After an intense Christmas full of family cooking, the fridge is often bursting with leftovers. It’s a shame to throw everything away, but at the same time it’s difficult to eat the same fish or vegetable salad again and again. They come to help simple rules not to waste food and recipes that allow you to transform Christmas dishes into something completely different. It’s also worth remembering that food can be given to others – and in a very convenient way. Thanks to this, the holidays will end without any regrets.
The most important rule is – don’t throw it away if you don’t have to. After Christmas a lot of food is still edible – just secure them properly. Dishes that you don’t plan to eat in the next few days are worth it freeze immediately. Dumplings, croquettes, bigos and even soups (without cream) freeze well and can be easily reheated, even after a few weeks.
However, if you don’t want or can’t store your food longer, consider storing it giving it to those in need. They work great here eateries (foodsharing), i.e. publicly available community refrigerators and shelves where surplus food can be placed. It is worth remembering a few rules – do not give away dishes that are starting to spoil, do not bring raw products or products with a short shelf life, and pack everything in clean containers and label them with the date of preparation.
Many charities also run food collections or works with volunteers who collect food from people’s homes. This is a convenient solution for people who have larger portions of food and don’t want anything to go to waste. Even a few portions of dumplings or bigos can be a valuable meal for someone.
Thanks to such solutions, you will not only save money and space in the refrigerator, but also help reduce food waste.
Christmas dishes are so diverse that completely new dishes can be created from their leftovers. All you need is a bit of creativity in the kitchen. The possibilities are truly endless – you can use bigos to create stuffing for patties, the remaining potatoes – dumplings or pancakes, and the dried fruit – quick muesli. Each product can become the basis for another dish.
Christmas soups
Borscht and mushroom soup (if not whitened) can be frozen or used as a base for new dishes. You can serve borscht with groats or vegetables to completely change its aroma. Just thicken the mushroom soup and serve it as a sauce for pasta or meat.
Christmas Eve fish
Cod, carp or . Just chop the meat, add cottage cheese, a bit of mustard and dill. Fried pieces of fish are also great as a base for fish cutlets or vegetable casserole.
Dumplings and croquettes
Dumplings not used during the holidays can be fried in butter with onion, but can also be used in an unusual way. Chop them and add them to broth or cream soup as a filling addition. Divide the croquettes into smaller pieces and bake them in an ovenproof dish with tomato and béchamel sauce. The result will be a lasagna-like dish.
Salads
Especially vegetable ones, they work great as a tortilla stuffing or as a sandwich spread base. Just add a spoonful of yogurt, a little garlic, ham and parsley.
Cold cuts and baked meats
These products are the easiest to use in the kitchen. They can be turned into additions to pasta, casseroles, and even added to nutritious omelettes for breakfast. Ham will work well in savory muffins, and baked turkey or pork loin can be used as a base for an oriental stir-fry with vegetables.
Cakes
Desserts can also be reused. Cheesecake or poppy seed cake are perfect for preparing desserts, and dry gingerbread can be turned into a sweet crumble for yogurt or ice cream.
Christmas leftovers don’t have to end up in the trash. They can be processed, frozen, donated or turned into completely new dishes. This not only saves time and money, but also a real step towards the zero waste idea. Just a few simple rules are enough to make post-Christmas cooking economical, responsible and tasty.
Source: Terazgotuje.pl
