Thinking Twice

Lots of times when I buy my groceries, I am thinking "how can I use this in a different way/recipes?". I recently was able to re purpose a free item to make a totally different food item than it's purpose. I have been getting the Kroger Crazy Combo deals where you buy the main dish, then you get 4 free items. A few weeks ago I got the Potato Finishers in the Combo to go with the baking potatoes. Pressed for dinner ideas on grocery day, I needed a quick (and filling!) meal. I was able to use the white cheddar sauce and the shredded cheese from the Finishers package to make some home style mac n cheese, paired it with a salad and leftover 4th of July brisket and we had a great meal in minutes and were out the door to the grocery store.
Here are a few other things you can re-purpose, so don't be afraid to stock up on them!

Hot Dog buns: mini sub sandwiches, slit in half to make bread sticks for soup,salad, etc
Hamburger buns: breakfast sandwiches, nice crusty garlic bread for lasagna or spaghetti, "bagel" pizzas
Pre-made hamburger patties: pair with a brown gravy for Salisbury Steaks, bread and season for fried "steaks", or just serve them as plain grilled "steaks".
Ranch dressing: use this instead of pizza sauce next time for a tangy treat!

Got ideas of your own? Add them in the comment section!