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Using Christmas Leftovers and New Year’s Recipes

December 30, 2025 by 26 Comments

Easy recipes to use all of those Christmas leftovers and New Year’s recipes that your party guests will love! Make your holiday leftovers delicious!

Easy recipes to use all of those Christmas leftovers and New Year's recipes that your party guests will love! Make your holiday leftovers delicious!

Using Christmas Leftovers and New Year’s Party Recipes!

Here are some extra recipes to use those Christmas dinner leftovers and other holiday leftovers and also some dips to serve at your New Year’s get together.

Leftover and Holiday Party Tips:

  • This is an unexpected canape and a handy little finger food:
    • Roll about 1 teaspoon full your favorite cream cheese dip into a ball. Press it between two walnut halves. Lay on a platter to serve.
  • Save dry cereal odds and ends to add to your Chex mix when you make it.
  • Wrap celery in aluminum foil when putting it in the fridge. It will keep much longer.

Recipes:

This ham and noodles casserole recipe is quick and easy and kids love it! Just 5 minutes preparation for a tasty meal without a lot of work!

(For Using Leftover Ham)

This cheesy mashed potatoes recipe is a quick and easy recipe that makes mashed potatoes extra special and includes cream cheese and garlic! It takes just a few minutes to throw together and then 3-4 minutes under the broiler!ย 

(For Using Leftover Mashed Potatoes)

 

 

This 3 Ingredient Easy Cheese Ball Recipe makes a tasty cheese dip and is our family's favorite dip for the holidays! This is a Christmas favorite of my son's but it can be served at New Year's or any time you want a quick and easy dip.

Here’s a recipe for you fruit lovers! It’s a great recipe to make to use all of those fruit plate Christmas leftovers!

[dining]

Filed Under: Christmas Recipes And Ideas, Dinner Recipes And Main Dishes, Dips, Holidays, Leftovers, Recipes, Side Dishes

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Pat in Kitchener says

    December 23, 2010 at 3:37 pm

    Just wanted to wish you and your family a wonderful stress free Christmas!
    Thank You for a year of helpful hints, and great simple recipies like these ones for leftovers.
    Looking forward to your newsletters again in the New Year.

    Reply
  2. Elia says

    December 24, 2010 at 10:53 am

    Hi, and Merry Christman to all. I would like to by the book, but I don’t have a credit card (incredible isn’t) could I send a check?
    Thank You Elia

    Reply
  3. grandma says

    December 24, 2010 at 2:20 pm

    here is another easy use for left over mashed potatoes.

    mix with fine bread crumbs
    some green onions
    an egg
    salt and pepper.

    drop by small spoonfuls onto a cookie sheet and bake at 350 or 400
    till golden brown.
    serve on a platter with what ever else you want

    you could also add some parmesean cheese to the mix.

    really good so make lots. good as a warm canape as well.

    Reply
    • Phyllis Howell says

      December 30, 2021 at 8:30 am

      Great idea, sounds yummy, will try this, thank you.

      Reply
    • teresa says

      December 28, 2022 at 10:42 pm

      i grew up in the 50’s and that is how my mother used leftover mashed potatoes. delish!

      Reply
    • Evonne says

      December 30, 2025 at 4:13 pm

      This sounds good! Thanks for sharing!

      Reply
  4. grandma says

    January 2, 2011 at 11:12 am

    I would like to add something to the post above.
    I cooked these up and they were great. Had a few left over so I put them in the fridge. last night we were having our finger food scrappy meal of the week and my husband tossed the leftover ones into the deep fryer. they were really good, hot crispy and not greasy.
    Well had some leftover mashed potatoes did the same mixture but decided to just deep fry them. BAD IDEA we had deep fried mashed potatoes. They disintegrated in the oil. The bits that were left tasted great but I now have the job of straining the oil.
    they deep fry well after they have been baked so bake them then freeze them and deep fry them instead of french fries or to go with eggs for breakfast.

    Reply
    • teresa says

      December 27, 2021 at 7:43 pm

      Hi – my mother would make them like patties and put in a cast iron pan with some oil – delish!

      Reply
    • ransomedheart says

      December 31, 2021 at 4:55 pm

      Put the potato in a tortilla and deep fry that

      Reply
  5. Lavona Moran says

    January 2, 2011 at 2:18 pm

    Hello! I love to drink a home-made eggnog made from milk, sugar, and raw eggs.
    I learned that eggnog can be heated. Can home-made eggnog be microwaved? Thanks!

