Leftover, but never forgotten: we all fall prey to making copious amounts of food and not knowing what to do with the leftovers. But in all honesty, tossing all that good food out is such a waste! That’s why we’re going to show you 3 delicious ways to use up your leftover pasta, potatoes, and rice, and turn them into new and delicious dishes. Find out how to make spaghetti muffins, cheesy mashed potato pancakes, and fried rice balls now!
1. Spaghetti Muffins
You’ll Need:
- 8 oz bacon
- ½ cup shredded parmesan
- 5 eggs
- 14 oz crème fraîche
- ½ cup chopped scallions
- 8 oz cooked spaghetti noodles
- olive oil
- salt & pepper to taste
Here’s How:
1.1 Preheat the oven to 350°F and cook the spaghetti according to the instructions on the package. For the carbonara sauce, add the crème fraîche, parmesan, bacon, eggs, and chopped scallions to a bowl and mix well.
1.2 Grease a muffin pan with olive oil. Use a spoon and fork to twist a small portion of the leftover spaghetti and fill the individual molds with the “noodle nests.”
1.3 Pour 1-2 teaspoons of the carbonara sauce over the noodles in each mold, season with salt and pepper, and bake for 30 minutes.
2. Cheesy Mashed Potato Pancakes
You’ll Need:
- 1½ lbs boiled potatoes
- ¾ cup hot milk
- ½ stick butter
- 1 cup shredded cheddar
- 2 tbsp scallions
- 1 egg
- 3 tbsp flour
- salt & pepper to taste
- sour cream & scallions to garnish
Here’s How:
2.1 Heat your leftover mashed up potatoes in the microwave and add the hot milk and butter. Now mash everything again.
2.2 Add the scallions, flour, cheddar cheese, and egg, season with salt and pepper, and mix with a fork until well incorporated.
2.3 Rub a little bit of oil in the palms of your hands and form small pancakes out of the cheesy mashed potato mixture. Fry the pancakes on both sides until golden brown and serve with sour cream and scallions.
3. Fried Rice Balls
You’ll Need:
- 2 cups cooked rice
- 1 egg
- ¾ cup shredded mozzarella
- 3 tbsp chopped parsley
- ¾ cup bread crumbs for the mix
- bread crumbs for the coating
- mozzarella pearls
Here’s How:
3.1 Mix the rice with the egg, ¾ cup bread crumbs, chopped parsley, and shredded mozzarella and form small balls. Put one mozzarella pearl in the center of each ball and shape the rice around it.
3.2 Coat the rice balls in bread crumbs and fry them in hot oil at about 350°F.
See, there really is no reason to get frustrated when it turns out you’ve made too much pasta because you can just turn it into muffins the next day! Reduce food waste and up your satisfaction by making these epic leftover dishes!
Get the recipe for the Cauliflower Muffins featured in the bonus video.