The creamy, cheesy mushroom sauce with bacon was a great accompaniment to a smoked pork tenderloin we had last night with guests. The meat is gone but the sauce is not. What do you do with it?
We have many suggestions and uses for leftovers. This mushroom sauce will make a tasty, creamy gratin or a base for mushroom soup.
For a gratin, use a shallow baking dish. The size of your dish will depend on how much sauce you have leftover. You want to create a dish with a browned crust, made from breadcrumbs.
It is a good idea to spray your baking dish before adding the ingredients for your gratin. Since your sauce has already been cooked, you will not need to bake this for a long time.
Add the leftover mushroom sauce to the baking dish. Mix some breadcrumbs with some shredded cheese. We like to use a mixture of homemade bread crumbs and Panko breadcrumbs. The amount and type of cheese will depend on how cheesy your mushroom sauce was to begin with. You may only need to grate some Pecorino or Parmesan on top.
Bake at 400 degrees for about 10 to 15 minutes. Check to see when the top is a nice golden brown and the sides are bubbling up.
You have a whole new dish to serve with your dinner tonight.
If you want to use the leftover mushroom sauce as a base for your soup, add it toward the end of the process. We typically will make a soup and when it is simmering, we add the leftover mushroom sauce. This works for a vegetable soup, a hearty meat based soup, a mushroom soup, or a potato soup. You can also add it to scalloped potatoes for an interesting twist on a common dish.
For more great ideas for leftovers, check out https://www.forkscorksandbrews.com/forks/