I know I’m not the only one who loves serving up a beautiful charcuterie board for the holidays. But after the party 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 holiday meals.
Our Mission: Help give new life to your holiday leftovers!
Our mission is to stop food waste at home, especially during the holidays, when families gather for that big massive feast! We have tons of ideas for turkey, stuffing, gravy. and mashed potatoes. But what about all of the elements of a charcuterie board?
Give New Life to Holiday Leftovers
Having leftovers from the big holiday dinner, but repurposing the elements of a traditional charcuterie board is another thing. 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!
Here’s What to Do with Leftover Charcuterie Boards!
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.
Make pizza with charcuterie board leftovers!
#2: Use Charcuterie Board Leftovers to Make Ice Cream Cake or as a Crunchy Topping!
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!
You can also use leftover crackers that have been crumbled as a topper for all sorts of recipes!
Top this Greek Mac and Cheese with leftover crackers!
#3: Use Charcuterie Board Leftovers 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! 
These easy spiced nuts are completely irresistible A little sweet, a little spicy, and warm and toasty.
Easy Spiced Nuts
Oven Roasted Spiced Nuts
- 4 cups pecans walnuts and almonds work great
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper optional
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon optional
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg optional
Stovetop Spiced Nuts
- 4 cups pecans walnuts, or almonds
- 6 tablespoons brown sugar packed
- 4 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne optional
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg optional
Oven Roasted Spiced Nuts
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees and line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
In a small bowl combine maple syrup, melted butter, salt, vanilla, and cayenne if using. Whisk to combine well.
Add the nuts to the prepared baking sheet and pour the maple spice mixture over the nuts and stir well until all of the nuts are lightly coated.
Spread the mixture in a single layer across the pan.
Bake for 20-25 minutes, stirring after the first 10 minutes and then every 5 minutes until almost no maple syrup remains on the baking sheet and the buts are a deep golden color.
Remove the pan from the oven and stir the nuts once more, spreading them to an even layer. They will be a bit sticky right out of the oven. Let them for about 8 minutes and separate any large clumps while the nuts are slightly warm if necessary.
Let the nuts cool completely on the pan and store in a sealed bag or jar at room temperature.
Stovetop Spiced Nuts
Line a sheet pan with parchment paper and set aside.
In a large skillet or cast iron pan over medium heat, add nuts and and toast 4-5 minutes, stirring frequently, until they just start to brown and smell toasted.
Add butter and vanilla, and toss the nuts until the butter it melts. Add salt, cinnamon and any other additional spices and stir to coat the nuts. Add the brown sugar and water, constantly stirring until the mixture thickens and coats the nuts entirely, about 2-3 minutes.
Transfer the finished nuts to the baking sheet and separate them with a spatula.
Cool the nuts completely before transferring to an airtight container and store at room temperature.
Serving: 4cupsCalories: 6480kcalCarbohydrates: 210gProtein: 74gFat: 639gSaturated Fat: 92gCholesterol: 181mgSodium: 4686mgPotassium: 3433mgFiber: 77gSugar: 126gVitamin A: 2959IUVitamin C: 9mgCalcium: 671mgIron: 21mg
