Creative Breakfast Ideas for Holiday Leftovers

Well, Christmas is behind us for another year, but we've still got to deal with the leftovers.... After a full day of cooking for friends and family, the last thing you want to do the next morning is to figure out what to make for breakfast. Not to mention, your refrigerator is already crammed full with leftovers, so there is no room to put anything else. Why not use what you already have on hand to make an unbelievable breakfast? Here are a few ideas to get your morning-after ideas flowing.

An omelet with ham, cheese, and a garnish of spices including oregano and parsley. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The Classic Omelet

You wake up in the morning, struggling with the classic L-Tryptophan and high carb hangover and the last thing you want to do is get creative with your breakfast. Especially if you are in charge with feeding the same group you fed twelve hours ago. If you want to make a great breakfast, without a bunch of effort, you can always turn to a classic omelet.

As soon as you walk into the kitchen, unpack your refrigerator with all of the leftovers from the night before. Cut up some of your leftover turkey or ham, scramble some eggs and throw it all together with some leftover tomatoes, broccoli, and cheese from your salad. If you want to really give your omelet a kick, try incorporating a bit of cranberry sauce into your recipe. Throw in a scoop of leftover green bean casserole, too. The sky's the limit; or rather, the refrigerator's the limit.

The Simple Fritter

If you are not in the mood to scramble some eggs for the omelet, you can pull out two easy leftover  ingredients; mashed potatoes and stuffing. Combining your stuffing and your mashed potatoes in a ratio of 1 to 1 will give you an incredibly thick paste that you can mold and shape into patties. Once you have the mixture, you can fry them in a small amount of oil and prepare to be amazed.

Add some green bean casserole and a little diced ham or turkey to the mixture if you want to make your patties even heartier. Making this addition will give you a completely rounded meal and it will help you reduce the amount of leftovers that are just sitting in your fridge, which is always a good thing.

The Elegant Quiche

Quiche. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

If you have your coffee and find you have a little more energy, you may want to show off a little. Impress your guests with the creative ways you can reuse your leftovers by making a quiche. A holiday quiche is like a holiday dinner all wrapped up in a fluffy egg! You will be able to enjoy the tastes you know and love while also having a healthy and delicious breakfast.

Your quiche can be the full spread, or just a few of your favorite leftover dishes. When you have a bunch of leftovers, you can include as many as you like. If you want to give this quiche a twist, try scrambling some pumpkin pie filling in with the eggs to give it that classic sweet nutmeg taste you love during the holidays. Just be creative. It all tasted good together on the table, so why not together in a quiche?

The morning after the big Holiday meal shouldn't be a lot of work for you, especially if you spent the entire day prior cooking food for an army. Use what you have, re-purpose it and give your family a new breakfast dish they can only get during the holidays each year. They will love it!  And to think, all you had to do was gather dishes from the refrigerator to appear in the morning sequel!

Holiday Leftovers Recipe: Shrimp And Green Bean Casserole Pasta Skillet

Still got that green bean casserole hanging around from last week, and not quite sure what to do with it? This recipe will transform that old casserole into something totally new that no one would even recognize as as leftovers! It's quick and easy too - just cook some pasta, and this quick skillet meal will help you get dinner on the table in no time.

Shrimp And Green Bean Casserole Pasta Skillet
(Serves 2-3.)

Ingredients:

1 garlic clove, minced
pinch red pepper flakes
2 Tbsp olive oil for frying
1 lb medium sized shrimp, cleaned
3 cups leftover green bean casserole
1/2 cup white wine
8 oz penne, cooked, drained (keep warm)
grated Parmesan cheese for garnish

Directions:

• In a large skillet over medium-low heat, put garlic, red pepper flakes, and olive oil, cooking just long enough until the garlic gets fragrant and softens.
• Immediately toss in the shrimp, cooking until just pink.
• Add the leftover green bean casserole and the white wine, stirring to combine; turn heat to low and simmer gently until just heated through, about 4 or 5 minutes.
• Dump cooked pasta into skillet and toss to combine.
• Serve hot with grated Parmesan cheese on top.

Low-Carb Thanksgiving Recipe: City Lights Creamed Spinach

Instead of green bean casserole full of fried onions this Thanksgiving, try this tasty, low-carb side dish instead. Creamed spinach is also a holiday classic, but with fewer carbs than many other dishes that traditionally grace the Thanksgiving table. Give this one a try this year, and have a very Happy Thanksgiving!

City Lights Creamed Spinach
(Serves 4-6.)

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp organic butter
1/2 small onion, diced fine
2 green onions, diced fine
1/2 cup natural chicken broth (or vegetable broth)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 cup heavy cream (preferably organic)
20 oz frozen leaf spinach, thawed, squeezed dry

Instructions:

• Put the butter in a skillet over heat and melt.
• Add both onions and cook until soft, about 3 or 4 minutes.
• Add the broth, salt, pepper, and nutmeg and heat for 1 minute, stirring.
• Slowly pour in cream, stirring constantly and bring just to a boil, then immediately turn heat to low and simmer until liquid reduces, for about 8 to 12 minutes. This creamy sauce should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon and stay there.
• When sauce is thickened, add the spinach, stirring to combine, and continue simmering over low heat until the spinach is hot.
• Serve immediately.

Recipe: 21st Century Green Bean Casserole

Always a favorite for potlucks, this year-round classic gets a modern-day update with fresh green beans, home-made onion rings, and almond milk. Low in carbs and heavy fats, this dish is full of vegetables, protein, and flavor. Try it out at your next potluck or office party - they won't even know how healthy it is!

21st Century Green Bean Casserole

Ingredients:

Green bean casserole (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

16 oz. fresh green beans, washed and cut into 2" pieces
1 large onion
drizzle of olive oil
1/4 cup almond meal
8 oz. mushrooms, chopped
2 Tbsp cooking oil (or butter, or mix of both)
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 tsp dried thyme
2 Tbsp almond meal or flour
3/4 cup unsweetened almond milk plus 1/4 cup heavy cream

Instructions:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• Start by making your own oven-fried onions. Cut the onion into thin rings and put in bowl, drizzle olive oil over and toss to separate the onions and to coat with the oil.
• Add 1/4 cup almond meal (or a bit more if desired) to onions and toss to coat, then dump onto a baking sheet, spreading out to a single layer.  Put in preheated oven and bake for 8 to 12 minutes or until golden brown, stirring around once or twice; remove when they are golden brown. Set aside.

• Turn oven down to 350 degrees.
• Put the mushrooms in a large skillet with the oil or butter over medium heat and cook until soft and starting to brown, then add the salt, pepper, and thyme, stir to combine.
• Sprinkle in the almond meal or flour and cook for 1 minute, stirring. 
• Continue stirring and slowly pour in the milk, then the cream, and simmer gently for another 2 to 3 minutes until mixture thickens. (Cook until sauce reaches the thickness you like.)
• Put beans in casserole dish, pour in creamy mushroom mix, 1/2 of the oven-fried onions, stir together.
• Cover casserole and put in 350 degree oven and cook for 30 to 40 minutes, until mixture is hot and bubbly.
• Uncover casserole dish, spread the remaining oven-fried onions on top and cook, uncovered, another 5 to 10 or until the top and edges start to get brown.