Repurpose your Holiday Leftovers into a Meal Everyone will Love

The busiest time of the year is upon us and the last thing we have time for is planning and making meals every night.  If you’re like me, I put so much energy into our official holiday meal and plan and prep for days before.  After the big event, I’m left with plenty of leftovers and a family who doesn’t particularly care to eat the same thing for days. 

Whether you serve turkey, ham, chicken or a pork roast for the holidays, I’ve compiled some of my favorite recipes that repurpose your holiday leftovers and allow you to present a new meal to your picky families. 

Cheers to leftovers!

Leftover Turkey Tacos

Ingredients:

• 1 package of flour tortillas
• 1 jar turkey gravy (or leftover)
• 1 package of dry stuffing mix (crushed)
• Assorted holiday leftovers: potatoes, stuffing, green beans, turkey, etc.

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Soak one side of the tortilla in gravy and coat it with the crushed stuffing mix. Repeat for all tortillas.
3. Drape the tortillas over a wire rack and place in the oven for 3-5 minutes.
4. Remove from oven and stuff each taco with your favorite leftovers.
5. Top with more gravy and crunchy fried onions.

Crockpot Split Pea and Ham Soup

Ingredients:

• 1 bag of dry peas
• 1 hambone
• 1 cup cooked ham (shredded or diced)
• 1 cup carrots (diced)
• 1 cup celery (diced)
• 1 onion (chopped)
• 1 garlic clove (peeled and grated)
• 1 bay leaf
• ½ tsp black pepper
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 2 cups water

Directions: 

1. Place all ingredients in slow cooker.
2. Cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours.
3. Remove hambone and bay leaf before serving.
4. Mix well and serve

Chicken or Pork Fried Rice

Ingredients:

• 1 lb cooked meat like chicken or pork (shredded)
• 3 cups cooked white rice
• 2 Tbl sesame oil
• 1 onion (diced)
• 1 cup frozen peas and carrots (thawed); *or leftover!
• 2 Tbl soy sauce
• 2 eggs (lightly beaten)

Directions: 

1. Preheat medium skillet or wok to medium heat.
2. Add the sesame oil, onion and peas/carrots and cook until onions are translucent.
3. Slide that mix to one side of the skillet.  Add lightly beaten eggs to the other side of the skillet.
4. Scramble the eggs.
5. Once eggs are cooked, add to the rest of the mixture.
6. Add the rice, chicken/pork and thoroughly combine.
7. Pour soy sauce over the mixture and cook until well heated.
8. Serve and enjoy!

Chicken Alfredo Ziti Bake

Ingredients:

• 12 oz. uncooked ziti
• 2 cups cooked chicken (shredded)
• 1 jar alfredo sauce
• 1 ½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions: 

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Spray 9 x 13 baking dish with cooking spray.
2. Cook the pasta according to directions and drain.  Return the pasta to the pan.
3. In a medium sauce pan, cook the alfredo sauce according to directions.
4. When cooked, combine the sauce with the pasta.
5. Pour half of the pasta mixture into the baking dish.  Sprinkle evenly with 1 cup mozzarella cheese.  Layer the remaining half of the pasta evenly on top and sprinkle with the rest of the cheese.
6. Bake for 20-25 minutes until cheese is melted and starts to turn golden brown.
7. Remove and serve immediately.

BBQ Flatbread

Ingredients:

• 1 cup cooked chicken, pork, turkey or ham (shredded)
• 1 Stonefire Original Naan Bread
• ½ cup shredded cheese
• ½ onion (chopped)
• ½ green pepper (chopped)
• Barbecue Sauce

Directions: 

1. Preheat airfryer to 350 degrees or oven to 400 degrees
2. Place Naan bread on baking sheet and assemble.
3. Coat bread with barbecue sauce and layer the remaining ingredients.
4. Cook in airfryer for 10 minutes or in oven for 12 minutes.
5. Remove, slice and serve!

We hope by transforming your holiday leftovers into meals everyone will love, your evenings spent making meals feels a little lighter in these first days of the new year!