Tips to Cook the Leftovers

Cinzia Cuneo December 22, 2014 Christmas, Recipes

You cook for hours and manage to conjure up an amazing feast. But the next day, what do you do with the leftover turkey, ham and other stuff? Our grandmothers knew exactly how to put them to good use, but we seem to have lost this knack…

Here are some easy ways to use leftovers. The end results will be so incredible that no one will ever guess that you recycled them!

Leftover poultry:

You can mix leftover poultry with vegetables and bechamel sauce in a Chicken in a Puff Pastry Shell or you can brown it in the oven as it’s done in the Chicken and Vegetable Bake or in the Chicken and Sweet Potato Bake.

If you like pasta, you can turn all the leftover poultry into a Chicken Tetrazzini.

Or a simpler and quicker option would be to use these leftovers in an Asian soup, for example in the Oriental Chicken and Vegetable Soup.

Leftover roast (beef, pork, etc.):

You can grind the meat and use it in a chili recipe like Chili con Carne or in a meatball recipe (Italian Meatballs, Swedish Meatballs, Escarole Soup with Turkey Meatballs).

Those who love Shepherd’s pie can use leftover meat in Cinzia’s Shepherd’s Pie.

Leftover ham:

A super-quick solution is to use it in a pasta or rice dish such as Pasta with Broccoli and Ham or Fried Rice with Smoked Ham.

Leftover veggies:

You can mix the vegetables with bechamel sauce and brown in the oven (simply follow our Cauliflower Gratin recipe). You can rustle up a delicious quiche with eggs and cheese (by adapting our Simplified No-Crust Quiche recipe)

Or you could quite simply turn all the leftover veggies into an “All-in-one” soup (like for example our Winter Vegetable Soup).

Leftover fruit:

Make a compote! Peel them by removing the centre if need be, cook for 15 minutes with a little sugar, butter and cinnamon, and voilà.

So, what tips do you have for using leftovers?

Author

Cinzia Cuneo

Cinzia Cuneo, founder of SOSCuisine.com, never wanted to neglect the quality of her food. She shares her special expertise to make good food quickly and without complications!