Leftovers for Brunch
Leftovers are something that we all have. We have a good meal, but we’re stuffed with food, so we store the rest for a “later time.” But sometimes that “later time” doesn’t come. Or when it does come, the leftovers don’t look or taste quite as good as they did when they were a fresh dish.
We’ve had our fair share of leftovers that we’re not sure what to do with. So we’ve figured out new ways to eat them. Here are some ideas of how to turn those leftovers into some great brunches.
(We do recommend these for your own brunches, rather than the brunches you serve to friends.)
Egging It On
Eggs are a great breakfast food. There are so many ways to make them, and they get along well with a lot of other food. That’s true for leftovers, too. If you have any veggies or meat leftovers, you can just mix them in with some scrambled eggs. Or make an omelet with them. If you’re feeling particularly chef-like, a frittata is a great way to use up your leftovers.
Well, Crepe
Crepes are one of the more intimidating things in the breakfast-repertoire. Mostly, it’s just that we haven’t made them often enough to master the techniques. (We’re still working on the flip ourselves.)
The fun thing about crepes is that they can be used for both sweet and savory meals. If you have some leftover berries and chocolate, you can have a berry and chocolate crepe. If you have some leftover veggies and cheese, a veggie and cheese crepe is just as delicious.
Sally’s Baking Addiction has an awesome post about crepes, along with a recipe and a video to follow along. Check it out here.
Macaroni and Cheese and Leftovers
After all, brunch is a combination of breakfast and lunch. And an almost universally loved dish is macaroni and cheese.
One of the brilliant things about mac and cheese is that you can mix almost anything into it, and it’ll likely taste delicious. Restaurants around the world have already mastered this, creating dishes including things from pulled pork to seafood to spinach. The secret is that you can do this at home. Make the mac and cheese, reheat the leftovers, and combine them all together at the last step. Throwing in extra cheese is also highly recommended.
With a New Pan Fry Crunch
Sometimes, all your leftovers need is a new texture. And pan frying your leftovers is a quick way to make something taste just as good as they did before. Or, sometimes, even better.
Put either butter or oil into a saucepan, turn on the burner, and add the leftovers when the pan is hot enough. You’ll have to keep moving everything in the pan so nothing burns, but the end results are worth the effort.
If you want to go the extra mile, dig through your spice rack and add a dash of spice to your leftovers. Or add a few dashes of soy sauce, sesame oil, or hot sauce to add a new kick. And if you need a completely new dish out of your leftovers, throw in some cooked rice to turn your leftovers into fried rice.
Which Sandwich (or Wrap) is Which?
Sandwiches and wraps are known for their convenience. But one of the fun parts is building your own! With some bread (sliced or flatbread, it’s your choice!), you can have an easy and fun way to finish off your leftovers. And it never hurts to add some new dressings or cheese and fresh veggies to the mix.
Soup-er Leftovers
Soup is one of the best foods to have, either on cold days or days where you have a cold. Throw leftovers into some soup before you heat it up, and the flavors will often blend so well together that you don’t realize that they were ever separate in the first place!
Also, it’s great for the soggier leftovers you happen to have. After all, it's hard to tell if something is soggy if it’s all soup.
Or Just Reheat Them
No one says you’re required to be fancy with your leftovers. If you like your pizza cold, more power to you.
Add A Cocktail
Okay, not to the leftovers directly. But pairing great food with a great cocktail can do wonders. We recommend some Picnic Brunch canned cocktails (because of course we do!). Use our store locator to find a place to pick up some cans today.