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Throwing food away makes me sad. It always has. I think of the people who grew or made the food. I think of those who don’t have anything to eat. And I think of my contribution to the waste on our planet. To minimize our negative impact, I always try to use leftover food in new and creative ways. I will share easy leftover recipes for common holiday food in this article.
Leftover recipes for turkey or chicken
- Fried rice: cook some rice, dice the turkey or chicken, and chop some of the leftover veggies you likely have. Grill the veggies in avocado oil in a large pan. Once they are tender, add your meat and rice. Season with soy sauce, coconut aminos, salt, pepper, and dry or fresh herbs.
- Lazy soup: cook a packet (or more) of chicken noodle soup according to the instructions. Add diced turkey or chicken. You can also add diced tomatoes, chopped spinach, and fresh herbs. Serve with a loaf of freshly baked bread.
- Chicken or turkey salad to make sandwiches. Finely chop the leftover meat, add in some mayo, finely diced celery, red onion, salt, and pepper. Serve on crusty bread.
Leftover recipe for mashed potatoes
- Sheppard’s pie: Brown some diced onions and ground beef (you can even be creative and add diced tomatoes and bell peppers). When the meat is no longer pink, spread it in an oven-safe dish. Pour a can or 2 of corn on top of the meat. Finally, layer your mashed potatoes on top. Add a few cubes of butter and put in the oven for about 30 minutes at 350 F.
- Tuna patties: To about 3 cups of leftover mashed potatoes, add two cans of tuna, one egg, 1/2 cup of breadcrumbs, 1/4 cup of flour, a minced garlic clove, parsley, green onions, salt, and pepper. Shape into patties and fry in a lightly oiled pan.
Leftover recipes for cheese
- Homemade mac n’cheese: Melt some butter in a saucepan and whisk in an equal amount of flour. Mix until it forms a paste. Add some milk or cream to form a creamy sauce. You should have a decent amount of sauce to feed your family and the sauce shouldn’t be too thick. Shred or cut your cheese as small as you can and gradually add it to the sauce. Stir until the cheese is completely melted and the sauce is nice and thick. Season with salt, pepper, dry mustard, nutmeg, and/or paprika. Combined with cooked pasta. You can spread some bread crumbs and melted butter and put it in the oven for 30 minutes at 350 F for a nice and crispy top. If you need exact quantities, look up some recipes online. Here is one that we like.
- Grilled cheese sandwich: The often-forgotten grilled cheese sandwich is a staple during the winter months in our house. Changing up the cheeses or the bread can transform this good old original. Lightly butter the side of your bread that will be in contact with the pan. Add shredded or slices of cheese between two pieces of bread and grill in a pan until the bread is golden and the cheese melted. Serve with tomato soup for a cozy and simple meal.
Leftover recipes for ham
- Ham quiche: Whisk some eggs together (the amount varies based on how many people you are feeding ) with milk or cream. Season the mixture with salt, pepper, and fresh or dry chives. Dice your leftover ham and stir it in. You can also dice mushrooms, tomatoes, or green bell peppers and mix them in as well. Poor the mixture into a frozen pie crust. Sprinkle some cheese on top and cook in the oven for about 60 minutes at 350 F. I recommend adding a tented foil on top for the first 30 minutes. It will ensure the top is not too crispy and that the center cooks completely. Let it sit for 15 minutes or so before serving.
- Ham sandwiches: This is pretty basic, but I love a good spiraled ham sandwich. Toast your favorite bread, spread some Dijon mustard, layer slices of ham, add a leaf of lettuce, and voila! You can even add a slice of Swiss cheese if you fancy it.
- Ham Tetrazzini pasta: Cook some angel hair or spaghetti noodles, add some diced leftover ham, diced mushrooms (fresh or canned), diced onions, frozen peas (my son is allergic to peas so we use diced zucchini), mix a can of mushroom cream in, season with salt and pepper. Super easy dinner on the table.
Leftover recipe with deviled eggs
- Egg sandwiches: Another somewhat obvious one that people tend to forget. Simply mash your leftover deviled eggs together. You can add a bit more mayo or plain yogurt if the mixture is too dry. I also like to finely dice celery and parsley and gently mix it. Serve on fresh bread with lettuce or homemade sprouts.
Sprouts are super easy to grow at home all year long. To learn how check out this article.
In conclusion
My goal with this article was to inspire you to be creative and use up holiday leftovers. There are so many ways to reinvent how to use food in the kitchen. It’s fun to experiment and it feels so good to know that you are doing your part in helping create a more sustainable world. Let me know which leftover recipes were your favorite.
And feel free to share your own creation as well. I would love to try it.
Bon appetit!
Cat xx
