Easter Leftovers You'll Love

Easter leftovers!

Love them? Hate them?

Either way - there are usually leftovers. This week, we explore some ideas of how to use them up!

Bacon Deviled Eggs

Prep Time: 15 min.

Cook Time: 25 min.

Additional Time: 30 min.

Total Time: 1 hr. 10 min.

Servings: 24

12 large eggs

6 slices bacon

1/4 C. ranch dressing

Place eggs into a large saucepan in a single layer and fill with water to cover eggs by 1 inch. Cover the saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Remove from heat and let eggs stand in hot water for 15 minutes. Drain. Cool eggs under cold running water. Peel once cold. Halve eggs lengthwise and scoop yolks into a medium bowl. Mash yolks with a fork until smooth.

Meanwhile, cook bacon in a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat until evenly browned, about 10 minutes. Drain on a paper towel-lined plate; chop once cool.

Add chopped bacon and ranch dressing to mashed yolks; mix until well combined. Spoon into egg white halves. Arrange on a tray and refrigerate before serving, at least 30 minutes.

Easter Egg Rolls

Prep Time: 30 min.

Cook Time: 15 min.

Total Time: 45 min.

Servings: 12

1 T. vegetable oil

1 T. minced or finely grated fresh ginger

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 C. shredded carrot

4 C. thinly sliced green cabbage

1/3 C. thinly sliced green onions

1/2 C. thinly sliced large brown button mushrooms

1/2 tsp. kosher salt

2 tsp. sesame oil

2 T. oyster sauce

2 oz. dry rice vermicelli noodles

1/2 C. frozen green peas, thawed, well drained

6 oz. deli ham, cut into thin strips

1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

14 lg. (6 to 7-inch) square egg roll wrappers

1 lg. egg, beaten with 1 T. water for egg wash

2 C. high smoke point vegetable oil for frying, or as needed

Mustard Sauce:

3/4 C. yellow or Dijon mustard

1/4 C. seasoned rice vinegar

1 T. Sriracha hot sauce, or to taste

Heat 1 T. vegetable oil over medium-high heat, and add garlic and ginger. Stir-fry until fragrant but not browned, about 30 seconds, then add carrot, cabbage, green onions, mushrooms, and salt. Cook, stirring, for a few minutes or until the vegetables just start to soften up and lose their rigidity.

Stir in sesame oil and oyster sauce, and cook for 1 minute more; reduce the heat to medium-low. Add the uncooked vermicelli noodles, and use tongs to cover noodles with hot vegetable mixture. The noodles will quickly loosen up and separate; continue to use tongs to toss and stir everything until uniformly mixed.

Transfer mixture to a bowl, and add peas, ham, cayenne, and black pepper. Mix thoroughly to combine. Taste for seasoning, and add more salt if desired. Let mixture cool, then wrap and transfer into the refrigerator until ready to use.

Place 1 egg roll wrapper on a clean work surface, and position it in a diamond shape. Paint egg wash on all 4 edges. Spoon about 1/3 C. of filling on the bottom third of the wrapper. Make sure it’s centered and evenly distributed. Fold the bottom tip of the wrapper up and over the filling and roll once to cover filling. Fold in sides, making sure to cover filling and align sides nice and straight. Finish rolling egg roll up, ending with the tip and seam at the bottom. Repeat with remaining wrappers and filling.

Heat oil in a deep-fryer or large saucepan to 350°F. Fry egg rolls until browned and crisp, 4 to 5 min. Drain on a paper towel-lined plate and let rest for a minute or two before serving.

Mustard Sauce: Whisk mustard, rice vinegar, and sriracha together in a small bowl. Serve egg rolls with mustard sauce, or other prepared egg roll sauce.

Ham Croquettes

Prep Time: 10 min.

Cook Time: 20 min.

Total Time: 30 min.

Servings: 6

1/2 lb. diced ham

1 large egg

1 T. mayonnaise

1 C. dry bread crumbs, divided

Gather the ingredients. Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Mix ham, egg, mayonnaise, and half of the bread crumbs together in a bowl; shape into 6 balls. Spread remaining bread crumbs onto a plate; roll balls in crumbs to coat; arrange in a baking dish.

