Greetings, friends! This is overdue and all of your holiday leftovers are either long gone or unfit for human consumption. However, if you are like me, leftovers always hang around. I find nothing appealing about cold leftovers, but I also hate wasting food, so I frequently find myself wondering what to do with the remnants of the previous night's dinner. In an effort to give new life to old food, I share with you some of my more creative uses for leftovers!
(Left) Roasted chicken gets a spicy makeover when it is tossed into broth with fire roasted tomatoes, black beans and other veggies to make tortilla soup.
(Right) Spanish rice, chicken, black beans, eggs, and corn are pan fried to create Mexican fried rice.
(Left) Thanksgiving leftovers (including mashed potatoes, turkey and an assortment of veggies) are combined with a cream of mushroom gravy to create a delicious Shepard's pie.
(Right) Cranberry sauce, flax seeds and the last bit of cereal (since there's always less than a serving left in the bottom of the box!) make terrific toppers for Greek yogurt. (Below) Applesauce replaces the oil in this recipe; a few fresh cranberries, orange zest and juice, and walnuts are stirred into muffins for a hearty and healthy breakfast. A Sunday batch of muffins makes for on-the-go breakfast all week long!
Another great use for mashed potatoes: gnocchi! Stir in flour and an egg to leftover mashed potatoes to create a firm dough. Cook in boiling water until gnocchi rise to the surface, toss in your favorite sauce, and enjoy! Here, I sauteed Cremini mushrooms in a brown-butter thyme sauce and tossed in toasted walnuts and Gorgonzola crumbles just before serving. (Below)
I hope this inspires you to get creative with your leftovers. Not only is it a fun challenge to invent new meals out of lowly scraps from the night before, but it will save you both money and prep time. Plus, you won't need to feel guilty when it is time to clean out the refrigerator!
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