After all the cooking and baking, you are now faced with a variety of leftovers of everything. Mashed potatoes, cuts of turkey or chicken, slices of ham, pasta, and veggies. You are faced with so much leftover food that you don’t know what to do with them. Plus, if you are faced with picky eaters, most likely they won’t eat the leftovers. So, I searched the internet for leftover recipes so the food doesn’t go to waste.
Good thing my sons are not picky eaters. They eat what’s served on the table. Sometimes, they wrinkle their nose when they know it’s something exotic. But, just a raise of my eyebrows will be enough to force them to eat — or else they won’t have anything. Works every time haha!
Ideas for Holiday Leftover Recipes
As I browsed through the leftovers, I suddenly realized that there was equal amount of everything. There was leftover turkey, ham, and even a couple of side dishes such as roasted veggies. I didn’t want to cook something new because I know that there will only be more leftovers.
Good thing I found these recipes online so I don’t have to worry about our meals for the day. If guests will suddenly arrive, I can still feed them the leftovers without knowing that they are leftovers.
Usually I just make a quiche out of ham and cheese. However, this year I decided to try something new. I’m also getting tired of quiche and omelets. Oh, and did you know that you can make a Monte Cristo Sandwich out of leftovers? Yup, I tried it with leftover turkey and ham and it tasted great!
Conclusion
Okay let’s get cooking! Rummage through your fridge now and take out all those leftovers. Remember, we should stick to our budget and avoid wasting food.
Don’t forget to share these recipes with your friends. I’m sure they will appreciate the tips. Happy holidays and cheers to a better year ahead!
Holiday Leftover Recipes
Ingredients
Croque Madames
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter divided
- 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1 1/4 cup whole milk
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- Kosher salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- 8 slices sourdough bread
- 8 slices deli ham
- 4 oz (1 cup) grated Gruyere or any kind of cheese
- 4 large eggs
- flat leaf parsley chopped, for garnish
Turkey and Ham Pie:
- 50 grams butter
- spring onions finely chopped
- 1 clove garlic finely chopped
- 50 grams plain flour
- 500 ml chicken or turkey stock
- 350 grams leftover turkey or chicken cut into pieces
- 150 grams leftover ham cut into pieces
- 75 grams sour cream
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- flat leaf parsley finely chopped, for garnish
- 1 egg beaten
- 320 gram (1 sheet) puff pastry
Spicy Turkey Noodles:
- 250 grams egg noodles
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 pieces limes juiced
- 2 tsp brown sugar
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 clove garlic thinly sliced
- 1 piece red chili thinly sliced
- 500 grams cooked turkey sliced
- 2 spring onions thinly sliced diagonally
- 100 grams bean sprouts
- 30 grams salted nuts roughly chopped
- coriander and lime wedges for serving
Instructions
How to Make Croque Madames:
- Preheat oven to 425°F.
- Make the Bechamel sauce. Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat and stir until foamy. Add flour and stir for 1 to 2 minutes. Gradually add the milk and continue stirring for 14 to 15 minutes until pudding-like in consistency. Remove from heat and whisk nutmeg and mustard then season with salt.
- Place 4 slices of bread on your baking pan. Spread with half of the Bechamel sauce. Layer with half of the ham, half of the cheese. Top with remaining bread and layer with the rest of the bechamel and cheese. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes until the bread is golden brown and crisp at the bottom.
- Melt remaining 1 tablespoon butter in a skillet. Cook the eggs according to preference. Top the sandwiches with the eggs and garnish with parsley.
How to Make Turkey and Ham Pie:
- In a large pan, melt butter over medium heat. Once it foams, add the spring onions and season with salt and cook for 10 minutes until softened. Add garlic and cook for a minute. Whisk in the flour and cook for 2 minutes. Gradually pour the stock and stir until smooth. Simmer for 10 to 15 minutes until the sauce thickens.
- Remove the sauce from heat and add the ham, turkey, mustard, sour cream and seasoning. Set aside to cool then add the parsley.
- Spoon the filling into a 20cm by 30cm baking dish. Brush the sides with the beaten egg. Unroll the pastry and place on top of the dish, make sure to trim the excess edges and crimp with a fork to seal the dish. Score the pastry lightly with a knife and cut a slit in the middle to let the steam escape. Brush the top with the beaten egg. Chill for 20 minutes before baking.
- Heat the oven to 392°F and bake for 25 to 30 minutes until golden brown. Serve with veggies on the side.
Spicy Turkey Noodles
- Cook noodles according to package instructions. Drain and rinse with cold water then set aside.
- Combine the soy, sugar, lime, and water.
- In a large frying pan or wok, heat oil and stir fry the garlic, chili, turkey, and spring onions for about 2 minutes. Add the bean sprouts and noodles then stir fry for another minute. Add the sauce and toss until well combined an heated through.
- Serve with nuts and lime wedges.
