I know I’m not the only one who loves serving up a beautiful charcuterie board for a big party. But after the event is over, what to do with all of that leftover cheese, meat, and crackers? We HATE throwing food away, so we’re on a mission to repurpose anything you might have leftover after preparing meals.
Our Mission: Help give new life to your leftovers!
Our mission is to stop food waste at home! We have tons of ideas for proteins, but what about the elements of a charcuterie board?
Give New Life to Leftovers
If there is one thing we really don’t like, it’s food waste. Repurposing these leftovers in creative ways ensures that nothing will get wasted, which makes us totally happy! So much food is wasted in the US, but we are here to make sure that never happens again by bringing your leftovers back to life! When I make charcuterie, there are TONS of different components, ranging from dried meats to cheeses to dried fruits and nuts. Here’s how I love to take the leftover components from any board to create something completely new and exciting without wasting any food!
Leftover Charcuterie Board Ideas
#1: Use Charcuterie Board Leftovers to Make Pizza
One thing I’ve learned about pizza is that it’s a great way to use up leftovers. From using up those pesky leftover greens to helping finish up those cheese and meat odds and ends from charcuterie boards, it saves the day. I love laying out all of the meats and cheese that didn’t get eaten during the party for my family for a make your own pizza bar.
- How to Make Pizza Dough from Scratch
- Making Pizza Sauce from Scratch
- How to Make a Gluten-Free Pizza Crust
Make pizza with charcuterie board leftovers!
#2: Use This Frozen Sandwich Hack to Save Charcuterie Leftovers
You can easily save leftovers from your charcuterie board using this frozen sandwich hack. All you need is parchment paper and gallon-sized freezer bags.
Here’s how to freeze a sandwich:
- Lay out parchment paper, then layer on thin slices of charcuterie meat and cheese.
- Spread on any leftover jam or jelly from your board, keeping the sandwich flat and in the shape of a submarine sandwich.
- Slide the sandwich into a freezer bag and repeat with more layers.
90 Seconds from frozen to warm sandwich:
Okay. It’s been a few days and those frozen charcuterie board leftover sandwiches are calling your name! With this easy hack, you can have a nice, warm sandwich in less than two minutes!
All you have to do is pop a frozen layer into the microwave for 90 seconds. Then lay this right on your bread. You can use this hack with any type of meat, including prime rib or ham. How easy was that?!
Use leftovers from your charcuterie board to make this sandwich that you can freeze and enjoy anytime!
#3: Use Charcuterie Board Leftovers to Make Pasta Salad
Want something easy to throw together to feed a crowd? Use leftovers from your charcuterie board to make pasta salad! Pasta salad is totally customizable, so you can add whatever you have leftover. My favorite combination is cubes of leftover cheese, sliced olives, and slivers of sliced charcuterie meats. All you need for the dressing is a little bit of olive oil and red wine vinegar.
Make pasta salad with leftover meats and cheeses from pasta salad!
#4: Use Extra Crackers to Make Ice Cream Cake
Looking for something completely different from a traditional holiday meal? Use crackers as the base of the world’s easiest ice cream cake! Just blitz crackers in a food processor or blender until they’re sandy and add a little bit of melted butter. Bake the crust for just 5 minutes at 375, then cool. Spread ice cream on top (or use leftover cheesecake batter!), then freeze and wow your family with this repurposed dessert. It’s a great way to finish of leftover crackers AND that little bit of ice cream at the bottom of the tub.
Get creative and mix up your flavors, too! I love putting leftover cranberry sauce on top of my cake and adding any extra berries sitting in my fridge. Yum!
#5: Use Extra Crackers as a Crunchy Topping
You can also use leftover crackers that have been crumbled as a topper for all sorts of recipes!
- Macaroni and Cheese
- Casseroles
- Buddha Bowls!
#6: Use Extra Crackers to Bread Chicken
Have extra crackers on hand but don’t want them hanging around? I love using them as breading for chicken or other proteins! Just blitz the crackers in a food processor until they’re broken into a sandy texture, then use in place of panko to add a salty crunch to any one of your favorite chicken recipes!
- General Tso’s Chicken
- Buttermilk Fried Chicken
- Crispy Chicken Parmesan
- Crispy Crusted Chicken
#7: Use Extra Nuts to Make Easy Spiced Granola
I love throwing a fun mix of nuts into this recipe for easy spiced nuts. But when I realized you could keep it sweet, add in leftover dried fruit from a charcuterie board, and make granola, I couldn’t believe how delicious the results were! Just leave out the cayenne pepper and add a pinch of cinnamon instead. You’ll have homemade granola before you know it!
kitchenchimney on 3/29/22 at 5:42 am
Great creativity , I love reading articles and I came across your article. I love the ideas of using the left over to make a special dish,all the ideas are superb and the one most I like is use of extra crackers to make icecream cake as icecreams are every one favourite.Thanks for sharing your ideas,waiting for more receipes.
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Matthew on 12/1/21 at 4:02 am
I just came across this. My personal favorite is getting a loaf of sourdough bread and using the cheese and charcuterie for grilled cheese.
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Arjun on 12/10/20 at 6:43 pm
This article is such a big deal. I have been feeling guilty lately for wasting or throwing away my leftover meals. And I have been thinking of how I could reduce the waste but to no avail. I was just surfing through the web, when I came across this your article and other recipes you created for turkey, stuffing, gravy, and mashed potatoes leftovers. And from this article, I think my favorite idea you suggested, was using the leftovers to create a pizza, because well you guess it right – I love pizzas. I must say your work is brilliant. Thank you very much and have a great Yuletide Season.
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Steamy Kitchen Team on 12/11/20 at 2:18 pm
Thank you Arjun! We appreciate your feedback so much! Hope you are able to enjoy transforming your leftovers this season! – SK Team
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Arjun on 12/14/20 at 5:25 pm
Yes, I have enjoyed transforming my leftovers this season. And I am truly grateful to you for helping me out. I guess the next step for me now is to make it a habit and educate my extended family and friends about what I have learned from you. I think it will be wise, I visit your blog more often to improve my cooking and eating habits so that I will become more healthy. But once again, thank you very much, you guys are the best.
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