Recipes with Julie Van Rosendaal: Use your leftovers to make delicious dishes

In a year of far fewer holiday rituals, many of us have clung to the culinary traditions we associate with the season — despite not having our usual crowd of family and friends at the table. 

Leftovers are typically on the menu during the week between Christmas and Jan. 1, and considering we can't run to the grocery store with the same ease we could in previous years, it makes even more sense to up-cycle some of that surplus into something special to ring in the new year. 

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Roasted turkey is simple to repurpose in soup and sandwiches, but there are other ingredients that are often overlooked: mashed potatoes, cranberries, eggnog, fruitcakes and breads, and more cream and cheeses than you may be accustomed to having in your fridge.

Here are a few ways to use these ingredients in some fancy-ish dishes for New Year's Eve (and New Year's Day).

Trifle 

Just about any kind of cake, gingerbread, jelly roll or sweet fruited bread can be used in a trifle — you could even experiment with profiteroles or chopped leftover pie.

Roughly tear or chop into a glass serving bowl (or into jars to transport to someone's doorstep) and layer with any kind of jam or fruit compote, custard and whipped cream. Bright, tangy fruit is perfect here — it's a great vehicle for leftover cranberries, which can be simmered with mandarin oranges or berries from the freezer.

Measurements are approximate, so you can use what you have, and make as much as you need.

Ingredients:

• cake, gingerbread, panettone, profiteroles or other sweet baked goods, chopped 
• sherry (optional)
• saucy fruit compote, or jam thinned into a sauce with water or booze
• custard (I use Bird's custard powder)
• sweetened whipped cream

Layer chunks of cake in the bottom of a glass trifle dish or glass jars of any size; if you like, sprinkle the cake with sherry.

Add fruit compote, custard and cream and repeat the layers, ending with whipped cream.

If you like, decorate the top with toasted nuts or sprinkles. 

Mashed Potato & Cheese Waffles

Mashed potatoes are a perfect vehicle for other leftovers — particularly when they've been transformed into crispy, cheesy waffles with golden divots that are perfect for catching egg yolk or gravy.

You can make as many as you like, or use what you have, just by sticking to this rough ratio; the formula is easily doubled or tripled.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup mashed potatoes
• 1 large egg
• 2 tbsp milk or cream (if your mashed potatoes are very soft/runny/liquidy, omit this)
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil or melted butter
• ¼-½ cup grated Parmesan, aged cheddar or Gouda
• ¼ cup all-purpose flour
• 1/8 tsp baking powder
• a shake of garlic powder (optional)
• salt, to taste

In a medium bowl, stir together the mashed potatoes, egg, milk and oil until well blended.

Add the cheese, flour, baking powder, garlic and salt and stir just until combined. You should have a thick batter.

Cook in an oiled, preheated waffle iron until deep golden and crisp.

Makes 1-2 large waffles. 

Classic (or Skillet) Fondue 

If you happen to have Swiss cheeses in your fridge — perhaps some Gruyère, Emmental, Appenzeller, Gouda or fontina — shred it and melt into steaming dry white wine, aiming for a ratio of one pound of cheese tossed with one tablespoon cornstarch for every cup of wine.

And if your cheese ends are more random, most any variety can be tossed into an oven-safe skillet (cast iron is great) and warmed in the oven or run under the broiler.

Drizzle the lot with olive oil, if you like, toss in a sprig of rosemary or thyme if you have some, and serve it straight from the skillet, with crusty bread for dipping. 

Ingredients for fondue:

• 1 lb Swiss cheese, such as Gruyère and Emmental, grated
• 1 tbsp cornstarch
• 1 cup dry white wine (preferably an acidic one, like sauvignon blanc)

To make traditional fondue, toss the grated cheese with the cornstarch in a bowl while you warm the wine in a heavy pot over medium heat.

When the wine is steaming, start adding the cheese in handfuls, stirring until each is almost melted before adding the next. Keep the heat medium-low and stir until melted and smooth.

Serve in a fondue pot or heavy serving dish that has been warmed in the oven (use bamboo skewers for dipping if you don't have a fondue set).

Ingredients for skillet fondue:

• chunks of cheese and cheese ends — anything meltable 
• good olive or cold-pressed canola oil
• garlic (optional)
• chopped fresh herbs, or whole sprigs 
• chili flakes, if you like

To make skillet fondue, toss your chunks, wedges and cheese ends into an oven-safe skillet (a small cast iron one is ideal).

Drizzle with oil, add a peeled clove or two of garlic and some chopped fresh herbs (or whole sprigs) and/or a pinch of chili flakes.

Bake in the oven at about 400 F if you're setting it, or you could slide it in alongside something else until gooey. (Put it under the broiler if you're after some crispy bits, too.) 

Cranberry Baked Brie

Any soft washed rind cheese can be baked until gooey, and is delicious topped with the sweet-tart acidity of cranberry sauce. 

Ingredients:

• a small wheel or wedge of Brie
• cranberry sauce
• honey (optional)
• a sprig of rosemary (optional)
• chopped pecans or hazelnuts (optional)

Preheat your oven to 350 F — or because the temperature doesn't have to be exact, you can slide a Brie into the oven while it's on for something else. (A toaster oven is perfect, too.)

Place the Brie in a baking dish or on a piece of parchment on a baking sheet and, if you like, score the top with the tip of a knife.

Top with cranberry sauce and drizzle with honey, if you like.

Add a sprig of rosemary and a small handful of chopped nuts, too, if you're into it.

Bake for 5-8 minutes, or until the Brie starts to ooze out the sides, or the wheel looks soft.

Serve immediately with crackers or crusty bread. 

• Check out Julie Van Rosendaal's full interview on the Calgary Eyeopener below: