Creative culinary concoctions that are sure to make your holiday leftovers refreshingly appetizing.
Tacos and waffles and pizzas (à la leftovers)… OH MY!!! Among the most anticipated aspects of the annual yuletide yummies are the leftovers. While we love reliving the flavors of these dishes, we thought that refashioning the leftovers would be much more LUXYMOM® than simply slapping them on a plate and tossing them in the microwave (although, been there, done that, and love it!).
Y’all, I had NO idea that leftovers could look or taste this good! Honestly, the most difficult aspect of this assignment was choosing only five recipes to feature in this article. To assist my efforts, I established four criteria to help me make my final selections:
- Simplicity. After pouring your heart and soul into your family’s holiday dinner, I certainly didn’t want you to have to exert the same effort into the remix. Therefore, I tried to find recipes that included ingredients I assumed would be readily available in your fridge, pantry, or spice rack and that would not be too difficult or time-consuming to execute.
- Opportunity. Holiday traditions and schedules are not cookie cutter. For that reason, I selected recipe options for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. It was important that there be options available to fit every family’s needs.
- Versatility. Unlike Thanksgiving, where the common thread among ingredients and menus weaves a sense of familiarity across all dining tables, signature holiday meals during this season may look very different according to one’s culture, tradition, ethnicity, and religion. Consequently, it was important to feature recipes which allowed for fairly seamless protein and ingredient substitutions and/or additions.
- Accessibility. Traditionally, our culture has celebrated gatherings around food as a time for connection and community. And, since food titillates all of our senses, strong emotions and memories are often associated with it – especially around the holidays. As such, food tends to be a pivotal focus this time of year. However, it is also likely that you, or someone you love, has to abide by various health and dietary guidelines or restrictions. For such individuals, it may seem more like a blue Christmas at mealtime. Therefore, in addition to the versatility of these recipes, I was sure to provide a vegan option, which also accounts for those who are unable to consume eggs or dairy.
Now, without further ado, the LUXYMOM® featured holiday leftover recipes are… (drum roll, please)…
My ideal post-holiday breakfast is one that is hearty, delicious, and easy enough for me to make with half-opened eyes. This recipe hits all those marks! Spray a muffin pan with cooking spray, create little leftover stuffing nests in each muffin cup, crack an egg on top, and pop in the oven at 375 degree for about 12 minutes. Voilà! Sprinkle a little chopped parsley on top for a garnish and you have a breakfast beautiful enough to leave everyone wondering how you managed to pull that off before finishing your first cup of coffee.
Ok, this next breakfast recipe is way more involved than the previous one, but the majority, if not all, of the ingredients should be readily available in everyone’s kitchen, especially this time of year. It is a recipe that can accommodate most of those with dietary restrictions and sensitivities – and it’s deliciously festive in all the ways (Noteworthy caveat: One full cup of coffee may be required for completion).
Stuffed Crescent Roll Appetizers
If you are looking for a dish that is easily made, super tasty, and amazingly versatile, this is it! I was most attracted to this recipe for its versatility, as it should be able to accommodate the leftovers from any dinner table. This recipe provides the baseline instructions from which you can get totally creative with what you have… plug and play!
All you need are canned crescent rolls (or homemade dough… and if that’s you, you have my utmost respect and admiration!), a protein (turkey, ham, filet) or vegetable, and your choice of cheese. You can further dress these up by adding stuffing and other goodies to the crescent roll fillings and by creating various dipping sauces using leftover cranberry sauce or gravy.
Turkey and Cranberry Quesadillas
What doesn’t taste better sandwiched between a tortilla and cheese?!?! Not only is this approach to leftovers simply and creatively delicious; but, it also boasts the versatility of the recipe described above. Spice things up by creating a stylish, build-your-own quesadilla bar; adults and kids alike will enjoy crafting their culinary creations. Whether nestled inside a tortilla or left open-faced like a mini pizza, this spin on seconds is sure to be a fan favorite!
What I love most about this recipe is that it effortlessly combines all of the elements of your leftover line-up in a classy, complete meal. Mic drop!
I hope that these highlighted recipes renew your excitement and sense of adventure when it comes to leftovers and help you to get those culinary creative juices percolating. Whether you choose to give some of the featured recipes a whirl; have a go-to leftover love; find a different meal makeover to try (Pinterest is teeming with options!); or concoct your own dish, we would love for you to share your creations with our LUXYMOM® readership wherever you are, be it Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest, by tagging us and using #luxymom.