One of the best parts of holiday eating is loving on the leftovers. We hope you had a beautiful Easter/Passover weekend & found some joy amidst the heaviness of the times. We missed loved ones dearly, but found some comfort in dusting off sacred family recipes from the vault – Dad Chef made Perogi from scratch using a vintage recipe from his Ukrainian maternal side, and I tried my Papa’s Canascione di Pasqua (Italian Easter Pies) recipe – an authentic food from the Ciociaria area of Italy his mom (my Nonna) used to make faithfully as a traditional Easter appetizer.
I know life feels hard & overwhelming – I’m feeling it all too. One thing I know when life gives us more than we think we can handle, it’s vital to take off our plates what we can do without (for now). So, since we all probably have lots of leftovers, and are being more mindful of food waste then ever, I hope I can take a bit of meal decision making off your plate, offering simple ways to use up holiday veggies & meats with these Easy Easter Leftover Makeovers you need to try, including creations from some of our favourite Canadian family food bloggers. Recreating something new and tasty can help with our self-isolation slumps. Here are some delish options:
Frittata (roughly translated to “fried”) is an egg-based Italian dish similar to an omelette or crustless quiche or scrambled eggs, cooked with a combo of ingredients. It’s a great recipe to use up all those leftover cooked meats & veggies, like roasted potatoes, asparagus, broccoli, mushrooms, spinach, ham, sausage & so much more. Below is one of our favourite Spring recipes using in-season asparagus, but swap that out with whatever you’ve got on-hand.
Copyright: House of Kerrs
Simple Asparagus Frittata Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp butter or cooking oil
- 6 large eggs
- 4 shallots *sliced
- 1 lb fresh asparagus bunch *thinner spears better for this recipe*
- 3/4 cup ricotta cheese *use reduced fat version to lighten up*
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 tbsp fresh chives *snip with scissors into small pieces*
- 1 pinch onion powder
- 1 cup Italian blend or Mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- Heat butter/oil on medium heat in small, oven-proof skillet. Add sliced shallots & sautee until they turn translucent (approx. 2 mins). Add asparagus & cook additional 2-3 mins.
- Beat eggs, ricotta cheese & salt together, then add snipped chives (*stir*)
- Pour egg mixture into skillet & let cook on medium until almost set, but still runny on top (about 5 mins). Meanwhile, preheat oven on Broil.
- Sprinkle cheese evenly over the egg mix and place in the oven to broil until cheese is melted and slightly golden brown (6-8 mins).
- Very carefully remove skillet from the oven with mitts. Let frittata sit about 5 mins to set then slice into wedges (we got six slices out of ours, but make smaller/bigger based on your crowd). Garnish with chopped chives & serve on it's own, or pair with bread and/or a Spring salad for a complete meal. Buon appetito!
2. Breakfast Pizza with Eggs and Ham
Breakfast, lunch or dinner, this spin on traditional pizza is definitely a winner. Grab your leftover ham + veggies and give this under 30 min meal a go. An easy & fun one to make with the kiddos too.
Copyright: House of Kerrs
Butter Puff Pastry Breakfast Pizza
Ingredients
- 1 sheet butter puff pastry
- 6 slices precooked/sliced breakfast ham
- 1/2 ball mozzarella cheese grate
- 4-6 large eggs as many/few as you like
- 1 large egg + 1 tablespoon of water whisked for egg wash
- 1 pinch freshly ground black pepper
- 6 clippings fresh chives snipped for topping
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Removed puff pastry from fridge or thaw if frozen.
- Place puff pastry on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Very gently roll up the edges of the pastry to create a small edge for the crust. Brush the entire pastry with the whisked egg wash.
- Sprinkle grated cheddar over pastry. Add chopped/pulled apart ham slices. Crack each egg separately in a bowl, then gently pour it onto the pastry in the desired spot. Repeat for as many eggs you'd like to add (up to 6 max). Sprinkle black pepper over toppings.
- Bake the pizza for approx. 20 mins (until the pastry and cheese are golden and the eggs are set. Removed the pizza and sprinkle with chopped chives. Wait approx. 5 mins for it to cool then slice with a pizza cutter & serve!
