Fast Food Leftover Madness

Ever wonder what to do with those fast food leftovers in your fridge? Maybe you ordered more than you really wanted, or the kids didn’t polish off all their fries. If it’s substantial enough to warrant tossing in the fridge, it’s plenty to fix for a meal or side for the next day.

Note that wherever “french fries” are mentioned, this could be regular french fries, seasoned curly fries, waffle fries, or even steak fries. They all work wonderfully in your leftover madness.

FRIED CHICKEN SALAD
Cold fried chicken, de-boned and diced make a wonderful chicken salad for sandwiches or wraps with your favorite ingredients. Mayo, brown mustard, chopped onion and peppers are one variation. Another is mayo, yellow curry and purple seedless grapes served up in a pita half!

FRIED CHICKEN TACOS
Strip that chicken off the bone, toss it with garlic and chili powder in a skillet with a spritz of olive oil, then fill your tacos with chicken, cheese and whatever else you may desire.

HASH-BROWN FRENCH FRIES
Take those cold french fries out of the fridge and dice them. Give a skillet a spritz of olive oil and heat some diced garlic. Toss in those fry bits and treat them like hash-brown potatoes. They will cook up to whatever consistence you desire, from soft to slightly crunchy.

Crack and egg into the middle and serve it sunny side up in a ring of hash-brown fries.

CHILI CHEESE CHICKEN NUGGETS/STRIPS
Got some chicken nuggets or strips left over? Arrange them on a dish and heat in the microwave. Smother them in hot chili and your choice of cheese and enjoy.

Garnish with a bit of sour cream and sliced black olives for some complementary flavors and textures.

CHICKEN ENCHILADAS
De-boned fried chicken makes a great filling for enchiladas. Wrap the chicken and some cheese into tortillas, cover in enchilada sauce, heat and serve with fresh guacamole and sour cream.

HUNTSMAN’S BREAKFAST
Start a skillet with a spritz of olive oil and some diced garlic and onion. Cook until the onion is just beginning to soften. Add in a meat, like diced sausage or chicken strips, and cook until hot. Dice the leftover french fries and add the to the skillet, stir this mixture fairly often to keep it from sticking. Whisk up an appropriate number of eggs for the contents of the skillet, adding your spices of choice. Add this to the skillet and cook until the eggs are done.

You might serve this up on a plate with a few dashes of hot sauce, or in tortillas with cheese as breakfast tacos. Either way, it’s a quick and simple breakfast plan.

MORE DICED DELIGHTS
Diced french fries, and other leftover potatoes, with or without onions also make filling additions to stews, bean pots, and even home-made chili. Diced onion rings are great in chili and in hashbrowns.

We’ve actually bought chicken nuggets from the Golden Arches specifically to take home and smother in chili and cheese for supper. It wasn’t the healthiest meal we have ever enjoyed, but it was so tasty we didn’t mind.

— Ann Cathey

Scoops – Brenham, TX

With all the recent uproar over Blue Bell Ice Cream, I thought I would let ya’ll know about a little place that serves Blue Bell by the dip, even on Sunday. It’s called Scoops.

Located in a little convenience store at the intersection of Texas State Highway 105 and US Highway 290 on the west side of Brenham, Scoops serves nothing but Blue Bell Ice Creams. they often carry flavors you can’t readily find at the grocery store, too. It seems to be the ONLY place to get Blue Bell on Sunday. Scoops is open every day from 9:00 am – 10:00 pm.

This is a great place to make a pit stop when heading to Austin from Houston or Conroe, or the other way around, along the 105 route. Not only is there Blue Bell, but there is a full convenience store with fuel, and a little gift shop on the other end of the strip that carries a lovely assortment of things to please.

The indoor dining area seats about 30, and there are a couple of picnic tables outside as well. These tables are shared with the convenience store’s hot meal diners, so it’s not all ice cream.

Don’t try to park in front as it’s always crowded. Go on around the back and make the walk – it’s not far. There are some steps to climb, just so you know. Other walking access is up the driveway on a moderately steep slope.

This is one of those little discoveries that makes travel a joy. Stop on by and give them a try!

On the 1-5 scale, Scoops gets:
Cleanliness – 4.5
Service – 4.5
Quality of food – 5
Flavor – 5
Pricing – 4
Overall experience – 4.6

–Ann Cathey

Burger Boy on East Davis – Conroe, Tx

The parking lot sports numerous work trucks in the early morning and at lunch time at Burger Boy. This is a sign in any urban area of plentiful good food at reasonable prices. Add to this the number of local police who pull in for a burger or a shake during the day and you have a pretty accurate indicator that no matter what the place may look like, the food is great.

My traveling partner and I have been fortunate enough to try this no-frills, fast-food outpost several times.

Eating in their small dining room is an adventure, though we have yet to try going through their drive-thru window.

Their menu is pretty eclectic, with not only burgers and fries, but items like gyros, seafood baskets (catfish, shrimp, clams, stuffed crab), BLT’s, and club sandwiches. They also have a lot of daily specials and new menu items posted on hand-lettered signs in the windows.