    Reply
  6. grizzly bear mom says

    December 19, 2011 at 10:39 am

    Yes you can heat home made eggnog. Use a recipe to make custard and add enough ingredients to turn it into eggnog. Otherwise the egg will curdle when you heat it.

    Reply
  7. grizzly bear mom says

    December 19, 2011 at 10:40 am

    Creative leftover use: feed them to your single friends. We LOVE getting these kinds of things because we only ever nuke one burger at a time. We never get leftovers.

    Reply
  8. M. Page says

    December 22, 2011 at 10:34 pm

    Great idea with the celery. Mine never last very long in the fridge. Always throwing half the celery out. I will try your idea.

    Reply
  9. Karen Curtis says

    December 23, 2011 at 6:43 am

    Just want to give you another leftover recipe
    Leftover Turkey Salad
    4 cups cooked turkey, bite sized
    1/2 cup sunflower seeds
    1/2 cup raisins
    2 small, cored, diced apples
    1/2 cup mayo
    1/2 teaspoon sea salt
    1/2 lemon, juiced
    Mix and fride for 2 hours…. I did not have the sunflower seeds, and no sea salt nor lemon. So I used regular salt and lemon juice..added more raisins and one more apple, still tasted great

    Reply
    • Patricia Lee says

      December 28, 2021 at 9:07 pm

      Thanks for this one. I am going to try it with my leftover ham. Do you think it will taste as good? Happy new year!

      Reply
      • Jill says

        December 29, 2021 at 7:38 pm

        Yes Patricia it will. It is usually leftover ham that I use in this recipe because I sometimes have only a cup or two leftover.

        Reply
  10. Maey Ann says

    December 20, 2012 at 10:02 am

    Thanks for all you do for us all year long. Love the tips and recipes.

    Reply
    • Jill says

      December 20, 2012 at 1:43 pm

      Thank you Maey Ann. I do so appreciate all of our readers and their kind words. We seem to have so many sweet and nice readers who are forever encouraging us which we really need and appreciate. Merry Christmas!

      Reply
  11. Donna B. says

    December 20, 2012 at 2:12 pm

    Have a very happy Christmas, Jill. Your house must smell fantastic w/all those little gingerbread men! can’t wait to try all those dip recipes!

    My best to Tawra and her family!

    Reply
    • Jill says

      December 20, 2012 at 3:13 pm

      Thanks Donna and Merry Christmas to you. My house does smell pretty good. I had a lady say again yesterday that I always smelt so good – just like gingerbread men. I think that is a good thing. Anyway a very expensive skin care company is selling a gingerbread man scent. I am lucky I get my scent for free. ๐Ÿ™‚ ๐Ÿ™‚

      Reply
  12. Gail says

    December 24, 2012 at 7:34 pm

    Thanks for the leftover egg nog ideas as I was wondering what I could do with it. Merry Christmas to you and yours!

    Reply
  13. Rachel says

    December 25, 2012 at 2:17 pm

    The egg noodles and ham recipe sounds really good. I’m going to give it a try. So does the egg nog pound cake, but not enough egg nogs fans around here, and I really don’t need to eat a whole cake myself!

    Reply
  14. Susan says

    December 26, 2013 at 1:08 pm

    Wishing everyone a Happy New year and that every ones Christmas was great. I found some good deals at Walgreens today. my friend collects ginger bread men and I was able to get her two that light up for half off,she has been collecting for 40 years and she puts them on display from Nov thru New Years. Its strange how some times when you are not looking for something you will find it!

    Reply
  15. Judy says

    December 26, 2020 at 3:34 pm

    Just made the cinnamon sour cream dip. I substituted plain yogurt, 1/2 packet of Splenda naturals and put in 1/2 chopped, unpeeled apple. What a great snack!

    Reply
  16. Vicki Lunog says

    December 27, 2021 at 7:19 pm

    GLAD TO HEAR YOUR FAMILY WAS TOGETHER, LOVED THE DEER, THEY LOOKED LIKE SANTAS DEER THATS WORK WAS DONE AND THEY CAN REST AGAIN. HAPPY NEW YEAR

    Reply
    • Jill says

      December 28, 2021 at 10:59 am

      That is so true Vicki they did look like that. LOL Happy New Year to you too.

      Reply

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