3. Power Bowls
One of my favourite go-tos for the fact there are no measurements or complicated recipes to follow with this one. Start with a leafy green base (kale, spring mix, baby spinach, etc.), add a carb (rice/noodles) or grain (quinoa, 5-grain, etc.), then build with your favourite seeds, pantry items, proteins & veggies. Here’s one I created using leftover turkey roast, sweet potatoes, pumpkin seeds & other complimentary fixins:
To Make, simply:
-🥗 choose a lettuce base (I used Spring Mix, Baby Spinach & Kale)
– add leftover Quinoa (or rice) & sheet pan veggies
– heat, chop & add leftover meat (or leave out if you’re a plant-based recipe seeker)
– chop + add fave fresh veggies (I added avocado, cucumber, tomato & cauliflower)
– sprinkle with fave nuts & seeds (I used pumpkin & flax seeds + sliced almonds)
– drizzle with vinaigrette (I used a Lemon Garlic dressing 1 night & Asian Sesame another)…and voila! You can use whatever veg + extras you have on hand ♡
4. One-Pan Gnocchi with Veggies & Ham
This was a one-pan meal we whipped up last Fall and apologies but I didn’t measure out all the ingredients. It’s super simple, though, and perfect for leftovers.
Copyright: House of Kerrs
Here are the steps:
- Heat olive oil (or butter) on medium & throw in leftover ham (diced) until warmed (2-4 mins); add some diced onion & heat until softened
- Add leftover veggies – we used brussels sprouts & peas – and saute until warmed (about 2-4 mins)
- Add 2/3 cup of low-sodium broth (*any*) and a splash of white wine (*optional, and if “leftover” ;)*)
- Add 1 package quick-cook gnocchi (we love the traditional & butternut squash from President’s Choice) & saute about 5 mins. Add freshly grated parmiggiano cheese at the end & serve.
5. Penne with Asparagus, Peas, Prosciutto & Ricotta – by Sneaky Mommies
Our taste buds are activated over this creation by our friends at Sneaky Mommies & our pasta-loving gang can’t wait to give this one a try!
Recipe Source: SneakyMommies.com
6. Chipotle Turkey Skillet – by Andrea Buckett
Andrea always has drool-inducing creations & this one that shows us a new way to love our turkey leftovers with a tex-mex spin is no different!
Recipe Source: AndreaBuckett.com
7. Short-cut Chicken Pot Pie
If we all made a list of the ultimate comfort foods, I’m sure a good pot pie would top most of our lists. I’ve never actually made my own from scratch, so this version from How to Eat that under complicates it will be a must-try. You could swap the chicken for whatever poultry or protein you have leftover.
Recipe Source: HowtoEat.ca
8. Sheet Pan Eggs & Ham Ciabatta Sandwiches
Yesterday’s ham dinner turned today’s egg sandwich brunch or lunch! These sheet pan eggs and ham ciabatta sandwiches are one of our family’s top picks for Easter leftovers!
Sheet Pan Egg Ciabatta Sandwiches
Equipment
- 18 x 13 baking sheet
Ingredients
- 1 cup precooked ham, chopped *leave out for vegetarian option*
- 3 Tbsp olive oil
- 14 Conestoga Farms Free Run Omega-3 Eggs
- ½ cup milk
- 4 green onions, chopped
- 1 cup baby spinach
- 1 medium tomato, *any, diced*
- 2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded
- 1 dozen small ciabatta buns
- 1 tsp each coarse salt & ground black pepper
- *optional: sliced cheese (like Swiss) & sauce to top your sandwich (we love Buffalo sauce or hot sauce)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° F.
- Whisk eggs, milk and green onions in a large bowl.
- Pour olive oil on to baking sheet and coat evenly. Add chopped ham and diced tomato, spacing evenly around the pan.
- Pour the egg mixture on top of the ham & tomatoes, then sprinkle baby spinach and grated mozzarella cheese over top.
- Place pan in the oven and bake 20 minutes until the edges of the egg are golden.
- Remove and let the eggs cool at least 5 minutes before cutting using a pizza cutter into 12 portions. *Optional: Serve with a slice of your favourite cheese & sauce of choice!* Buon appetito!
Hope this round-up has helped you reinvent some of your holiday leftovers. We’d love to hear your creative ways of giving yours a spin.
If you found this recipe post helpful, you may also enjoy these:
Eggs-ellent Recipes for Spring Brunching
Asparagus Recipes Your Family Will Love
10 Simple Spring Grazing Table Food Ideas
Keep well, eat well,
lOVE THE RECIPES. MUST TRY THE BREAKFAST PIZZA SOMETIME.
It’s so good! We hope you do 🙂