Leftovers? After Easter Recipe Ideas

Looking for ways to use up leftovers from your Easter dinner? We have a few recipes here for you. We also have a recipe to use up any “extra” candy from your baskets. Plus, a few spring salad ideas.

Let us know if there is something you would like us to put in our column, or if you have a recipe to share, please submit to ads@thedrummer.com.


Quinoa, Ham and Pepper Breakfast Salad

 

Level: Easy

Total: 1 hr 25 min

(includes cooling time)

Active: 40 min

Yield: 4 servings

 

1 c. white quinoa, rinsed well

2 T. red wine vinegar

3 T. olive oil

1 T. Dijon mustard

Kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper

1 sm. green bell pepper, cut into 1/2” dice

1 sm. red bell pepper, cut into 1/2” dice

1/2 sm. yellow onion, cut into 1/2” dice

A few dashes hot sauce, plus more for serving

5 oz. baby spinach, about 8 c.

4 oz. thinly sliced deli ham, cut into thin strips

2 oz. aged white cheddar, cut into sm. pcs.

2 scallions, green & white parts thinly sliced

3 lg. eggs, beaten

 

Bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil. Add the quinoa, and cook until tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Strain well, and cool completely. (The quinoa can be cooked a day ahead.)

Put the vinegar, 1 tablespoon of the oil, mustard, 1 tablespoon water, 1/4 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper in a jar or other container with a lid. Secure the lid and shake until combined. (The vinaigrette can be made a day ahead; shake well before serving.)

Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the peppers and onions, and cook, stirring occasionally, until they are just tender and browned in some spots, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the hot sauce and stir. Remove the skillet from the heat, and let the vegetables cool completely. Wipe out the skillet and set aside.

Toss the quinoa, pepper-onion mixture, spinach, ham, cheddar, and scallions with the vinaigrette in a large bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Divide among 4 serving bowls.

Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil in the skillet over medium heat. Pour in the eggs and add a pinch of salt. Tilt the skillet so the eggs completely cover the bottom. As the eggs turn from runny to cooked at the edge of the skillet, push the cooked eggs all around the edge to the middle of the skillet with a heatproof spatula so the uncooked eggs can spill into the free space and cook (this helps the eggs cook faster, and you won’t have to flip the omelet). Once all the eggs are just cooked through, slide the omelet out onto a cutting board. Let it cool for a few minutes, then roll it up into a cylinder and cut it into 1/2-inch slices. Top each salad with a few “pinwheels” of egg. Serve hot sauce on the side.

 


Barley Risotto with Ham and Mushrooms

 

Level: Easy

Total: 40 min

Prep: 20 min

Cook: 20 min

Yield: 4 servings

 

3 T. unsalted butter

2 med. shallots, sliced

1-1/2 c. quick-cooking barley

1 tsp. fennel seeds (opt.)

Kosher salt & freshly ground pepper

10 oz. cremini or white button mushrooms, sliced

1/2 tsp. minced fresh rosemary

1/2 c. dry white wine

2 c. low-sodium chicken broth

1 c. diced ham steak

1/2 c. grated parmesan cheese

1/4 c. chopped fresh parsley 

 

Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, then add the shallots and cook until just soft, about 2 minutes. Add the barley and fennel seeds (if using), 1/4 teaspoon salt, and pepper to taste and cook, stirring, until the barley is lightly toasted, about 4 minutes. Add the mushrooms, rosemary and wine and cook, stirring, until the mushrooms are soft, and the wine is absorbed, about 3 minutes.

Add the chicken broth and bring to a simmer; cover, reduce the heat to medium low and cook until the barley is tender and almost all of the liquid is absorbed, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in the ham, parmesan, and parsley. Season with salt and pepper.

Cook’s Note: Be sure to use quick-cooking barley for this recipe.

 


Provencal Ham & Bean Soup

 

Prep: 15 min. + soaking

Cook: 7 hours

Yield: 10 servings (3-1/2 qts.)

 

2 c. assorted dried beans for soup

1 can (28 oz.) whole plum tomatoes, undrained

2 c. cubed fully cooked ham

1 lg. Yukon Gold potato, peeled & chopped

1 med. onion, chopped

1 c. chopped carrot

1 celery rib, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 tsp. herbes de Provence

1-1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. pepper

1 carton (32 oz.) unsalted chicken stock

French bread

 

Rinse and sort beans; soak according to package directions. Drain and rinse beans, discarding liquid.

