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.

Recipe: Leftover Sweet Potato Cake

If you're looking for a sweet way to use up some of those holiday leftovers, treat yourself to this wonderful and unique cake! Leftover sweet potatoes add fiber, flavor, and beautiful color, while the rich flavor is accented with vanilla, spices, and a tangy hint of beer - it may sound odd, but try it - you'll be glad you did! (Feel free to cut down on the sugar - with the sweetness of the potatoes you shouldn't need this much - I would probably only use about a cup or so.)

Leftover Sweet Potato Cake

Ingredients:

(Photo credit: SheGotTheBeat)

1 3/4 cups white sugar
3/4 cup vegetable oil or coconut oil
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups leftover sweet potatoes, mashed
2 cups all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 cup beer

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease and flour a 9x13 inch baking dish.
2. In a large bowl, add the sugar and vegetable oil and mix together until smooth.
3. Into the bowl with the sugar and oil, put one egg at a time, beating each one as you add them.
4. Into the same bowl, stir in the vanilla, then add the mashed sweet potatoes and blend well. 
5. In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.
6. Add small amounts of this dry mixture to the sweet potato mixture, alternating with small amounts of the beer until everything comes together; but do NOT over mix. 
7. Turn this batter out into the prepared baking dish.
8. Bake in preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
9. Remove and cool, then slice and serve as is or top with your favorite frosting - cream cheese frosting works great!

Leftovers Recipe: Cranberry Apple Sweet Potato Crisp

The sweet potato casserole is often a favorite, so you may not always have many leftovers, but if you do, it sometimes seems lacking on subsequent days. Here is a creative and interesting way to dress up that leftover casserole, and make it shine anew. The tartness of the apples and cranberries provide a perfect foil to the sweet creaminess of the leftover casserole, and the addition of a crunchy topping provides textural interest as well as tantalizing your taste buds!

Cranberry Apple Sweet Potato Crisp

Ingredients:

4 cups leftover sweet potato casserole
1 pkg (8 oz) cream cheese, room temperature
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 cup chopped tart apples
2 cups leftover cranberry orange relish
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
3 Tbsp butter
3 Tbsp flour
2 Tbsp brown sugar
3 cups oat or corn flake cereal

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a shallow casserole dish.
2. Put the leftover sweet potatoes in a bowl with the cream cheese and mix with an electric mixer until smooth.  Add the brown sugar and cinnamon and mix again until smooth. Note: If your sweet potato casserole is very sweet, you can omit the added brown sugar and cinnamon.  If your sweet potatoes are unsweetened, then be sure to add these ingredients. 
3. Layer the sweet potato mixture into the casserole dish, distributing evenly.
4. Sprinkle the apple pieces evenly over the top.
5. Spoon the cranberry orange relish evenly on the top.
6. Sprinkle the walnuts over the top.
7. Put the butter, flour, and brown sugar in a bowl and cut with pastry cutter or with forks until mixture is crumbly. Add the cereal flakes and toss until combined.
8. Sprinkle this mixture evenly over the casserole.
9. Bake, uncovered, in preheated oven for 30 to 40 minutes or until the casserole is hot and bubbly and the crunchy topping is lightly browned.

Recipe: Holiday Leftovers - Ham Salad Sandwiches

If you've still got some ham rattling around in the fridge, check out this recipe for a tasty yet simple twist on the ham sandwich. Mustard, pickle, and onion gives it a kick, but rather than the usual sliced ham, this ham salad incorporates the spices right into the meat, so you'll get a yummy flavor combo in every bite.

Enjoy!

After The Feast Ham Salad Sandwiches

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cup leftover ham, chopped
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 Tbsp pickle relish
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp grated onion
salt and pepper to taste
kaiser rolls or other sturdy bread

Instructions:

1. In a food processor, put the ham and pulse until finely minced.
2. Put in a bowl and add the remaining ingredients; taste and season as desired.
3. Spread mixture on bread, bun, or crackers for a quick lunch or dinner the next day.

