Five Christmas Dinner Leftover Ideas

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Merry Christmas! Today is a day that so many Americans have eagerly awaited for the past couple of months. Between the morning’s gift-giving traditions and the massive feast that families share at night, Christmas is often one of the year’s most delightful, fulfilling days. The next day, though, you might feel a slight sense of dread as you look at all the Christmas dinner leftovers in your fridge. How are you going to plow through all these piles of food? With these five Christmas dinner leftover ideas, you’ll have no trouble making good use of the night’s meals.

1. Baked mac ‘n’ cheese

Worried about your leftover cheese board and cream? This baked mac ‘n’ cheese recipe combines these Christmas dinner leftovers into a savory delight you can enjoy alone or with friends. You’ll combine the cheeses from your board with milk, onions, flour, and more as you cook the pasta, then you’ll mix everything together and add it to a greased casserole that bakes at 400 degrees F for 20 minutes. Get the full recipe (and more) here.

2. Re-roast your potatoes

Roasted potatoes are a Christmas classic, but when you reheat them or otherwise attempt to eat them after Christmas dinner, they often struggle to achieve even heating and retain the flavor they had when they were served warm. Re-roast them with pickled onions, cayenne, and thyme to revive their temperature and taste. The best part is, this roast takes place atop your stove rather than inside your oven – ample oil and seasoning is all it takes. Get the recipe here.

3. Make a ham and potato casserole

For many people, Christmas ham is the night’s single biggest highlight. It also reheats pretty well on subsequent days, but nothing beats a freshly cooked ham, so refashion your leftovers into an oven-baked casserole that will keep you going for days. Chop up your ham alongside some leftover Christmas potatoes, gather some seasonings and baking basics, work some stovetop magic, and place your mixture into a casserole dish to bake. Get the recipe here.

4. Stack your leftovers into a panini

It’s hard to find someone who doesn’t love sandwiches, and with this recipe, you can turn your Christmas leftovers into exactly that. You can use roasted potatoes and Christmas ham to build the panini’s fillings, or you can fold in the ingredients listed in this panini recipe – many of which you might also encounter on Thanksgiving – for a delicious sandwich you can make many times until your leftovers run out. Heat up your skillet or sandwich press and find the recipe here.

5. Go vegetarian

Many of the above recipes contain ham. If you don’t eat meat, try making a vegetarian leftover crumble. Combine leftover nut roast and vegetables (Brussels sprouts work especially well in this recipe) with gravy, cream, and some baking staples, then toss everything in a casserole dish and bake it at 375 F for 30 minutes. Get the recipe here.

How do you usually use your Christmas dinner leftovers? Share your recipes in the comments!

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