Some of our favorites so far stand out. Chili Pie Start with a deep layer of Fritoes, then smother them in a meaty chili, a heavy sprinkle of cheddar, and, at your request, a spot of diced onion. The gang at Burger Boy build an outstanding chili pie that hits the spot in summer and warms you to your toes in winter. I am picky about my chili pie, and these folks please me to no end consistently when I visit. Burgers As you can see, the burgers are stuffed with meat, cheese and veggies. You are welcome to order a single, a double, or if you ask nicely and are willing to pay the extra, a triple. The buns are soft and butter grilled giving them extra flavor and texture. The veggies are always fresh and plentiful, as are the pickles if you ask.

Fried Catfish The catfish is available in a basket with fries, a small salad, and a grilled bread, or in a sandwich with whatever veggies you desire. The fish is always tasty with breading that is neither too thick or overpoweringly spiced. Either serving is a good-sized meal.

Fries French-fried potatoes only come in one size and flavor, but they are always cooked to a turn, and crispy when fresh. Thick cut, the skin is tender as it cools, while the interior of each fry is soft and sqishy – just like a fry aught to be.

Shakes Always thick and creamy, the shakes and malts here are lovely. They offer vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry consistently.

If you chance to travel through Conroe, keep your eyes open for this hole-in-the-wall establishment on East Davis, across the street from Fiesta. It’s about a mile off I-45 facing the eastbound side of Davis.

— Ann Cathey

Culver’s – The Woodlands, Texas

While I prefer to write about independent eateries, some chains just have to creep in and be talked about. One of those is Culver’s.

We have encountered this lovely, somewhat upscale burger joint in several locations, including Conroe and the Woodlands. They actually have locations in several US States. It is consistent across the board. The decor, the friendly employees, the frozen yogurt, the quality and flavor of their food – this place has it down. It offers a’la carte items, baskets, dinners, kids’ meals, snack packs, along with a nice variety of drinks and desserts.

Culver’s is the home of the “Butter Burger” and “Fresh Frozen Custard”. They are rightfully proud of their very tasty products. From the “Fried Cheese Curds” all the way across the menu, everything is fresh and delicious. They offer a Reuben sandwich, which can be hard to find outside of a deli. Their fries are thick and crinkle cut, offering a delectable crunch as well as a hearty potato flavor.

On our most recent visit, my partner-in-chow ordered the fish sandwich. They call it the North Atlantic Cod Fish Sandwich. It also comes in a plate version. When first confronted by the sandwich, he wondered how he would get a bit of fish in each bite. it turns out that if you squash the sandwich like you would a tall hamburger that the crispy crust will crack and the meat will flatten out to fill the bun nicely. After that, it was a matter of biting, chewing, moaning, and swallowing, repeating as long as there was sandwich left to bite into. I took this is a favorable sign.

I was able to sneak in a bite before it was all gone. The fish itself has a very light, clean flavor. The breading has a nice crunch, offering a complimentary set of flavor.I may have to order that sandwich next time we are in just to have the pleasure of those flavors again.

Personally, I appreciate their Reuben sandwich a great deal. This is, for me, a comfort food. While not as magnificently built as the Reubens found in various delis, it is crammed full of flavor and of a satisfying size. If you think you want more out of your sandwich, the folks at Culver’s will happily double stuff the darned thing.

I mentioned that they do dinner size portions earlier. We had a few friends along with us and one of them ordered the fried chicken dinner. It comes with a load of chicken, a potato side (he chose fries), and a veggie side (he went for the green beans), and a dinner roll. These dinner plates include fried chicken, roast beef, fish, shrimp and chopped steak among the offerings.

The Culver’s website offers a plethora of information for diners, not just a menu and their locations. They list nutritional information, ingredients, and high on my list, an allergy warning.They also have information available on their sustainability practices for those who prefer an informed, responsible restaurant.

Excellent food and a hometown atmosphere will lead us back to Culver’s again and again. The more we run across it in our travels, the more delighted we are with it’s consistency and outstanding menu.

On the 1-5 scale, Culver’s gets:
Cleanliness – 5
Service – 5
Quality of food – 5
Flavor – 5
Pricing – Moderate
Overall experience – 5

-Ann Cathey

How Do You Order from Mickey D’s?

There are interesting things going on at McDonald’s – or at least available to those who know to ask.

Mac Sauce may be had on any sandwich, from the premium wraps to the lowly McDouble. You can even ask for a small cup of this tasty spread as a dipping sauce for chicken nuggets.

You can also order a McQuad – a double McDouble. This is four beef patties with plenty of cheese in a single bun. Want some leaf lettuce to help push that protein through? Just ask. It is easier at some locations to simply order two McDoubles (one with Mac sauce and one with lead lettuce) and put it together yourself.

If you ask for a McGangbang (That’s right, I said McGANGBANG), you may not get it. It’s tasty, but rude. All you need to do is order one Spicy McChicken and one McDouble. Open the McDouble so the one meat patty is on each half of the bun. Pull the spicy chicken and lettuce off the other sandwich and lay it in between the beef. Close up the sandwich and enjoy!

Get creative when you are at McDonald’s! Don’t feel you have to stick to the menu – order the flavors you want!

–Ann Cathey