Thanks -- just wanted to bring things back up to a good note and say that Zach lived to a VERY distinguished 18 years, and that illness was the one and only time he was EVER sick, EVER. Up until that point he enjoyed the kind of active, lively, and robust health you used to see in the people in those old yogurt commercials; in fact, DURING his illness he was pretty strong (I tried trimming his claws a couple weeks before he passed, and he put up enough of a fight that it took two people to hold him down). Everyone who met him assumed he was about ten years younger than he actually was.

He was one tough little putz who enjoyed a really long and happy life, and probably didn't even ever realize anything was wrong.

I agree...throw them out. They couldn't be good after this length of time. However, to answer your question, I have used gerber fruit purees in different things...especially baked goods. It would be tasty to stir some into oatmeal, or something like that. You could use carrot in quite a few things....possibly even a sauce of some type. You could look at Seinfield's wife's book about concealing fruit and veggie purees in food for kids...I'm sure there would be tons of ideas.

Seinfeld's wife's fun cookbook was a recent purchase of mine, and it was only $5 at Kohls and the entirety of the proceeds went to a children's charity! I can say from reading it that any fruit baby food that folks have on hand will have many purposes, but the meat baby foods? Yuck, I wouldn't bother.

FamilyFun ran a recipe years ago about a chocolate cake with prune puree:
http://familyfun.go.com/recipes/chocolate-cake-679669/
As I recall it was pretty good.

We used up a bunch of baby food (mostly vegetable) in slow cooker recipes like curries or stews. I also stirred some of the fruit ones into oatmeal.

Ive used baby food bananas in banana bread !

I wouldn't eat any kinds of month old meat, but if it was fresher, I'd suggest getting a kitten to take care of it for you! There's not much kittens like better than chicken baby food.

There's a carrot cake recipe that uses jars of baby food carrots in place of shredded.

Sorry to hear about your cat. I, too, had this same problem not 2 weeks ago.

I often use meat baby foods as the basis for dog treats (cookies). Quite odoriferous. Google up a recipe if you have a dog.

i wonder if you could at least use baby food as a base for some sauces or marinades?

I remember running across a White Castle Slider copycat recipe in the Chicago Tribune a few years back that used babyfood veal (I think) as an essential ingredient. Any vegetables I would just dump into some soup.

I had a similar thing happen -- I had a sick hamster who I tried to nurse back to health with baby food (I really loved that hamster!). When it passed away, I had a pantry stocked with baby food!

My solution was to mix the (fruit & vegetable) baby food into oatmeal and Farina; I remember my mother used to do this with my baby sister's leftover baby food.

Ha ha, never tried it for adult food (I don't see why not, though) but when my son had outgrown the puree stage, I used up the leftover vegetable purees as sauces in pasta or curries for him, and fruit purees mixed into his morning oatmeal, or even for desert, either standalone or as ice cream toppings. In fact I still like to keep a few on hand as a last minute sauce base!

I used to feed my kitty baby food, it took her a long while before she recognized kibble as edible, and now she is fat and happy. I'm sorry to hear about your kitty, but it sounds like he lead a long and happy life :)

babyfood veal?!? I've never seen this, and i really hope that it doesn't exist!

Intriguing. Seems like the fruit and veggie varieties would make the basis for glazes. Add a little booze and butter. Would be convenient. The main drawback for me would be the absurdly high unit cost of the stuff.

My mother used baby apricots in a jello dessert that was so delicious it qualifies as Comfort Food.

Can't speak to savory dishes but I've baked with it tons. The fruit varieties are fantastic to add to cakes. I like the banana kind a lot.

Depending on the expiration date, why not donate unopened jars of baby food to the food bank?

I remember as a child, my mom had a carrot cake recipe that was really good. It called for a few jars of pureed baby food (carrot).
Don't remember the recipe, but i'm sure with lots of IMAGINATION you could do TONS.

Whoever comes up with something, you should let us know.

you could fill sugar cookies with fruit puree, or maybe use it as a layer between cakes. i bet fruit would work in a smoothie, too.

i bet pureed peas or butternut squash and parmesan would make a decent pasta sauce.

i have no ideas for how to use the meats. maybe as a binder for meatballs?

I'd use them in soups. Fine enough that you wouldn't notice it was there, but would act like boullion or soup base.

Condolences on your kitty!

sorry about your cat. my cat is just getting over an ilness and i am feeding him baby food. he really likes it. so i don´t know if i´ll actually have any jars left. but if i do, this is a great question cause i am sure it will come in handy! i guess soup base is a good option.

I was rather upset as a child to find out that my mother had been hiding baby-food carrots in her homemade pizza sauce. It put me off her pizza for a while (I thought for sure I could taste it in there). Now, of course, her pizza seems delicious again - although I'm pretty sure she's no longer using the carrots, so maybe for good reason?

Seeing that canned/jared meats last a long time, the fact that you purchased them only a month ago doesn't bother me in the least. Because they are unseasoned you can pretty much make them into whatever you want.

Maybe you make a casserole and add it between some layers. Perhaps a lasagne where you spread the chicken onto the noodles before you put on the ricotta and whatnot?
Add some to chili or a soup. At least those jars are small.

Oops, I misread: If they've been open in the fridge for a month toss them right now!

If they're unopened, why not donate them to your local animal shelter? Shelters always need donations of food, litter, treats, blankets and toys, and are even more desperate for help now that they're caring for the pets of families who gave them up for economic reasons.

homemade doggie treats, they last about a week before they start to get funky. If you refridgerate they may last longer.

<http://www.bullwrinkle.com/Assets/Recipes/Beefy%20Doggie%20Cookies.htm>

The best brownies I've ever tasted had prune puree baby food in them!

I have 4 children and none of them would ever eat meat baby food. If the baby it's intended for won't eat it, I don't think I'd want to put it in adult food.
And to echo others, throw it out. Opened baby food is only good for 2 days after it's opened, 1 day if it has been eaten from directly.
Frugal, yay. Food poisoning, boo.

My mom used to make Baby back ribs with peach baby food. So, good.

Ingredients

2 1/2 lb. loin back ribs

2 4 1/2 oz. jars baby food peaches,

1/3 c. catsup

1/3 c. vinegar

2 tbsp. soy sauce

1/3 c. brown sugar

2 garlic cloves

2 tsp. ginger

1 tsp. salt

Dash of pepper