Make the most of the items you already have in your fridge with this delicious recipe roundup featuring leftovers! Instead of being stuck with the same dish twice, discover new ways to reinvent extra food into something tantalizing. It’s leftovers that don’t taste like leftovers! Food waste can be a big problem, and we feel its effects in the environment and our wallet. (Learn more about how to rescue some of the most wasted foods at our blog here.)
From breakfast and brunch to soups and stews, here are 10 easy ways to give your leftovers new life without letting anything go to waste. Discover everything you need at our stores and don’t forget to check out our flyer for the tastiest deals and savings.
Creamy Chicken Tetrazzini
Cozy and comforting, this easy dinner idea makes great use of leftovers. While this recipe makes a casserole, if you’re running short on time, simply omit the breadcrumbs and serve right from the skillet! We use leftover chicken in this recipe, but it also works well with extra holiday turkey. Rich, creamy, and wholesome, it’s a satisfying dinner recipe that’s as easy as it is delicious. Pair it with a simple green salad if you’re feeling the need for an extra dose of veggies.
Full Recipe: Creamy Chicken Tetrazzini
Suggested Farm Boy Products: Farm Boy™ Riccioli Artisan Pasta, Farm Boy™ Panko Breadcrumbs, Farm Boy™ Fresh Alfredo Pasta Sauce, Farm Boy™ Classic Blend Shredded Cheese, Farm Boy™ Organic Green Peas, Farm Boy™ Sundried Tomatoes.
Turkey Sausage Gumbo
Make delicious use of your holiday leftovers with this Louisiana-style gumbo recipe! Loaded with delicious Cajun flavours thanks to a combination of our Chorizo Artisan Sausage as well as different spices, it’s a hearty, nourishing dish that’ll keep you from tossing that leftover Thanksgiving turkey. Preparing the roux is the most technical part of this recipe, but necessary to developing those deep, delicious flavours. Serve with rice for a gourmet spin on leftover cuisine.
Full Recipe: Turkey Sausage Gumbo
Suggested Farm Boy Products: Farm Boy™ Chorizo Artisan Sausage, Farm Boy™ Vegetable Cooking Oil, Farm Boy™ Garlic Flowers, Farm Boy™ Cajun Seasoning Mix, Farm Boy™ Organic Paprika, Farm Boy™ Italian Tomatoes, Farm Boy™ Organic Low Sodium Chicken Broth.
Green Vegetable Rice
Did you know that the best rice to use when making fried rice is actually leftover rice? Day-old rice is drier than fresh, giving a better texture and allowing the individual flavours of other ingredients to shine through! That principle applies to this dish, which puts a Mediterranean spin on fried rice. We used our Barrel Aged Feta, but if you’d like to transform this leftovers recipe into something that’s completely plant-based, swap it out for our Vegan Feta-Style Cheese Alternative. Full of vibrant colours and flavours, you’d have no idea that this dish was made with leftover rice.
Full Recipe: Green Vegetable Rice
Suggested Farm Boy Products: Farm Boy™ Arugula Pesto, Farm Boy™ Basmati Rice, Farm Boy™ Barrel Aged Feta, Fresh Vegetables.
Irish Potato Cake & Smoke Salmon Canapés
After a hearty meal or holiday shindig, you’re probably stuck with a lot of leftover mashed potatoes. While we love potatoes and gravy as much as anyone, sometimes it’s worth reinventing your leftovers into something different. These Irish potato cakes—known as farls—are an easy, hearty appetizer or snack. If your leftover mash is loaded with garlic, go the savoury route like the recipe we have here. If you prefer to keep your potatoes simple, these cakes also work well with a smear of butter and a dollop of jelly or jam!
Full Recipe: Irish Potato Cake & Smoke Salmon Canapés
Suggested Farm Boy Products: Farm Boy™ 18% Sour Cream, Farm Boy™ Wild Smoked Sockeye Salmon, Farm Boy™ Caper Berries.