Transfer beans to a 6-qt. slow cooker. Add tomatoes; crush with a wooden spoon until chunky. Stir in ham, vegetables, garlic, seasonings and stock. Cook, covered, on low 7-9 hours or until beans are tender. Serve with bread.

 


Scalloped Potatoes and Ham

 

Level: Easy

Total: 1 hr 35 min

Active: 25 min

Yield: 12 servings

 

4 T. (1/2 stick) butter, plus extra for greasing dish

1/2 yellow onion, diced

1/3 c. all-purpose flour

1-1/2 c. half-and-half

1-1/2 c. milk

Freshly ground black pepper

2 lbs. russet potatoes, washed thoroughly

3 c. diced cooked ham

2 c. grated Monterey Jack cheese

Chopped fresh parsley, for sprinkling, opt.  

 

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Add the butter and onions to a large skillet over medium heat and saute until starting to soften, 3 to 4 minutes. Sprinkle the flour over the onions and whisk them together. Continue cooking the onion/flour mixture until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Stir in the half-and-half and milk and whisk around, allowing the mixture to thicken; this will take 3 to 4 minutes. Add some pepper, stir the sauce, reduce the heat, and keep warm.

Slice the potatoes really thin using a mandolin or a really sharp knife, the thinner the better. Generously butter a 2-quart baking dish, then add half the sliced potatoes and half the diced ham. Sprinkle on half the cheese then pour on half the sauce from the skillet. Repeat with the rest of the ingredients, ending with a layer of cheese and sauce. Sprinkle extra pepper on top.

Cover the dish with foil and bake it for 40 minutes, then remove the foil and bake until the cheese is golden brown and the sauce is bubbling, an additional 20 to 30 minutes. Sprinkle with chopped parsley if desired and serve it up.

 


Spring Apple and Fennel Salad with Dijon Vinaigrette

 

Level: Easy

Total: 25 min

Active: 25 min

Yield: 2 to 4 servings

 

Salad:

2 Granny Smith apples, quartered & thinly sliced

2 med. fennel bulbs (about 1 lb.), quartered & thinly sliced, plus 1/2 c. fennel fronds

1 c. fresh dill, picked

8 oz. radishes (watermelon or regular), quartered & sliced

1/2 English cucumber, quartered & sliced

1 head butter lettuce, torn in big pieces

1 (4 oz.) block Pecorino cheese, shaved

 

Apple Cider Vinaigrette:

1/4 c. apple cider vinegar

2 tsp. honey

1 tsp. Dijon mustard

1/2 shallot, finely chopped

Kosher salt & freshly cracked black pepper

1/3 c. olive oil 

 

For the salad: Place the apple, sliced fennel, and fennel fronds in a large bowl. Add the dill, radish and cucumber and toss all together.

On a larger platter, layer the butter lettuce and top with the sliced veggies.

For the apple cider vinaigrette: Add the vinegar, honey, mustard, shallot, a big pinch of salt and a few grinds of pepper in a small bowl and whisk together. While whisking, slowly pour in the olive oil until fully combined. Taste and add more salt and pepper, if needed.

Drizzle the vinaigrette over the salad and top with the Pecorino.

 


Colorful Cornbread Salad

 

Prep Time: 30 min. + chilling

Bake Time: 15 min. + cooling

Yield: 14 servings

 

1 pkg. (8-1/2 oz.) cornbread/muffin mix

1 c. mayonnaise

1/2 c. sour cream

1 envelope ranch salad dressing mix

1 to 2 T. adobo sauce from canned chipotle peppers

4 to 6 c. torn romaine

4 med. tomatoes, chopped

1 med. green pepper, chopped

1 med. onion, chopped

1 lb. bacon strips, cooked & crumbled

4 c. shredded cheddar cheese 

 

Preheat oven to 400°. Prepare cornbread batter according to package directions. Pour into a greased 8-in. square baking pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 15-20 minutes. Cool completely in pan on a wire rack.

Coarsely crumble cornbread into a large bowl. In a small bowl, mix mayonnaise, sour cream, salad dressing mix and adobo sauce.

