As a party host, you will definitely face the problem of having too much food leftovers. Common solutions to this include letting your guests bring the leftover food home, or else just throwing the food away. This year, why not turn these leftovers into new dishes that you can eat for the next few days? We share with you 9 simple ways you can save your Christmas leftovers.
For leftover meat and vegetables:
1. Chicken soup
Most Christmas dinners would involve a roast chicken dish. If you have any leftover chicken shreds or bones but don’t want to waste them, you can actually use them to boil chicken soup.
Simply add seasoning, such as onion, garlic, and salt, then bring to a slow boil for about an hour to create a flavourful broth. Throw in any leafy vegetables and potatoes for a truly hearty soup that will soothe your stomach after the previous night’s rich dinner.
If you have other types of meat such as beef, you can also just replace chicken with the meat you have on hand and make beef stew, for example.
2. Sandwich
Since you already have meat that is cooked, all you need to do is toast a loaf of bread, then add the leftover meat and some slices of tomatoes, cheese, and lettuce. It is a simple dish that you can put together immediately after your party and store in your refrigerator, making for a great breakfast (or brunch) to have the next morning.
3. Pizza
You can make a pizza in just 15 minutes with leftover ham, which is great if you are still too tired from the previous day’s festivities. The only catch is that you need to have pizza base mix available. If you don’t, you could also heat up a microwaveable pizza and add slices or chunks of leftover ham on it.
Get the recipe for pizza with leftover ham here.
4. Leftover veggie and orange cake
Traditional Christmas dishes will often require the use of root vegetables, especially as side dishes, so you might find yourself with a surplus of them after the party.
Vegetables aren’t just for making salads. Did you know that you can actually use your leftover root vegetables such as carrots, pumpkins and butternut squash to make a sweet treat? If you have the necessary baking ingredients, this is definitely a great way to enjoy your leftover veggies.
Get the recipe for this innovative cake here.
5. Salad
Of course, salads are still one of the most versatile dishes that anyone can make, since they involve almost no cooking. Depending on the leftovers you have after the party, you can have a salad that is a mix of roasted meat, vegetables, and even potato gratin. Add in some nuts for extra crunchiness, and sauce for seasoning.
6. Potato hash
Christmas always comes laden with calories, thanks to all the potato dishes that we can’t leave out. It’s also one dish that you’re sure to find leftovers of because it’s so filling.
If you’re not sure what you can do with all that extra potato, we definitely recommend making a potato hash, which is suitable as breakfast, brunch, or even a side dish! You can also add any leftover meat or cheese to add more flavour to this dish.
Get the recipe for this potato hash here.
For leftover desserts:
7. Cake pops
No Christmas is complete without a cake, but it is usually served towards the end when everyone is too full to eat more cake. If you have too much crumbled cake left over from the party, don’t throw them away yet! You can actually combine these crumbs with buttercream or cream cheese frosting to make cake pops.
Squeeze and shape the cake mixture into little balls, then coat with candy or chocolate and pop in the fridge for a tasty and effortless treat.
8. Deep-fried cake snacks
If you still have chunks of cake left, simply coat them in batter and deep fry them. It’s definitely sinful, but it’s the festive season, right?
9. Christmas pudding muffins
So you spent more than a day making your Christmas puddings but didn’t manage to have them finished at the party. Throwing the rest away is such a pity, but you don’t really want to finish all of them either after having eaten so much of it on Christmas.
Why not make them into lovely, fruity, and slightly-spiced muffins that you can eat any time of the day instead? In just 30 minutes, you’ll be ready with a new treat to share during the New Year gathering!
Get the recipe for this dessert here.
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