Recipe: Leftover Ham And Cheese Stratta

Yum - this makes a great breakfast!  Or even lunch, for that matter.... This is a great way to use up some of that leftover ham from your Easter dinner. Breakfast favorites you probably already have on hand like milk, eggs, and bread are spiced up with green onions, mustard, and cayenne pepper, while bacon adds its signature smoky flavor to the mix. Use whatever cheese you like - from fancy to simple - it will be delicious either way!

Leftover Ham And Cheese Stratta(Serves 4-6)

Ingredients:

Preparing for strata. (Photo credit: digitalprimate)

2 cups milk (preferably whole, organic, and non-homogenized)
1 cup chopped green onions
4 eggs (free range)
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/8 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
10 cups bread, cut into cubes
1 cup diced ham
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Gruyere or any cheese you have
4 natural-cured bacon slices, cooked and crumbled

Directions:

1. Lightly spray or rub a baking dish with oil.
2. In a large bowl, combine milk, green onions, eggs, mustard, and pepper, and whisk until well blended.
3. Add bread cubes and ham to the bowl and stir to combine. 
4. Pour mixture into baking dish, then sprinkle cheese evenly over the top.
5. Cover and put in refrigerator overnight.
6. When ready to bake, remove dish from refrigerator and let sit at room temperature while you preheat oven to 350 degrees.
7. Uncover dish, and bake for 20 minutes.
8. Fry the bacon and sprinkle over the top of the dish, then put back in oven and continue baking for 15 minutes or until hot and eggs are set and cheese has started to brown. (Serves 4 to 6 and can easily be doubled.)

Recipe - Turkey Wild Rice Soup

Got leftover turkey??  Check out this delicious hearty recipe great for a cold winter evening! It's a tasty way to use up some of your Thanksgiving leftovers, or you could also make it anytime using leftover cooked chicken.

Image by Back to the Cutting Board via FlickrHearty Turkey & Wild Rice Soup

Ingredients:
1/2 cup wild rice, cooked according to package
2 tsp olive oil
3 celery stalks, chopped small
2 carrots, peeled and diced small
1 onion, diced small
1 tsp dried sage
6 cups turkey or chicken stock
2 cups finely chopped cabbage
2 cups cooked turkey or chicken, cut small
1/4 chopped parsley
1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

Directions:

• In a large soup pot over medium heat, put olive oil, celery, carrots, onions, and sage, cooking until vegetables are starting to soften, about 4 or 5 minutes.
• Pour in the stock, add the cabbage, stir and turn heat down to low, cover pot loosely, and simmer for 25 to 30 minutes or until the cabbage is soft.
• Add the turkey, cooked wild rice, and parsley, and simmer very slowly (without bubbles), uncovered, for about 15 to 20 minutes.
• Remove from heat and stir in the balsamic vinegar, taste and adjust seasonings, adding more balsamic vinegar, salt, and pepper as desired.

What to Do With Christmas Dinner Leftovers?

Image via WikipediaAfter the big meal has come and gone, depending on the quantity of food you prepared and the number (and appetite) of your guests, you may have quite a few leftovers remaining!  Rather than eat turkey sandwiches 5 days in a row, check out this article for how to waste less food, and find creative ways to use up the remains of the day.

How to Waste Less Food This Christmas
If you do find some Christmas trimmings leftover in the fridge, consider using them up to make family meals. A traditional Boxing Day dinner for many families is cold meat, pickles and bubble and squeak - all made out of the Christmas ...
Publish Date: 12/13/2010 7:28
http://www.suite101.com/content/how-to-waste-less-food-this-christmas-a320111

 

Related articles on Holiday Meal Leftovers:

• Recycle Christmas Leftovers! (merrymicrofiberblog.com)
• Our five favourite ways to use up leftover turkey (recyclethis.co.uk)
• Planning for Christmas Leftovers (frugalrecipes.wordpress.com)
• Best Ham Leftovers Ever (wholefoodsmarket.com)