5 Holiday Leftover Air Fry Recipes

A few months ago we decided to get an air fryer.  There was so much buzz about the Air Fryer over the last few years, that we decided to give it a try.  While I really did not want or NEED another appliance in the house, I was very glad we got it.  We always struggled with remembering to take something out to the freezer during our busy mornings to have defrosted in time for dinner.  With the air fryer we can cook straight from frozen in a reasonable amount if time – literally eliminating our “oh lets just order a pizza then” or struggle with last minute dinner ideas.

Having just had that big turkey or ham dinner means many of you will have left overs to deal with.  While the usual go-to plans for holiday leftovers are perfectly fine. I get bored of having the same meals the days following the holidays.

Here are five easy and delicious ideas on how to transform your holiday left overs into something the whole family will enjoy.

1.  Air Fryer Turkey Goujons

Photo Credit: Recipe This

Source: Spark Recipes

Serving Size: Makes 24 goujons (depending on how thinly you cut the strips)

Ingredients:

• Turkey breasts, skinless, 600 grams
• Bread crumbs, dry, grated, plain, 2 cups
• Paprika or coriander – Optional (to taste)
• Garlic, 3 tsp (1 tbsp)
• Parmesan Cheese, grated, 1/2 cup
• Mixed Herbs, 1 tbsp
• Onion Salt, 1/2 tsp
• Pepper, black, 1 tsp
• Egg, fresh, 1 large
• Olive Oil, 1 tbsp
• Lime Juice, from 1 lime

Directions:

1. Cut the turkey breasts into strips and put aside
2. In a medium sized bowl: mix together bread crumbs, garlic, cheese, onion salt and pepper.
3. In another medium sized bowl: beat the egg with olive oil and lime juice.
4. Place all the turkey strips into the egg mixture and turn until all strips are fully coated.
5. Using tongs, take 3-4 strips from the egg mixture and place in the bread crumbs. Turn each strip and press in the bread crumbs until coated evenly on all sides, then place on a large baking pan.
6. Repeat until all strips are coated and placed in the pan. Spread any leftover breadcrumbs evenly over the strips.
7. Place baking pan in center of a hot oven and bake the chicken strips for 10 minutes. Turn all the strips and put pan back into for an additional 5-10 minutes, until golden brown on all sides and cooked completely in the middle.

2. Mashed Garlic Parmesan Potato Pancakes

Photo Credit: The Daily Yum

Source: Daily Yum

Ingredients

• 2 cups mashed potatoes. Not too liquidy or too runny.
• 1 egg
• 3 garlic cloves, finely minced. Can sub for garlic powder.
• 3 Tablespoons All-purpose flour. Can sub for flour of choice.
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese. Can sub with cheddar cheese or cheese of choice +1/2 cup parmesan for coating
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning. Can sub for seasoning of choice.
• 1/2 cup breadcrumbs or Panko.
• Salt and pepper to taste.
  For garnish:
• Fresh chopped parsley for garnish. Can sub with green onions or fresh dill, finely chopped.
• A dollop of sour cream on top of each potato cake.
• Bacon crumbles.

Directions:
1. In a large bowl, add the mashed potatoes, egg, minced garlic, 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese, seasoning, salt & pepper, and 3 tablespoons of all-purpose flour. Mix until all ingredients are well combined.
2. Place 1/2 cup parmesan cheese and 1/2 cup breadcrumbs in a shallow dish and mix together.
3. Divide the potato mixture into 8 equal parts and using your hand form 8 patties. approximately 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick. Roll the patties in the parmesan/breadcrumbs mixture to coat.
4. Spray Air fryer basket tray with spray oil or lightly brush with oil.
5. Preheat air fryer to 375F/190C for 3 minutes.
6. Carefully place mashed potato patties into air fryer basket/tray. Do not overcrowd, give them some space.
7. Air fry mode 375F/190C 8 minutes, flipping halfway. Once flipped on the other side, be sure to spray again. In other words, cook 4 minutes per side or until the breading crisps up and reach golden color with brownish spots.
8. Let them cool for a few minutes. Garnish with chopped parsley, sour cream on top, bacon crumbles, and scallions, if desired.

3.  Ham and Three Cheese Twice Baked Potatoes

Photo Credit: The Creative Bite

Source: The Creative Bite

Prep time 15 min, Cook time 15 min  Makes 8

Ingredients

4. Everything but the Kitchen Sink: Turkey Muffins

Photo Credit: Recipe This

Source: Recipe This

• 100 g Plain Flour
• 50 g Brown Turkey Meat
• Handful Spinach
• ½ Red Onion
• 50 g Sweet Potato
• 100 g Cheddar Cheese grated
• 1 Tbsp Soft Cheese
• 1 Large Egg
• 1 Tsp Garlic Puree
• 1 Tsp Mustard
• 1 Tsp Parsley
• 1 Tsp Oregano
• Salt & Pepper

Directions

1. Start by placing your leftover vegetables in a bowl. We used the vegetables mentioned above but it can be any mix of what you have leftover and squeeze out ay moisture so that its not wet.
2. Mash up your vegetables with your hands so that you have a few small lumps but so that it would bind into meatballs if you wanted it to.
3. Add all your ingredients apart from the flour and mix well. It will be really wet now thanks to the egg.
4. Now use the flour a bit at a time to combine the mixture until it is like average meatballs.
5. Flour your hands (so that the balls don’t stick to you) and portion up your mixture into 8 medium sized balls.
6. Place them onto a baking mat in your Air Fryer. Cook for 15 minutes at 180c. Turn them over and then cook for a further 5 minutes at 160c.
7. Serve.

5. Turkey Croquettes

Photo Credit: Fork to Spoon

Source: Fork to Spoon

Prep time 10 min, cook time 12-17 min. Makes 6

• • 2 cups leftover turkey
  • 2 cups leftover stuffing
  • ½ cup leftover mashed potatoes
  • ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 shallot, minced
  • 1 tbsp fresh chopped sage
  • 1 tsp fresh chopped rosemary
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 cups panko bread crumbs
  • 1 cup fried onion straws

  Cranberry Dip:

  • ½ cup cranberry sauce
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 1 tbsp horseradish
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • 1 jalapeno, seeded and diced

  Instructions

  1. Preheat the air fryer to 360 degrees F, air fryer setting, or 5 minutes
  2. Add leftover turkey to a food processor and pulse for 10 seconds to finely chop the turkey. Then, remove the turkey from the food processor and rinse clean. Add fried onion straws and pulse for 15 seconds. Set aside.
  3. In a large mixing bowl, combine turkey, stuffing, potatoes, parmesan, minced garlic, minced shallot, sage, and rosemary—shape mixture into patties.
  4. Prepare a dredging station. In one bowl, whisk the eggs with ½ cup water. In another bowl, combine panko and ground-fried onion straws.
  5. Dip patties into the eggs, then into the bread crumbs. Press the crumbs into the patty to help them adhere.
  6. Place croquettes into the air fryer basket in a single layer. Lightly spritz with cooking spray. Bake for 6 minutes, then flip and lightly spray again. Bake for an additional 6 minutes.
  7. While the croquettes are baking, prepare cranberry dip. In a food processor or blender, combine cranberry sauce, sour cream, horseradish, pepper, and jalapeno—puree for 15 seconds.
  8. Serve croquettes with cranberry dip.
  9. Plate, serve, and enjoy!

This one is not an air fryer recipe, but it looked too interesting not to post.

6.  Stuffing Waffles

Photo Credit: Just a Taste