Making a holiday meal can be an all-day ordeal. Many only make a turkey or ham just a few times a year – and the hours-long labor is over after the 60-minute meal. Repurposing the leftovers beyond the second plate expands the hard work. Here are 8 ways to repurpose those holiday leftovers into yummy meals everyone will love.
Tacos
This is an easy one – utilize the protein of choice – turkey or ham – and add taco seasoning. Viola – add the meat with veggies and cheese into a hard or soft taco shell, and you have a meal that is very different than the holiday meal before.
Enchiladas
Another twist on the holiday meal. Use the holiday protein in your favorite enchilada recipe. Cover with sauce and bake for a warm, comforting meal from the holiday meal.
Nachos
An easy lunch and great for finger food while hanging out together watching a movie or decorating the house, nachos are a fun way to repurpose the meal. It can be made with any protein – from poultry to pork to beef – with your favorite taco seasoning for the meat and topped with veggies and cheese. We have even cut up green beans and sauteed them with the turkey for an extra crunch and bright green color.
Quiche
Make a pie crust and mix eggs with any protein and veggies for a filling quiche. Stuffing makes a great thickener to the custard as well. It can be used for breakfast, brunch, lunch, or dinner and can be served cold or warm.
To three eggs, mix one cup of milk, salt, and pepper ad mix. Add in ¼ cup of chopped protein (turkey, ham, beef), ¼ cup of veggies, ¼ cup stuffing, and 1/3-1/4 cup of shredded cheese on hand. Add in any spices desired and bake in an oven at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes.
Soup
Soup is a great way to stretch the leftovers. Use ham bone or turkey bones to make the stock. Add in any leftover veggies – from bok choy to spinach to cut-up potatoes. Add stuffing dumplings to make it a dumping soup. Boil the bones for several hours to get off any leftover meat – stretching that meal as far as possible.
Fried Rice
Fried rice is a great way to use any leftovers. Fry up cooked rice, and any meat or veggie can be added to it. Add in an egg or two to create the scrambled eff until cooked through. Add on the seasoning of soy sauce and ginger to taste and voila.
Crepes
Savory Crepes make a delicious lunch or dinner. Crepe batter is essentially a thin pancake but can be filled with anything. Make it a breakfast crepe with cranberry sauce. Make it a lunch or dinner crepe with turkey and veggies with a little cranberry sauce.
Stock
If you don’t need all the stock for the soup, save and freeze the stock for future soup or risotto recipes. Add flavor to rice dishes on the menu for the next month.
How do you repurpose holiday meals?
