day 341: other holiday leftover ideas

I’ve already posted turkey and ham leftover ideas. This post will give some other leftover ideas for other foods and side dishes.



                                           WHITE POTATOES



Mashed Potato Patties



Leftover mashed potatoes

1 egg

little milk

Optional: onion, grated cheese, and a little chopped green pepper



1. Form into patties and roll into crushed crackers or corn flake crumbs.

2. Put on cookie sheet and bake in 350 degree oven until heated through

3. Remove from oven and place on a broiler rack for a few minutes to brown the outside.

4. Optional: Instead of baking, “fry” the patties in a skillet with a small amount of oil.









Mashed Herb Potato Soup



1/2 teaspoon crumbled, dried rosemary

1 teaspoon crumbled, dried thyme

2 Tablespoons olive oil

1/2 cup minced onion

1 small rib of celery including the leaves, minced

1 carrot, grated coarsely

2 cups unsalted chicken broth or stock (fresh or canned)

2 1/2 cups leftover mashed potatoes

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1/3 cup fresh parsley, minced

1. In a small dry skillet toast the rosemary and thyme until fragrant, do not burn. Shake the skillet and heat for about 3 minutes. Set aside.

2. In a large saucepan sauté the onion, celery and carrots in olive oil over moderately low heat for about 1 minute, stirring constantly.

3. Stir in the broth or stock and bring to a boil.

4. Break potatoes up with a fork. Using a wire whisk, add potatoes a half cup at a time.

5. Continue whisking until smooth, reduce to a simmer and add toasted herbs, lemon juice and fresh parsley.

6. Taste soup and add salt and black pepper if desired. Makes 4 servings.





                                      SWEET POTATOES

• Sweet Potato Ravioli: Place a spoonful of mashed sweet potatoes on a wonton wrapper, fold and simmer in chicken broth until cooked through.

• Curried Sweet Potato Soup: Puree sweet potatoes with chicken broth, onions, leeks and curry powder; season to taste.

• Asian Potato Salad: Combine cubed sweet potatoes with shredded red cabbage, sesame oil and a touch of cilantro; top with chopped peanuts.

• Sweet Potato Dip: Puree potatoes with any or all of the following: low-fat sour cream, bell pepper, jalapeno, cilantro, lime juice and salt.







                                                    OTHER



Garlicky Croutons or Cheese Toasties

Leftover dinner rolls are excellent cut into cubes and toasted into croutons for potato soup or to make Garlicky Cheese Toast.

6 to 8 leftover dinner rolls (any kind)

1/2 cup olive oil

1 clove garlic, crushed and chopped finely

2 tablespoons Parmesan Cheese

1. Using a serrated knife cut the dinner rolls in half lengthwise. Set aside.

2. Heat a heavy skillet over medium-high heat. While the skillet is heating.

3. In a small microwave-safe bowl, combine garlic and olive oil. Microwave on high for one minute or until garlic begins to sizzle in the oil. This step can also be done in a skillet.

4. Brush cut side of each dinner roll with oil and place oil-side-down on the hot skillet.

5. Using a spatula or pancake turner, press each piece flat as it cooks. When golden brown, turn and continue pressing. Remove from heat and sprinkle each with a little Parmesan cheese. Cover and let stand for 5 minutes. Serve warm with soup.





Stuffing (Homemade or Boxed)

• Dumplings: Make golf-ball size rounds of stuffing with a small ice cream or melon ball scooper. Simmer, covered, in turkey or chicken soup for 10 minutes.

• Croutons: Cut stuffing into squares and bake for 8 minutes at 400ºF. Toss into a salad or use as a garnish for stews.





Cranberry Sauce (Canned or Fresh)

• Cranberry-Citrus Sauce: Combine diced cranberry sauce (if using canned) with frozen and thawed or canned corn, diced red onion, and mandarin oranges or seedless clementine segments.

• Cranberry Salsa: Mix together cranberry sauce, freshly minced cilantro, salt and pepper.

• Chutney: Simmer cranberry sauce, diced onion, a pinch of ground ginger and about 1 tablespoon each of vinegar and brown sugar, uncovered, for 10 minutes or until thick. Consider adding a jalapeno for a kick!

Pumpkin Pie (Store-Bought or Homemade)

• Pumpkin Smoothie: Scrape the filling out of one piece of pie and blend it with low-fat vanilla yogurt. Put in a parfait glass and top with a small amount of crumbled piecrust and a dash of cinnamon.

• Crisp Crusted Pie: If your crust gets soggy, place the pie in a 350ºF oven for 10 minutes to crisp it up.