Site icon 12 Oaks Senior Living

Holiday Leftover Recipes Your Parents Will Enjoy

dinner ideas with leftovers

Indulging in holiday festivities could mean a lot of leftovers after the big day.

Tossing containers full of food out is not the most economical option, especially with current food prices. Many people, including you and your parents, may find the idea of eating the same reheated food unappealing night after night.

One of the best ways to put leftovers to good use and avoid food waste is to bring them to the next level. Here are some recipes you can try to transform your holiday into new amazing meals that your parents will love!

 

Insanely Delicious, Easy-to-Make Holiday Leftover Dishes Your Parents Can’t Get Enough Of

7 Creative Ideas to Transform Holiday Leftovers

Here is a list of recipes to add a twist to holiday leftovers that your parents will enjoy.

 

Extra Purposed Cranberry Sauce

When the feast is over, you may find yourself with one or more jars of cranberry sauce sitting in the fridge. Need help with these leftover sauces? It turns out that cranberry sauce is more versatile than you thought.

Ideally, you can scrape them out and toss them into the muffin batter to make delicious, healthy muffins for desserts. You can also get more creative by turning them into cranberry oatmeal bars with the detailed recipe here.

Did you know that cranberry sauce can add a burst of out-of-this-world flavor to your average meatball pot? Don’t hesitate to try it out!

Finally, making cranberry smoothies is another easy yet delicious recipe to make the most of these nutritious sauces.

 

Stuffed-Everything Waffles

Stuffing all leftovers into waffles is another easy-to-make holiday leftover recipe to make you feel less guilty over food indulgence after the holidays.

The best part about this stuffed-everything recipe is that you can use whatever you have on hand to stuff or load onto the waffles!

Regardless, stick with staple ingredients like turkey, bacon, cranberry sauce, and a bit of gravy. They make extra delicious and nutritious breakfast, lunch, and dinner that your parents and other elderly family members will surely enjoy, even when the holiday is long gone!

 

Fully-Loaded Deluxe Club Sandwiches

Too much turkey situation going on? Give it new life with fully-loaded deluxe club sandwiches. Unlike stuffed-everything waffles, a club sandwich is far easier to put together than dusting off the iron and waiting for waffles to be fully cooked, especially if your parents no longer find joy in following complicated, lengthy cooking recipes.

For this recipe, you will need three pieces of bread, lettuce, tomatoes, and a few slices of turkey and bacon, accompanied by your or your parents’ go-to sauces spread out on each side of the bread. Smack them together, and you are ready to go!

 

Turkey Chili

It is time to reinvent your regular dipping chili with turkey! This recipe is an easy, healthful way to add more flavor to your everyday meals while ensuring that your leftover turkey won’t go wasted in the fridge.

Moreover, a pot of chili takes little time to make: all you need to do is add the ingredients (onions, bell peppers, garlic, tomatoes, kidney beans) to a pot or slow cooker, snooze away, and it is ready to serve!

 

Seasonal Toasty Pizzas

Crusty pizza topped up with all holiday essentials like shredded turkey, bacon strips, creamy mashed potato, a layer of cheese, and more is a seasonal recipe your parents will not get enough of.

This absolute must-make leftover recipe is incredibly easy as it starts with ready-to-bake pizza dough available at all supermarkets and your or your parent’s favorite holiday leftovers.

 

Post-Holiday Soups

Nothing beats a bowl of soup to cozy up against the winter cold! The best thing about post-holiday soups is that you can scrape extras from the fridge, put them together, simmer for 30 minutes, and the result is out of this world when the wait is over!

When the soup is ready, you can add noodles or serve it as it is for your parents. Another way to add extra flavor to the soup is to add gravy. The leftover sauce will thicken the soup and add a meaty flavor to your veggie soup.

 

Turkey Tacos

Transforming leftover turkey into Mexican delicacies like tacos is a creative way to spice up the superstar of the holiday feast if you and your parents are not fed up with the turkey. They take a little effort to make but guarantee to fill up your parents’ belly.

With turkey meat, you can either shred or chop it up before stir-frying it with taco seasoning. Once finished, serve it in taco shells with steamed rice and your favorite side dishes.

 

If you have questions about holiday leftover recipes or any topics discussed here, connect with us and learn more. 

At 12 Oaks, our team of caring professionals is dedicated to keeping residents safe, engaged, and connected to their families and friends while leading fulfilling lives. 12 Oaks senior living communities are an ideal place to enjoy the encore season of life.

For questions or to schedule a personalized tour, don’t hesitate to contact us. 

SUBSCRIBE TO OUR BLOG

Searching for senior living help? At 12 Oaks Senior Living, we would love to learn more about your unique needs and the opportunity we may have to help you meet them. Our blog is one of the valuable resources we provide to inform and encourage seniors to lead fulfilling and thriving lives. Contact us today to schedule a visit.

Rate This Article
Exit mobile version