If you planned a backyard BBQ gathering in Gallup, NM, and ended up with many odds and ends uneaten, don’t fret. In fact, there are many things you can make with leftovers from your grilled food and sides. Avoid leftover boredom and reinvent some of the uneaten food. If you grilled too much, get creative with the leftovers with these ideas.
A Good Ol’ Chicken Salad
You don’t know what you’re missing if you’ve never used leftover grilled chicken to make a chicken salad. First, remove the meat from the grilled chicken and shred it. Then, mix it into your favorite chicken salad recipe. Or you can create your own version and dice up some of your leftover hamburger toppings like onion and tomato.
A Summer Pasta Salad
All those veggies you grilled weren’t grilled in vain. Cut the kernels off the corn cobs, chop that lovely roasted eggplant and zucchini, and don’t forget some onion. Next, toss with fresh pasta, cucumber, tomatoes, and a dressing you like for an elegant treat.
Nachos But Better
If you don’t want to mix up a chicken salad, put that shredded chicken to work as a nacho topping. You might also have some leftover cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese that would work well. Next, chop some leftover tomatoes, onions, and corn and add them to the nachos. For a twist, use grilled tomato and onion for an extra flavor layer. Finally, if you had avocado out for your burgers, mash or chop it to add a finishing touch.
Make Grits Hearty Again
If your Fourth of July featured a tasty brisket and you somehow have leftovers (slight chance, but possible), then chop up that brisket. Then, prepare your grits according to the package. Next, stir in some pimiento cheese and the chopped brisket. After that, quickly eat a bowl before you tell anyone it’s ready. Otherwise, you might not get any when the rest of the house gets a taste. If you’ve ever struggled to get someone to like grits, this reinvention will win them over.
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Stir Fry Sounds Good
A stir fry is a genius way to use up leftover veggies and grilled meat to create new flavors. First, you’ll need to start chopping everything you want to include. Next, toss it together with some cooked rice, soy sauce, and maybe even a bit of sesame oil. The best part about fried rice is that whatever protein you have left works great. From chopped steak to chicken, you’ll get requests to make this even when you haven’t grilled. Stuck with only leftover hot dogs? Echo spam musubi flavors by working chopped hot dogs into your dish.