Did you have fun during the holidays? Perhaps your wallet is lighter from all the pre-Christmas preparations and your body a bit heavier from eating mouthwatering food. But hey, give yourself a pat on the back. Come on, you deserved credit for surviving the holidays. You have attended family gatherings (be it virtual or not), received gifts from loved ones, and even survived the most dreaded “interrogation” sessions from your great aunts about your personal life (yikes!).
Holiday gatherings come with leftovers, of course. And don’t think about throwing them away! Yes, we know it’s boring to eat ham and vegetables for lunch every single day. Fortunately, there are creative ways to transform your Christmas leftovers into gourmet meals that will earn you that elusive chef’s kiss.
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Ham = Quiche
Just because you had a rich holiday supper doesn’t mean you can’t follow it up with an equally decadent breakfast the following day. If ham was on the menu this Christmas, then we suggest taking those leftovers and whipping up a quiche. Like it’s well-known pork brother, bacon, ham is a wonderful companion to buttery eggs. Quiche Lorraine is a traditional French dish that features lardon (aka pork fat), so following that recipe for your ham quiche will yield similar, delicious results.
The recipe basics: All you need is a pie crust, some eggs, and some half-and-half (or similar heavy cream). Whisk together the eggs and cream until well beaten, add your flavor ingredients (onions, herbs, etc.), pour into the pie crust, and bake! For cheese, we suggest cheddar or Swiss, but any variety should do.
Leftover Bones = Stock
Do not throw out the carcass of your roast beast, even if you’ve already picked it clean. Take those bones and use it to make a nice stock — bone broth is all the rage these days. Following your Christmas binge, you could drink your bone broth straight, however, you can also add in some of the leftover meat or veggies you have laying around in your fridge; the same vegetables you use for a pie (below) will also work in a stew.
The recipe basics: To make the stock, simply boil the carcass to blanch out any collagen or other gelatinous bits (if you like these parts, feel free to skip this step). Next, roast your bones on high in the oven for a bit; this will add some flavor to the final product. Finally, plop what you’ve got left into a big pot with some water and let it simmer on low for as long as you dare. What you do with your stock is up to you!
Vegetables = Pie
Pie ain’t just for sweet stuff. Your leftover carrots, parsnips, potatoes, celery, peas, and onions will all make great additions to a savory pie. There are one of two directions you can take here: 1) pot pie or 2) shepherd’s pie. Of course, meat will make either of these dishes better, so add your turkey, ham, or whatever else you carved this Christmas. In fact, go ahead and pour a little red wine into the mixture while you’re at it.
The recipe basics: If you go with a pot pie, take your veggies of choice, add some gravy or stock, plop ’em into a pie crust, and bake. If you go with shepherd’s pie, you do the same thing with the veggies, except you put them in a pan, bake, top with your leftover mashed potatoes, then bake some more.
Cranberry = Salad
We’ve suggested some pretty heavy dishes so far. Let’s balance that out with a nice salad. You can use almost any kind of leftover cranberry — cranberry sauce, dried cranberries, real cranberries, hell, even some cranberry dessert filling — as a salad topping.
The recipe basics: Cranberry pairs especially well with spinach or a darker green leaf. Something other things that you may have lying around that will be great additions: pecans, or nuts, and other fruits from your dessert adventures. For the dressing, a simple balsamic, olive oil, or lemon drizzle will do.
Candy Canes and Hot Cocoa = Dessert
Okay, so candy canes and hot cocoa are technically desserts already, but it’s super easy to combine them into one epic dessert. Our go-to is brownies, but this hot-cocoa-and-candy-cane treatment will work well on pancakes, cookies, fudge, and more.
The recipe basics: You can use any hot chocolate powder as an additive to a brownie mix, whether you’re starting from scratch or adding some extra cocoa to a box recipe. Once they’re baked, place those candy canes in a plastic bag, release that pent-up holiday stress by crushing the canes, then sprinkle your sugary, cathartic dust on top of the brownies. Add some marshmallows, if you’re feeling fluffy.
Everything = Sandwich
Have you ever loaded everything from your holiday meal onto one sandwich? Of course, you have — we’ve all done it. What we bet you did not know is that this delicacy has a name: the Turkey Manhattan. Granted, that name only works if you went for turkey this Christmas. This glorious creation is usually an open-face sandwich, but feel free to get creatives.
The recipe basics: Your bottom later is your bread of choice (yes, we think cornbread counts). Next is your turkey (although any meat you had at the Christmas table will do). Another layer will be your mashed potatoes. For the topping? Gravy, of course. Let it flow over the sides. In between these layers, feel free to add your other holiday favorites. Green bean casserole, stuffing, corn pudding, cranberry sauce, mac and cheese, and extra gravy are some of our guilty pleasures.