In a 3-qt. trifle bowl or glass bowl, layer a third of the cornbread and half of each of the following: romaine, tomatoes, pepper, onion, bacon, cheese and mayonnaise mixture. Repeat layers. Top with remaining cornbread and, if desired, additional chopped tomato and bacon. Refrigerate, covered, 2-4 hours before serving.

 


Strawberry Arugula Salad with Feta

 

Prep/Total Time: 15 min.

Yield: 12 servings

 

6 c. fresh arugula or baby spinach

1-1/2 c. sliced fresh strawberries

1/2 c. slivered almonds or pine nuts

1/2 c. crumbled garlic and herb feta cheese

4 green onions, chopped

 

Vinaigrette:

1/3 c. olive oil

1 T. Dijon mustard

1 T. red wine vinegar

2 tsp. lemon juice

1-1/2 tsp. balsamic vinegar

1 tsp. minced fresh rosemary or 1/4 tsp. dried rosemary, crushed

1 tsp. fresh sage or 1/4 tsp. dried sage leaves

1/2 tsp. celery seed

1/8 tsp. pepper

 

In a salad bowl, combine the first 5 ingredients. In a small bowl, whisk the vinaigrette ingredients. Drizzle over salad; toss to coat.

 


Chocolate Caramel Hazelnut Pie

 

Prep Time: 25 min. + chilling

Yield: 8 servings

 

1-1/2 c. salted caramel pretzel pieces

12 Lorna Doon® shortbread cookies

1/4 c. sugar

6 T. butter, melted

5 T. caramel topping, divided

 

Filling:

1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened

1/2 c. Nutella®

1 jar (7 oz.) marshmallow creme

1 carton (8 oz.) frozen whipped topping, thawed

1 c. miniature marshmallows

1 Snickers® candy bar (1.86 oz.), chopped 

 

Place pretzel pieces and cookies in a food processor; pulse until fine crumbs form. Add sugar and melted butter; pulse just until blended. Press onto bottom and sides of a 9-in. pie plate. Drizzle with 3 tablespoons caramel topping. Freeze while preparing filling.

For filling, beat cream cheese and Nutella until smooth. Gradually beat in marshmallow creme. Gently fold in whipped topping and marshmallows. Spoon into crust.

Refrigerate until set, 3-4 hours. Top with chopped candy and remaining caramel topping before serving.

Test Kitchen tips: If you’re short on time, you can quick-chill this pie in the freezer—it will take about 1 hour. The crust is crunchy, sweet, and slightly crumbly.

 


Brownie Mess Slice

 

1 c. (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

5 eggs, lightly beaten, plus 3 egg whites

7 oz. dark chocolate, half chopped, half melted & cooled

1 c. firmly packed brown sugar

1-1/2 c. plain flour

1/2 c. Dutch cocoa powder

1/2 c. raspberry jam, plus extra to serve

1-1/2 cups caster (fine) sugar

8 oz. raspberries

1/4 c. cocoa powder

1 c. Nutella®

 

Preheat oven to 325˚. For brownie, grease a 8x12 pan and line with baking paper. Combine butter, beaten egg, chopped chocolate, melted chocolate, brown sugar, flour, Dutch cocoa, jam, 3/4 cup caster sugar and 1/2 tsp salt in a bowl.

Spread half the batter into prepared pan, then press in 6 oz. raspberries. Top with remaining batter and smooth using a spatula. Bake for 45 minutes or until the top is beginning to crack and a skewer inserted into the center comes out with a few crumbs. Remove and cool.

To make the meringue, place egg whites and remaining 3/4 cup sugar in a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whisk for 10 minutes or until thick and glossy. Add cocoa and whisk on low speed until combined. Spread onto a baking tray lined with baking paper and bake for 30 minutes or until crisp. Set aside to cool, then break into pieces.

Turn out the brownie on to a tray and top with Nutella®, extra jam, meringue, and remaining berries to serve.

 

 


Quote of the Week:

If Easter says anything to us today, it says this: You can put truth in a grave, but it won’t stay there. You can nail it to a cross, wrap it in winding sheets and shut it up in a tomb, but it will rise!”  

~ Clarence W. Hall

 

Publication: 

The Drummer and The Wright County Journal Press

PO Box 159
108 Central Ave.
Buffalo MN 55313

www.thedrummer.com

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