Holiday Leftover Recipes Fit for a Foodie

The holidays have a way of bringing out all things traditional! We love the smells, tastes and comforts of tradition yet we also love non-traditional, creative ways to fix those staple dishes when we have leftovers. Therefore, we’re sharing our favorite holiday leftover recipes fit for a foodie!

Simply Chopped Chicken, Turkey or Ham Salad

We almost always have leftover chicken, turkey or ham during the holidays. Consequently, we love to make a chopped salad base for these.

Ingredients

 Shredded chicken, turkey or ham
 Orange bell pepper, chopped
 Tomatoes, chopped
 Butter lettuce (our favorite!), chopped
 Almonds, sliced
 Salt and pepper
 Dressing of choice

The secret is to chop all the ingredients into similar sized, small pieces, lettuce included. Season your lettuce generously with salt and pepper, and mix everything together in a bowl. Add your favorite dressing (we love flavored olive oils) and enjoy! Add dried fruit for a sweeter taste or bacon if you like a crunch!

Crunchy Potato Croquettes

When it came to leftover potatoes we were struggling with new ideas, so we found this trusty Martha Stewart recipe we think you’ll love as much as we do!

Ingredients

 2 cups mashed potatoes
 Coarse salt and ground pepper
 1 cup all-purpose flour
 1 large egg
 1 1/2 cups fresh breadcrumbs
 Vegetable oil
 2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley

Stir mashed potatoes and parsley in a large bowl. Put flour in a separate bowl. Season each with salt and pepper. Using a third bowl, whisk the egg with 1 tablespoon water. Spread breadcrumbs out on a baking pan.

Roll potatoes and parsley into 3/4-by-2-inch logs. Cover in flour, shaking off any excess. Dip in egg mix, then roll in breadcrumbs to coat. In a heavy, medium saucepan, heat over medium-high 1 ½ inches of vegetable oil until hot. Fry croquettes until golden brown on all sides, flipping each log as needed for about two minutes per batch. Use paper towels to soak excess oil. Cool briefly before devouring these scrumptious croquettes!

Cinnamon Pumpkin Smoothie

Since we usually end up with so many desserts during the holidays, the leftovers go bad before we can eat them. Incorporating desserts into our daily meal recipes helps us savor sweets in new and enticing ways!
Using a blender, blend the following:

 1 cup crust free pumpkin pie
 ½ cup plain fat-free Greek yogurt
 1 tsp. vanilla extract
 3 to 4 ice cubes

Bonus: Instead of syrup use a spoonful on pancakes or waffles!

We hope these holiday leftover recipes give you new and tasty ways to enjoy your leftovers this holiday season. At Deluxe Cleaners and Alterations,we love the challenge, so don’t fret if you make a mess. We’ll have you sparkling in no time!