Leftover ham and spinach potato pancakes

Since we don't waste food in our house I've become the leftovers queen, but the issue with leftovers is creativity. Some foods don't seem great the second time around. However, leftover mashed potatoes make a ton of tasty recipes.

Last night, I whipped up some left over potato pancakes. These are not like the common light and fluffy breakfast pancakes. They are rich, filling and super tasty.

Leftover ham and spinach potato pancake ingredients

• Boneless ham [also leftover from breakfast] diced
• 1 to 2 cups of spinach
• 1 clove garlic chopped
• 1/4 cup red peppers chopped [optional for color]
• leftover mash potatoes
• oil 

Flour coating ingredients

• 1 cup flour
• Salt 
• Pepper
• Anything you'd like to add for taste

Directions

Ugly, but yummy!

Add a teaspoon of oil to the skillet on med-low to medium heat, and sauté spinach, red peppers and garlic in to sauté just until the spinach is slightly wilted. Set the sauteed items aside in a mixing bowl with the ham, which does not need to be heated. 

Add the leftover mashed potatoes to the ingredients. Mix everything and form a round ball. 

Cooking your spinach and ham potato pancakes

Roll the potato ball in the flour coating and flatten it.  Drizzle several tablespoons of oil in the pan and heat the pancakes. It will take several minutes to heat all the way through, and to brown. Once they are brown serve them with one of your favorite dipping sauces. 

The thicker they are the longer it takes to heat through the middle, and they're more difficult to remove from the pan if they are close together. Also, opt for a thinner potato pancake. Hence the reason for my ugly potato pancakes. They were too thick and broke apart when I took them out of the pan. 

Another great addition is zucchini and onions to your potato pancakes.

Leftover turkey salad with fruit

Although I'm a big meat eater I don't eat much turkey. By the end of Thanksgiving and Christmas I've had all I can stand, but that still leaves me with leftover turkey. There is so much to do with leftover turkey, but one of my favorites is turkey salad with fruit. Leftover turkey makes great turkey salad, and I  love to make a good batch for sandwiches and wraps.

Cherries, apples and raisins

I add a couple of items to the salad to make it all my own, and I think that's why people love turkey salad from leftovers. It's simple, tasty and livens up turkey meat with your own special spin. 



Leftover turkey salad with fruit recipe

• 10 oz. Turkey
• 10 Cherries pitted and quartered
• 2 oz. raisins
• 2 to 3 oz. chopped apples 
• 1.5 oz. Applewood Smoked Gouda shredded
• 3 T Mayo (large helping)
• 1 oz. fine chopped celery
• 1 oz. sliced almonds
• 1 oz fine chopped onions
• 1/2 T butter
• Salt
• Pepper
• Garlic powder to taste
• Tarragon to taste

Onion, celery and almond preparation

Ingredients in the mixing bowl

Heat a pan on medium and add butter. Add almonds, onion and celery to the pan and saute until brown.  Place in a large mixing bowl to cool.

Turkey and fruit preparation

Chop turkey and apples into small pieces. Pit and quarter the cherries and place the turkey, smoked gouda cheese, apples, cherries and raisins into the mixing bowl with the onions, celery and almonds.

Add mayo, salt, pepper, garlic powder and tarragon and mix. Be careful with the tarragon. Tarragon is very strong and overwhelming if you add too much.

Heart healthy alternatives

Turkey salad on Texas toast with lettuce and tomato 

Exclude butter and use a fat free mayo if you prefer, as well as low calorie, low carbohydrate Santa Fe Tortilla instead of bread.  Use pears, cranberries and grapes if you don't like the above fruits, or  fat free shredded cheese.

Although I saute the onions, almonds and celery it's not necessary. I just prefer the taste better when it's sauteed. I also add the smoked Gouda because it gives the salad such a great smokey flavor and adds to the texture.

This turkey salad recipe only takes 15 to 20 minutes to prepare.

Toaster pancakes: What to do with leftover pancakes

Pancakes are a favorite at my house, and I make them five mornings a week. They don't take long to make, and can be bought in every type from whole wheat to gluten free. I used to make them from scratch, but found that the boxed versions work just as well.

Pancake stack

Since I love to break cooking rules I rarely follow the instructions, and make way to many pancakes. For years, I would reheat the leftover pancakes in the microwave and they were so soggy and gross. Over time, I realized the toaster was perfect and stopped using the microwave.

Toaster pancakes

Pop your leftover pancakes in a toaster and they will reheat evenly, and add a nice crusty/crunchy texture. It's no different than a toaster waffle. Once out of the toaster add these toppings for flavor.

• Syrup & butter
• Preserves
• Quick berry fresh pancake syrup (recipe)

Heart healthy toppings

• Sugar free jelly and Reddi-wip
• Walden Farms sugar free caramel and/or syrup
• Reddi-wip and fresh fruit compote
• Fresh fruit compote
• Almond butter & sugar free jelly
• Reddi-wip, bananas and sugar free syrup

You can see I love Reddi-wip, but this list could go on forever. I prefer the almond butter and preserves, but any of these are great to liven up leftover pancakes. Plus, you're not wasting food.