A festive feast is always the art of excess. We cook as if the whole village will come for dinner, although in reality half of the guests do not make it, and the other half prefers to drink champagne. The result is a refrigerator filled to the brim with salads, meat, cold cuts and slightly stale sandwiches. Throw it away? Never! These leftovers are a real culinary treasure trove. The main thing is to add a little imagination.
Salads: from sandwiches to hot masterpieces
What to make with leftovers after the holidays. Photo © Freepik /Let’s start with the most popular guest of the holiday table – salads. They can easily migrate to new dishes.
Option 1. Hot sandwiches
If the salads don’t look too fresh in the morning, no problem. Take some dried bread, lightly grease it with butter, put the salad on top and sprinkle with grated cheese. Put it in the oven for 5 minutes – and here you have fragrant hot sandwiches that disappear faster than we can put the kettle on.
Option 2. Baked tartlets
If your salad contains meat or sausage, feel free to use it for baking. Fill tartlets (you can buy them at any store) with the rest of the salad, add some cheese, a drop of mayonnaise and put it in the oven for a few minutes. It’s convenient, delicious and looks like you specially prepared the snack for today.
Option 3. Taste upgrade
A stale Olivier salad can sparkle with new colors if you add canned pineapple or orange slices. The main thing is to chop it finely so that the new ingredients blend harmoniously with the overall taste.
Meat: soups, shawarma and pies
Baked meat, cold cuts and chicken are the basis for many new dishes.
Option 1: Solyanka
A real savior of New Year’s leftovers. Cut up all the meat that’s left, add pickled cucumbers, tomato puree, lemon and olives. Cook in the prepared broth, add salt, pepper, and before serving – a spoonful of sour cream and a pinch of greens. Solyanka warms up perfectly and restores strength.
Option 2: Shawarma
Take meat, vegetables, a little mayonnaise mixed with tomato sauce, and cheese. Wrap it all in lavash and fry in a dry frying pan. Five minutes – and you have a hot snack that will please even those who are tired of the holidays.
Option 3: Quiche
French pie is a universal solution for leftovers. Put meat, vegetables, cheese on the prepared shortcrust pastry, pour a mixture of eggs and cream. Half an hour in the oven – and you are ready to welcome new guests.
Option 4: Potato pies and casserole
Potatoes from the holiday table shouldn’t go to waste either.
Pies: you can make dough from potato scraps by adding an egg and a little flour. Any filling can be put inside: from vegetables to meat scraps. We make pies, bake them in the oven and enjoy the aromatic result.
Casseroles: mashed potatoes, a little cheese and meat – and you get a hearty and very tasty dish. Casseroles are convenient to cook in portions, for example, in small forms.
Every bite of food after the holidays is an opportunity to prove yourself as a cook. Don’t be afraid to experiment and give a second life to leftover dishes. After all, the kitchen is not only a place for cooking, but also a territory for creativity. Happy New Year and delicious discoveries!