Huevos Rancheros
A classic Mexican breakfast, these huevos rancheros are hearty, satisfying, and a delicious way to use any leftover holiday ham you may have. (No leftover ham? No problem! Deli-style sliced ham also works well in this recipe.) For added authentic flavour, garnish this leftovers-inspired breakfast dish with our Cotija Cheese. Salty, tangy, and crumbly, it pairs perfectly with this leftovers recipe for a match made in flavour heaven. Finish with two kinds of salsa for a bit of added spice.
Full Recipe: Huevos Rancheros
Suggested Farm Boy Products: Farm Boy™ Vegetable Cooking Oil, Farm Boy™ Yellow Corn Tortillas, Farm Boy™ Cotija Cheese, Farm Boy™ Fresh Hot Salsa, Farm Boy™ Fresh Mild Salsa.
Mushroom Turkey Orzotto
This robust, earthy recipe makes excellent use of your leftover holiday turkey, or the leftover chicken from a weeknight dinner. Choose a variety of mushrooms to use in this recipe for maximum umami flavour. Some of our favourites are shiitake, oyster, and porcini mushrooms, but you can use whatever you like best. (Meaty portobello is another great choice.) Creamy and satisfying, this leftovers recipe is perfect for chilly fall evenings.
Full Recipe: Mushroom Turkey Orzotto
Suggested Farm Boy Products: Farm Boy™ Organic Low Sodium Chicken Broth, Fresh Mushrooms.
Salmon Quinoa Cakes
One of the best parts of leftovers is reinventing the components of previous meals into something entirely new. If you have leftover quinoa (from something like our Mediterranean Quinoa Bowl) and extra salmon (after you’ve made our Sweet and Spicy Togarashi Salmon), then you have the main components for this recipe. As an added bonus, these cakes can easily be frozen! Simply reheat them for busy weeknights when you still want something wholesome, nutritious, and packed with protein and fibre.
Full Recipe: Salmon Quinoa Cakes
Suggested Farm Boy Products: Farm Boy™ Quinoa, Farm Boy™ Panko Breadcrumbs, Farm Boy™ Chipotle Mayonnaise.
Homemade Turkey Barley Noodle Soup
Is there anything more comforting than curling up with a hot bowl of homemade soup? Put that holiday turkey carcass to good use and reduce food waste by transforming it into scratch-made stock! Just in time for chilly weather, this soup recipe uses leftover items from your dinner table for a dish that’s hearty and wholesome. We included barley and egg noodles in this recipe, plus carrots and celery for that classic chicken soup taste. Sprinkle with a bit of Parmigiano Reggiano for added creaminess.
Full Recipe: Homemade Turkey Barley Noodle Soup
Suggested Farm Boy Products: Farm Boy™ Organic Low Sodium Chicken Broth, Farm Boy™ Pearl Barley, Farm Boy™ Brioche Pull-Apart Rolls, Fresh Vegetables.
Dijon Vinaigrette
A hack as well as a great recipe that features leftovers, this Dijon Vinaigrette is perfect for when you only have a couple ingredients. When you only have a few smears of mustard left in the jar, use it—and the jar—to create your own salad dressing. Tangy, salty, and just a little sweet, there are no dishes for this recipe, either! Simply add all your vinaigrette ingredients to the jar, give it a vigorous shake to emulsify and voila! Perfectly seasoned salad dressing with no added food waste.
Full Recipe: Dijon Vinaigrette
Suggested Farm Boy Products: Farm Boy™ Dijon Mustard, Farm Boy™ Organic Apple Cider Vinegar, Farm Boy™ Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Farm Boy™ Fleur de Sel.
Savoury Turkey, Mushroom, and Greens Crêpes
Full of delicious umami flavour thanks to the sliced mushrooms, this crêpe recipe is an excellent one to have on hand for breakfast, brunch, or lunch. When we think of crêpes, we often think of sweet dishes, but these thin, French-style pancakes work just as well in savoury recipes! Using our Farm Boy™ Traditional Crêpes makes this dish extra simple, as does using leftover rotisserie chicken or turkey! Full of protein and flavour, it’s a decadent way to start your weekend.
Full Recipe: Savoury Turkey, Mushroom, and Greens Crêpes
Suggested Farm Boy Products: Farm Boy™ Fresh Alfredo Pasta Sauce, Farm Boy™ Farmstead Gruyère Cheese, Farm Boy™ Traditional Crêpes.
