With just 3 weeks left until Pesach, I’m sure you’re all scrambling to use up your chometz. While the boxes of pasta, bags of rice, and cans of beans get stored on the top of the pantry, all that extra bread in the back of the freezer has got to go. And what about all those bags of chips from shalach manos? And the gazillion types of crackers you have leftover in the closet? Well instead of throwing them all to the birds, I’ve compiled a list of some ideas to help you turn your leftovers into delicious pre-Pesach meals.
If you’ve got more ideas for using up chometz before Pesach, please share them with me in the comments below!
Leftover wraps (tortillas):
– quesadillas
– breakfast burritos
– tortilla chips
– thin crust pizza
– tacos (soft-shell or toasted)
– cigars (spread with cream cheese and jelly or mayo and turkey and roll up like a cigar)
– taquitos (like cigars but baked or fried and filled with meat)
– chicken avocado wraps
Leftover challah or bread:
– french toast
– bread pudding
– challa kugel
– croutons
– stuffing
– grilled cheese
– meatball filling
– garlic bread
– panzanella salad
– toasted bread sticks to dip into soup
– bread cups for quiches (roll our flat with a rolling pin and place in muffin tins and fill)
Leftover cereal:
– marshmallow cereal bar treats
– breading for french toast
– mix into cookie batter
– coat fish or chicken
Leftover chips or pretzels:
– coat fish or chicken
– add to chocolate chip cookie dough
– crush and sprinkle on mac ‘n cheese
– add chips to cold cut sandwiches
– sprinkle over stuffed mushrooms
Leftover crackers:
– use in stuffing in place of bread
– add to salads in place of croutons
– use in meatballs in place of breadcrumbs
– use as coating for fish patties
– crumble on mac ‘n cheese or any casserole
Leftover puff pastry:
– pinwheels
– cheese straws
– franks in blanks
– pot pie
– pizza
– deli roll
– asparagus and cheese tart
– knishes
– turnovers
– rugelach
– croissants
– napoleon
– palmiers
– cinnamon or chocolate twists
– strudel
– apple galette
Bubby’s Challah Kugel
Growing up, we would relish a piece of Bubby’s challah kugel on erev Shabbos. This recipe is made using leftover challah, but is completely different than bread pudding. Here, the challah is soaked and then squeezed to remove the water. The result is a sweet doughy kugel that kids really enjoy!
1 large leftover challah
2 eggs
1/4 cup oil
1/3 cup applesauce
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1 tbsp vanilla sugar (optional)
1/3 cup golden raisins (optional)
cinnamon-sugar
Method:
Peel or thinly slice the crust off the challah and tear into pieces. Add to a large bowl, cover with water, and soak for several minutes. Remove the challah from the water and squeeze it out thoroughly. Mash the dough and add remaining ingredients. Pour into a greased dish and sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar. Bake at 350 degrees until browned around the edges.
1 year ago: leftover cereal bar treats
hi, can i get the recipe 4 the cookie in a jar on instagram? thanks
Sure, I emailed you.
Hi,
I am trying this recipe for the first time. Looks like a great way to use up all that leftover challah!!
House smells good already!
ty
Thanks Sari, I hope you enjoyed. I made a double recipe for Yom Tov and frozen half. My kids love it!
Bread can be used as a pizza base. If you have a griller or broiler, you can make it as pizza toast:
Toast one side of bread, turn over and spread liberally with tomato paste/pasta sauce/pizza sauce, (optional to add chopped olives, capsicum or onion and toast for a minute), then sprinkle on cheese and toast till melted/bubbly.
Another possibility is bread lasagna. Start with day-old or lightly toasted bread. Mix pasta sauce with grated veg, left-over cooked veg or defrosted frozen spinach. Layer tomato mixture with bread in oven tray, eg tomato, bread, tomato, bread, and top with grated cheese plus a spritz of milk (soy or other parve milks work too). Bake, covered, at 400F/200C till top is bubbly and golden. (Of course, you can make a bechamel or cheese sauce if you prefer a slightly more authentic lasagna. Microwave instructions are melt 1 tbsp margarine, stir in 1 tbsp plain flour to make a soft dough. Take a cup of milk/soy milk/other milks and add it a few drops at a time, stirring till smooth each time. When the dough is as liquid as a batter, you can add the rest all at once and stir again. Microwave on high for 4 mins, stir, add grated cheese, pour over lasagna.Then bake.)
Thanks for the great ideas judith!
Would homemade spelt challah work fine in this recipe?
I don’t see why not!
Hi . This recipe looks great! I’m thinking of serving it for Shabbos lunch. Does it taste ok cold?
Yes, it tastes great cold!
I am thrilled to try this recipe!
What size dish or container should I use?
I would use an an 8×8 pan.
Can I make these in individual muffin tins?
Sure, why not?
How long at 350 approximately?
About 40 minutes or so.
Everyone wrote about looking forward to trying this recipe, but no one said how it came out.
Often people forget to come back and report on the results!
This was absolutely delicious! I had a little more than one challah, used the round, deep pan and let it bake for an extra 5 minutes. What I love about the recipe is that the sugar is minimal (I even cheated and used a drop less than the recipe called for and substituted vanilla extract for the vanilla sugar.) The sweetness was not compromised. Next time, I will try using my own homemade compote which usually has pears and apples with cinnamon, no sugar. Thank you Chanie, definitely a keeper and so glad I found your website!!!!! Quick question, have you ever frozen this and if yes how would you rewarm? Place frozen into a preheated oven?
I’m so glad you enjoyed! You can just defrost and then warm it up in the oven or even eat cold.
I don’t have applesauce in the house and don’t want to buy it now before Pesach. What can I substitute?
Our Bobbe’s classic recipe calls for sliced (peeled) apples stuck in random places in the challah mixter in the pan, alonside any flavored fruit preserves. Her favorite was apricot or peach, we tried to put atablesppon of each plus a berry jam for a bit of tartness.
Gut Shabbos & MOSHIACH NOW