Everyone enjoys grilling in the summer. Who doesn’t love the taste of hot grilled corn, smoky ribs or charred chicken breasts? But if you’re anything like my family, we tend to overdo it on the portions. So many times we’re left with a half portion of asparagus; too small to really serve on its own; or 10 or 15 pork ribs just because a few people decided not to drop by at the last minute. Grilled corn is also a frequent grill-time left-over item – eyes bigger than stomach equals too many ears.
So…what do you do with grilled leftovers? There are so many ways to use them – you just need a little creativity and family and friends with an open mind. You don’t have to resort to merely sticking leftovers between two slices of bread and making a sandwich.
The easiest way to break this down is by food item. Let’s start with the veggies;
Potatoes and Onions
At one point or another pretty much everyone has grilled potatoes and onions in tin foil. Sound familiar? Take your P&O leftovers and add them to a your favorite quiche recipe. They add a ton of flavor and give you the option to keep it vegetarian if you so wish.
Asparagus Omelets
Asparagus omeletes make for a unique dish in itself, that’s a no-brainer. However, you can fancy it up but taking a store bought baguette, spread with chive cream cheese and top with a bit of asparagus. If you really want to impress – throw a few capers on there as well.
Grilled corn
One of my personal favorites. Cut it off the cob and add it to a Jiffy cornbread mix; it’ll look authentic. Salsa is another way to use grilled corn. Add corn, red onion, grilled pineapple (just got my leftover grilled fruit item in!), chopped jalapenos, lime juice and cilantro and use it to garnish any Mexican or southwestern dish.
Hamburgers
No one in my family really likes to eat leftover hamburgers as is. One of the best ways I’ve found to use them is by incorporating them into an old standby – sloppy Joes. It never fails to please. They also work well in any goulash recipe.
Pork Ribs
My favorite use of leftover grilled pork ribs EVER is to chop them up pretty finely, add some carrots and green onion and put the mixture inside won ton wrappers. Fry them in a pan or a deep fryer, serve them up with a sweet barbecue dipping sauce and you’ll have a delicious Asian appetizer.
Grilled Tuna
Grilled tuna is one of my favorite things. I strive to have leftovers! Toss tuna with a fresh chunked avocado, red onion, dash of wasabi, olive oil and soy sauce. You can eat it all by itself or serve it up inside a pita.
I could go on…but the list could be endless. If you have a ton of grilled leftovers, remember that you can always use them in a salad or a soup. I’ve made some killer grilled soups out of leftover chicken, veggies and potatoes. Just use a little canned broth, cream if you wish, and puree or chop it. Follow these simple ideas and you’ll have your family and friends begging for leftovers.
This article was written by Alyssa Jacobs. Alyssa writes for Acne Centre, a website that gives you the latest on acne treatment.
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