Christmas turns us all into MasterChefs and prepare meals that’d make Gordon Ramsay cry out of happiness [or insanity ~ donut]! But let’s be real, once that Christmas tree is packed up, all that is left in the piles of Christmas leftovers, and the questions of “should one start a food bank?” or “should one just get a larger house?”
So, you rush to your computer and type ‘what to do with leftover lechon’ and find ways to recook them. So, here is how to help your refrigerator go from a post-Christmas mess to a gourmet dream.
Christmas leftovers and what to do with them
Sure, we still have some little hamon left, but we can turn them into sandwich bits or biscuit bits right? Oh, what are we to do with all these leftovers that are characteristic of the Christmas period?
Chicken
Lechon manok is often the rave for Christmas Eve. As much as you may enjoy eating your chicken in its simplest form, reheated to the bone, the time is right for some excitement.
Chicken sandwiches
Indeed, it is pretty simple, but there are some excellent reasons why certain things just do not go out of fashion. Slice your chicken into bits, put a good layer of mayo and other vegetable stuffing, and another slice of fresh bread. Voilà!
Chicken pie
Take the cooked chicken, chopped vegetables, and the remaining gravy or sauce. Mix this together, and pour this in the pie pastry, and cook it until crispy. We sometimes use just your normal white and wheat bread, flatten them, and put the mixture there, before frying.
Chicken curry
Need a spice in your life? Turn chicken into a curry that’ll leave you licking your fingers. Tossing together your leftover chicken, coconut milk, curry powder, and any other vegetables from the fridge does the trick.
Ham
That juicy, tasty piece that invariably hangs around in our refrigerators for much longer than is desirable. Because it’s Christmas!
Ham and Cheese breakfast muffins
Chop up some ham, add cheese and eggs, pour into a muffin tin, then bake. You have yourself a breakfast that one looks forward to in the morning.
Ham fried rice
Morisqueta tostada! My mom makes this all the time. Cook leftover ham with leftover rice, a little soy sauce, vegetables like peas and carrots, and then scrambled eggs. Quick fried rice, quick joy.
Creamy ham and potato soup
Here’s how to use up the rest of the ham and whip out a bowl of creamy soup. Add potatoes, onions, and a dash of cream, and you are ready to go.
Lechon Love
For us Pinoys, Christmas means lechon. But what do you do when your post-holiday fridge is practically an ode to this glorious beast and its meat?
Lechon Paksiw
Cook the remaining lechon in vinegar, Mang Tomas, and spices. You have just prepared a meal that will make you pray for the Christmas season to last during the New Year.
Lechon with mongo
Probably close enough to KBL with a huge twist. I don’t know what you call it, but we do this at home. We cook the leftover lechon and add some mongo beans, kamote leaves, and batuan. It’s a different KBL, because its taste and texture are different. Anyone know the name?
Pinoys can always come up with scrumptious ideas to recook Christmas leftovers. You can even see those little memes and funny posts on social media on what to do with their spaghetti leftovers, lechon kawali and more. In short, Pinoy Christmas leftovers can be used in ways that are not necessarily Christmas specialties ~ making sure that no Christmas leftovers are wasted.
I am wary of leftovers being given away as some sort of “donation” or feeding to the poor, especially those tomato-based and cream-based dishes. We’ve been taught not to for medical reasons. Any thoughts? Let me know.