Bake croquettes in the preheated oven until golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes.

Ham Salad

Total: 10 min

Active: 10 min

Servings: about 4 cups

1/2 C. mayonnaise, plus more if needed

2 T. whole-grain mustard

1 lb. leftover baked ham, cut into 1-inch chunks

1-1/4 C. drained bread-and-butter pickle chips and 1 T. pickle juice, plus more if needed 

2 inner ribs celery, finely chopped, plus 2 T. coarsely chopped leaves from the inner ribs

1/2 small red onion, finely chopped

Whisk the mayonnaise and mustard together in a large bowl. Pulse the ham and pickles in a food processor until finely chopped but not pureed. Add the ham mixture, pickle juice, celery, onions and celery leaves to the mayonnaise mixture, and stir. Taste; if the salad seems dry (it should be spreadable), add more mayonnaise and/or pickling liquid. Serve as is or on sandwiches.

Ham and Noodles

Prep Time: 10 min.

Cook Time: 30 min.

Total Time: 40 min.

Servings: 4

2 C. cooked egg noodles

1 C. cubed, cooked ham

1/2 C. cubed Cheddar cheese

1 (10.75 oz.) can condensed cream of mushroom soup

1/2 (10.75 oz.) can milk

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Place the noodles, ham, cheese, soup and milk in a 9x9 inch casserole dish and mix well. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes.

Ham and Cheese Chop Chop

Prep Time: 5 min.

Cook Time: 5 min.

Total Time: 10 min.

Servings: 4

6 eggs

1 T. milk

1-1/2 C. cubed smoked ham

3/4 C. shredded Cheddar cheese

Preheat a skillet over medium heat. Combine eggs and milk in a large bowl; beat well.

Add ham to preheated skillet and warm until juicy. Add eggs and stir regularly until they start to set. While eggs are still soft, add cheese. Cook until eggs are firm, and cheese is melted. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve.

Carrot Cake Ice Cream

Prep Time: 20 min.

Cook Time: 6 min.

Freeze Time: 4 hrs.

Total Time: 4 hrs. 26 min.

Servings: 8

2 T. unsalted butter

1-1/4 C. finely shredded carrots

1/3 C. brown sugar

1/4 tsp. kosher salt

1-1/4 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. ground ginger

4 oz. soft cream cheese

1 can (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk

1 tsp. vanilla extract

2-1/4 C. heavy cream

1/3 C. toasted chopped pecans

1/3 C. chopped walnuts

Combine butter, carrots, brown sugar, and salt in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook and stir until carrots are just getting tender, about 5 min. Season with cinnamon and ginger. Cook for 1 more minute. Turn off heat, and let cool.

Meanwhile, whisk together cream cheese, sweetened condensed milk, and vanilla extract in a bowl until smooth. Stir in cooled carrot mixture and transfer to the refrigerator until needed.

Beat cream in a chilled glass or metal bowl with an electric mixer until medium-stiff peaks form. Add cooled carrot-cream cheese mixture and whisk into the whipped cream. Fold in chopped walnuts and pecans with a spatula.

Transfer mixture into a chilled airtight container and place a piece of plastic wrap directly onto the mixture. Cover with a lid and freeze until solid, at least 4 hours, but best overnight.

Jelly Bean Cookies

Prep Time: 10 min.

Cook Time: 10 min.

Total Time: 20 min.

Servings: 36

1/2 C. unsalted butter

1/3 C. white sugar

1/3 C. brown sugar

1 lg. egg

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1-1/4 C. all-purpose flour

1/2 C. rolled oats

1 C. jelly beans, halved

Preheat the oven to 325 °F. Grease 2 cookie sheets.

Beat butter, and white and brown sugar together using an electric mixer until creamy. Beat in egg, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and vanilla extract. Stir in flour and oats until just blended. Fold in jelly beans.

Drop rounded spoonfuls of cookie dough about 2 inches apart onto the prepared cookie sheets.

Bake in the preheated oven until edges are golden, 9 to 10 minutes.

Quote of the Week:

“Goodness is about character - integrity, honesty, kindness, generosity, moral courage, and the like. More than anything else, it is about how we treat other people.” 

~ Dennis Prager