NO MORE WHINING OVER LEFTOVERS

Cooked meat transforms into tasty spinach and feta burgers for an almost-new dinner

Leftovers! Some folks love them, others happily scrape them into the trash.

Me, I’m on the love team. Leftovers speak to me. I’d always rather start a meal with a fridge full of tasty bits of this and that than have to confront a blank canvas of raw ingredients.

This recipe tackles one particular challenge: how to repurpose leftover cooked chops, steaks, or roasts. The answer? Turn them into burgers.

For these spinach and feta burgers, start with cooked meat — pork, beef or lamb — trimmed of excess fat and any sinew.

Cut the meat into cubes, then pulse in a food processor to chop it to burger consistency. (Be careful not to leave your finger on the pulse button for too long.)

Add the moist ingredients, along with an egg and a bit of panko to bind it all up. If you’re no fan of spinach and feta, you can substitute other cooked (and finely chopped) vegetables and/ or cheese.

If you have time, make the burgers early in the day and chill them for a few hours before cooking. This will help them to hold their shape.

If you don’t have the time, don’t worry. Just take care to turn them gently as they cook.

One last note: The sauce is wonderful, but you’re welcome to lose it if it doesn’t appeal to you. The burgers are plenty tasty without it.

This recipe’s true miracle is transforming a mere 12 ounces (340 g) of meat into six full dinner portions, allowing you to save money as well as food. And the new dish is so different from the original that no one will pipe up to say, “What, leftovers again!?”