What to do with Your Christmas Leftovers

Everyone knows that Christmas dinners turn into feasts.

The overabundance of food creates leftovers that seemingly last for the rest of winter. As much as I enjoy reheating Christmas dinner and eating it for the next two or three days, I can’t go much longer than that. Instead of tossing it, it’s time we get our aprons out and start cooking. There are so many recipes out there to help you re-purpose Christmas leftovers, and I’ve rounded up some of the best. I can promise you that most of these recipes will be on my plate this holiday season.

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Baked Ham and Swiss Sliders

Ingredients:

• 12 soft rolls

• 12 slices of Swiss cheese

• 12 slices of ham (and/or prosciutto, if you have any)

• ½ cup of butter

• 2 teaspoons of yellow mustard

• 1 tablespoon of onion, grated

• 2 teaspoons of Worcestershire sauce

Directions:

1. Slice the rolls in half and place all the bottom halves in a 9x13 baking dish.

2. Place the ham and cheese on the bottom half of the rolls in the dish. Cover with the top half of the rolls.

3. In a small bowl, mix the melted butter, mustard, grated onion, and Worcestershire sauce. Spoon the sauce over the tops of the sandwiches.

4. Refrigerate 1-2 hours until the butter has hardened.

5. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes (or until warmed through). Make sure the cheese is melted.

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Chicken/Turkey and Stuffing Bake

Ingredients:

• Cooked Chicken or Turkey

• 1 can of cream of chicken soup

• 1 package of stuffing

Directions:

1. Spray a 13x9 baking dish with cooking spray. Cut your cooked chicken or turkey into pieces and lay them in the pan.

2. Mix one can of cream of chicken soup with 1/3 of the can of water. Pour this over the chicken or turkey.

3. Cook one package of stuffing according to the directions on the box and then lay it on top of the chicken or turkey and soup.

4. Put the dish into the oven and back at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes.

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Twice-Baked Potatoes

Ingredients:

• Baked Potatoes

• Salt

• Olive Oil

Directions:

1. Wash potatoes and allow to dry. Rub with olive oil and season with salt.

2. Bake at 350 degrees in oven for 1 hour. Allow to cool slightly.

3. Slice the potatoes in half and spoon out the inside. Mash the scooped out insides.

4. Spoon the mixture back into the shell and bake for 15 minutes.  

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Roasted Veggies

Ingredients:

• 1 pound of vegetables

• 1-2 tablespoons of canola or olive oil

• Salt and pepper

• Optional: Additional seasonings/spices 

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

2. Cover a sheet pan in aluminum foil or parchment paper.

3. Prepare/chop vegetables if you have not done so, and place them directly on the baking sheet.

4. After placing the vegetables on the baking sheet, drizzle with oil and season them with salt and pepper. Toss with your hands or tongs and spread them evenly.

5. Roast in oven using the provided “Roasted Vegetable Time Table Guide” shown in this article. Give your vegetables a shake midway through for more even cooking.

6. If you are using seasoning, toss with vegetables with your seasoning of choice during the last 10 minutes of roasting. This keeps the flavor fresh and prevents burning.

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Don’t these recipes look delicious? The best thing about them is that they aren’t confined to the holiday season. You can make them any time you’d like, so try them out – you might just find your new favorite recipe. 

As always,

Be well, Auburn.