4 Must-Try Leftover Hacks

Recipes by Maddy Goldberg. You can find her on Instagram.

Cheesy Pizza Strata

Turn leftover pizza into a delicious breakfast strata!

Ingredients

• 3 slices leftover pizza, cut into 2-inch squares
• 6 whole eggs, beaten
• ¼ cup milk
• 1 cup grated cheese (mozzarella, swiss, cheddar work best)
• ¼ cup goat cheese
• 1 tsp butter or oil
• 1 large jalapeno, finely diced
• 1 yellow onion OR 2 shallot, finely diced
• Fine kosher salt
• Chopped basil or chive, for garnish
• Optional: other vegetables to add to the strata! (ex. spinach, tomatoes, peppers, scallion)

Directions

1. Cook the vegetables: In a frying pan, add 1 tsp butter (or oil) and place over medium heat. Add jalapeno and onion. Cook for 5-10 minutes, stirring constantly. Once onions are translucent and very fragrant, you can remove from heat. Add to a large mixing bowl.
2. Prepare the strata: In the large mixing bowl with the cooked vegetables, add eggs, milk, and 1 tsp salt. Stir until combined. Add leftover pizza and half of the grated cheese. Stir to combine.
3. Finish strata: Line a 9-inch pie dish with parchment (OR you can use a springform pan or square casserole dish). Preheat oven to 375 F. Pour strata mixture into the dish. Scatter crumbled goat cheese around the eggs/pizza mix. Top with remaining cheese. Bake in oven for 35-45 minutes, or until egg is solidified. Garnish with sliced basil or chives and thin rounds of jalapeno. Slice like a pie, and serve hot!

Soggy Salad Green Goddess Dressing

Turn leftover soggy salad into salad dressing!

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup basil leaves
• 1/2 cup parsley leaves
• 1/4 cup mint leaves
• 1/2 a jalapeno, remove seeds if you don’t like spice
• 1 clove garlic, peeled
• 1 lime, juiced
• 4 scallions, green part only
• 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
• Leftover salad, around 1 cup
• 3-4 tbsp mayonnaise
• Salt

Directions

1. In a blender, add all green goddess ingredients except mayonnaise and salt. Add leftover salad and blend on high speed until very smooth, at least 1 full minute of blending. Add 1 tbsp water if it will not blend but try to avoid adding much water if possible.
2. Once smooth, transfer to a large bowl. Add mayonnaise and 1/2 tsp of salt. Whisk vigorously until smooth. Taste and season with more salt or lime juice if needed. Keep in fridge until ready to use.

Crispy Cacio e Pepe Rice Cakes

Turn leftover rice into delicious cacio e pepe cakes!

Ingredients

• 1 ½ cups cold rice (sushi rice works best but any rice will work!)
• 1 egg yolk
• 2 tbsp All Purpose flour
• ¼ tsp fine kosher or sea salt
• 1 cup canola or vegetable oil
• ½ cup parmesan, grated
• Freshly cracked pepper

Directions

1. Prepare the rice: Add cold rice to a bowl with egg yolk, flour, and salt. Stir until combined. Like a flat container or small casserole dish (I like to use something fairly small like a square glass dish or container, the smaller the container the thicker the cakes will be). Press rice so it is in one flat layer and transfer to fridge. Cool for at least 1 hour, or overnight.
2. Cook the rice cakes: Remove from fridge and pull out of the dish by pulling the parchment up. Place onto a cutting board. Cut into squares or rectangles, anywhere from 6-12 depending on desired size. Place a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add enough oil so the bottom of the pan is completely coated in oil. After oil is hot, about 4 minutes, add rice cakes in one even layer. Careful not to crowd the pan! Do this in batches if necessary. Cook for 2-3 minutes, or until golden brown. Flip and cook for another 2-3 minutes, or until golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack.
3. To serve: Sprinkle parmesan cheese overtop of rice cakes. Top with lots of freshly cracked pepper.

Brown Sugar Fruit Salad Sorbet

Turn leftover fruit into brown sugar sorbet!

Ingredients

• 4 cups day old fruit platter (assorted sliced fruit)
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 lime, juiced
• Pinch of fine kosher or sea salt

Directions

1. Prepare the fruit: Preheat oven to 425 F. In a bowl, mix sugar and cinnamon. Add cut fruit and toss until coated, make sure any inedible parts (i.e the stems) are completely removed. Transfer fruit onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Spread out so no pieces are touching, use two baking sheets if needed. Bake for 10 minutes.
2. Cool then freeze: After baked, remove fruit and allow to cool for 10 minutes at room temperature. Transfer tray to the freezer and freeze for at least 1 hour, or until frozen through.
3. Blend sorbet: Add frozen fruit cubes to a food processor. Add lime juice and a pinch of salt then blend for about 3-5 minutes, or until completely smooth. Scrape down the sides as needed. Once the blend is smooth, transfer to an airtight container. Keep frozen until ready to eat.