Creative ideas for using leftover food or recipe ingredients to make new dishes - don't waste those leftovers, instead cook and bake and make into a new dish.
Flour Tortillas
Create a tasty treat by cutting into triangles or strips and frying in hot oil (375°) until crispy. Dry on paper towels. Then sprinkle with
sugar and cinnamon.
Bread
It's always good to have some stale bread on hand. Freshly grated bread crumbs are way better than the store variety. If the bread hasn't
gotten too stale, it is also still good for making croutons: just cut into cubes, spread on a baking sheet and sprinkle with oil and any
desired seasonings (salt, pepper, garlic powder, etc.) Pop into a hot (400°) oven for 7-10 minutes.
Potato Salad
Here's a great idea if you don't fancy having those potato salad leftovers again and again: make them into potato pancakes.
Just chop finely and fry up in a little oil or butter. You can use them "as is" or add some new ingredients or spices to liven
them up a bit!
Dill Pickle Juice
This makes an excellent ingredient in salad dressings. Think of it as a flavored vinegar.
Meat & Potatoes
If you have leftover meat, of just about any variety, along with some potatoes, why not finely chop them in roughly equal amounts, add a like
amount of chopped onion, and make a hash? Just season with salt and pepper and sautee in a hot skillet. You can add a bit of milk to
make a darker, more burnt crust.
Tomato Paste
Tomato paste is said to be very good for you. Add a bit to savory stews, sauces, or anywhere that seems like a good fit.
Fish Fillet
Crumble, add some bread crumbs, chopped onion, seasonings. Add a beaten egg, form patties, and sautee up some fish cakes!
Baked Potatoes
Make gnocchi. Scoop out the white of the potato and combine with about double the amount of flour. Add enough beaten egg to make a workable
dough that can be rolled into a long, snakelike cylinder. Cut into one inch pieces. Cook in boiling, salted water; when they rise to the top,
they're done. Serve with your favorite pasta sauce.
Cheese
Grilled cheese sandwich; quesadilla; nachos.
Chicken necks, giblets, etc.
Save these in the freezer to make delicious, rich chicken stock, which will improve the quality of countless dishes.
To make stock: Put the chicken pieces in a large stock pot. Add a halved onion; a couple carrots and celery stalks, broken in two; a few cloves of
garlic, smashed; and a couple of whole cloves. Cover completely with water, and add a teaspoon of pepper, and a tablespoon of salt.
Bring to a boil, then lower the heat, cover and simmer for an hour or two. Strain through a fine sieve into various sized containers that
you can freeze and use as needed.
Buttermilk
If you have buttermilk left over from a recipe, make buttermilk biscuits or pancakes.
Ideas for what to do with Thanksgiving leftovers
- Repeat Meal. On Friday, just have a stress-free, enjoyable repeat of Thursday's dinner. Everything usually tastes better the second day anyway.
- Turkey Soup. Always save the carcass to make Turkey soup. What you don't immediately use can be frozen.
- Turkey Hash. Use some stuffing and mashed potatoes. Serve it with cranberry sauce.
- Thanksgiving Club Sandwiches. Ideal if you've also made a ham in addition to Turkey. You can utilize leftover rolls for the bread.
- Turkey Pot Pie. If you still have some left, another good idea.
