yellow squash, red and green bell peppers, carrots, asparagus

3 cups of chopped tomatoes (there were about 8 sliced tomatoes on the condiment tray)

15 oz. can tomato sauce

1 teaspoon chopped basil (2 teaspoons, if fresh)

1 teaspoon chopped parsley (2 teaspoons, if fresh)

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1 box pasta of your choice, we used brown rice spaghetti

Heat the olive oil in a dutch oven or large pot. Add onions and garlic and cook until the begin to soften, about 4-5 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook for about 1 minute. Add the

assortment of vegetables and cook until they soften, about 8 minutes. Add the tomatoes and sauce. Stir. Add spices. Bring to a boil and cook for about 25 minutes, or longer for better flavor. Make pasta according to instructions. Serve with Parmesan and crushed red pepper.

Italian Cold Cut Salad

Chopped Lettuce

Chopped tomatoes

Salami, sliced into 1/2" pieces or strips

Ham, sliced into 1/2" pieces or strips

Turkey, sliced into 1/2" pieces or strips

Cheeses, sliced into 1/2" pieces or strips

Chopped Cucumber

Pepperocinis, sliced

Can of garbanzo beans

Can of sliced black olives

Can of artichoke hearts or hearts of palm, optional

Cover the bottom of a serving platter with lettuce. Pile the meats and cheeses in the center. Place the remaining ingredients around the perimeter, in whichever fashion suits you. Serve with Italian dressing.

Bread Pudding (Shhhh, don't tell Ella! This one contains wheat, but could easily be made with wheat free bread or rolls.)

1 bag of leftover dinner rolls, cubed into 1" cubes

2 large eggs

3/4 cup milk

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup raisins

1 sliced banana

butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a glass dish. Put the bread into a large mixing bowl. In a separate bowl, mix the eggs, milk, sugar, vanilla and cinnamon. Drizzle mixture over the bread and toss. Add the raisins and toss again. Let rest on the counter for about 15 minutes, tossing frequently. Pour into the greased pan and top with the sliced bananas. Bake for 35 minutes or until the egg mixture is set. Let cool on a rack for 5 minutes. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

This is also good as leftovers for breakfast. Serve it with maple syrup.