Vino y Sabor: The Perfect Wine Pairings for Christmas Feasts

Transforming Christmas Leftovers: Flavors to Savor

What to Do with Christmas and Christmas Eve Leftovers

The Christmas festivities in Puerto Rico are filled with delicious dishes enjoyed over several days. Here are practical and tasty ideas to transform leftovers into creative dishes, keeping that Puerto Rican flair alive.

1. Roast Pork: The King of Leftovers 🐖

Delicious options:

Mamposteado Rice with Pork: Sauté onions, garlic, peppers, sweet peppers, recao, and butter. Add rice with pigeon peas and shredded pork. Mix well and let the flavors meld. A comforting and traditional dish.
Pork Turnovers: Fill pastry shells with shredded pork. Seal well and fry until golden. Perfect as an appetizer or main dish.
Escabeche Pork: Transform pork into a cold escabeche with vinegar, onions, garlic, and spices. Perfect as a side with fried plantains or crackers.

2. Rice with Pigeon Peas: A Must-Have at the Table 🍚

Creative ideas:

Boricua Arancini: Form balls with the rice, and fill them with cheese or bits of pork. Dip in egg and breadcrumbs, and fry until golden. Serve with mayo-ketchup or a cilantro aioli (a mix of mayonnaise, fresh garlic, lemon juice, chopped cilantro, and a pinch of salt).
Fried Rice Cakes: Shape leftover crispy rice (pegao) into patties and fry them in a pan with a little oil. Serve with mayo-ketchup or cilantro aioli for a special touch.

3. Macaroni and Potato Salads: Mayonnaise Matters 🥗

Before adding mayonnaise, turn leftovers into:

Salad Croquettes: Use the macaroni or potato base, mix with grated cheese, shape into balls, dip in egg and breadcrumbs, and fry. They turn out crispy and delicious.
Baked Casserole: Mix macaroni or potatoes with cream cheese, a touch of evaporated milk, and crispy bacon. Top with grated cheese and bake until bubbly and golden.

4. Pasteles: More Than a Tradition 🌽

Delicious options:

Fried Pasteles: Cut pasteles into strips and fry them for crispy chips. They’re ideal with ketchup or criolla sauce.
Pastel Soup: Shred a pastel into chicken or vegetable broth. Add sofrito, seasoning, and fresh herbs for a comforting and flavorful soup.

5. Blood Sausage (Morcilla): Reinventing the Flavor 🌭

Enhanced dishes:

Blood Sausage Croquettes: Remove the filling from the sausage and mix it with mashed potatoes and grated cheese. Shape into croquettes and fry until golden.
Potato Balls with Blood Sausage: Use the sausage as a filling for potato balls. Fry or bake them for a Puerto Rican twist.

6. Holiday Desserts: Sweet Innovations 🍮🍚

Ideas to repurpose them:

Tembleque Bread Pudding: Use leftover tembleque as a base for bread pudding. Add torn bread, egg, condensed milk, and a bit of cinnamon. Bake until set.
Rice Pudding Truffles: Make balls with rice pudding, roll them in shredded coconut or melted chocolate, and refrigerate. A creative and easy-to-make dessert.

Final Tips for Making the Most of Christmas Leftovers

Freeze Ahead of Time: If you know you won’t consume everything soon, freeze leftovers and label them to avoid waste.
Add Fresh Ingredients: A little recao, fresh herbs, or sauces can give any dish a new flavor.
Think of New Shapes: Turn Christmas leftovers into bite-sized treats like turnovers, croquettes, or stuffed dishes.