Six ways to use up surplus chocolate, meat and vegetables from Easter according to top chefs

In many homes, Easter Sunday means putting a lot of food on the table, which can often lead to refrigerators full of leftovers on Easter Monday.

While some will enjoy eating the same meal two days in a row, others will want to experiment with using leftovers in different ways.

Top chefs have revealed their recipes for creating unique meals from surplus Easter ingredients such as roast potatoes, chocolate and meat.

Whether you’re looking for new lunch ideas or want a simple, convenient dinner to feed your family, these creations may inspire you to try something new…

Leftover Potatoes: Harra Batata

Matt Webster, director of herb and spice company Seasoned Pioneers, suggests this quirky recipe if you’re feeling inspired by the flavors of the Mediterranean.

Transform leftover potatoes into a delicious spicy Lebanese dish, Batata Harra, by tossing them in the pan with a few additional ingredients.

This delicious little side dish pairs well with all types of Middle Eastern cuisine, but is also perfect as a treat on its own.

This vegetable dish originally from Lebanon consists of potatoes, red peppers, cilantro, chili, and garlic, all fried together in olive oil.

It can be served alone or in pita.

All you need to do is sauté some garlic, paprika and harissa spice mixture. Stir for a minute, then add the leftover roast potatoes and toss until evenly coated.

Add fresh coriander leaves, salt and pepper and mix.

Before serving, add a pinch of ground sumac berries and lemon juice.

What you will have left will combine very well with other Mediterranean snacks such as hummus, tabbouleh salad or even falafel.

Leftover Chocolate: Homemade Easter Ice Cream

A woman’s hand holding a sweet waffle ice cream cone decorated with mini Easter chocolate eggs on a light pastel background (stock image)

Candice Bannister, owner of Manchester-based bakery Candy’s Cupcakes, has an eye for sweets.

When the sun rises, many will be enjoying their first ice cream of the year.

Candice recommends combining any leftover chocolate you may have from Easter treats (if you still have any lying around) with a tub of vanilla ice cream.

To combine the two, Candice recommends taking the ice cream out of the freezer for a while to soften.

Once it is smooth enough, add the crumbled or crushed Easter chocolate and mix everything well.

Put it back in the freezer and you will have a very special ice cream that could last for months.

Ice cream is believed to last up to four months in the freezer, giving you plenty of time to indulge in the frozen dessert.

Leftover chocolate: morning pastries

An innovative way to use leftover Easter chocolate is to fill some cakes with it and you’ll be left with homemade chocolate croissants!

Candice also recommended making morning cakes.

Breakfast pastries always seem like a delectable treat, and what better time to treat yourself than on a holiday?

The chef shared her recipe for a delicious chocolate cake that can be created with leftover Easter candy.

All you need to do is take some ready-made dough and crush your favorite Easter chocolate, if you’re lucky enough to have leftovers.

This works whether you have creme eggs, mini eggs, Malteser bunnies, or any other chocolate you like.

Add it to the center of the dough, then fold it around the chocolate before cutting it into squares or circles.

Then paint the top of the dough with beaten egg.

Put it in the air fryer for 10 minutes at 160 degrees and you will get the perfect puff pastry that is sticky on the inside.

Leftover Chocolate: Easter Hot Chocolate

Hot chocolate presented in a white mug, with mini Easter eggs and an Easter bunny for a festive touch.

Another sweet suggestion from Candice is hot chocolate. This may be a comforting drink that you associate with winter, but the drink still has a place in spring, according to the star baker.

Another quick recipe if you have leftover Easter hot chocolate on hand and you only need two ingredients.

To make your own homemade hot chocolate, break the chocolate into small pieces and melt it in a saucepan.

Once melted, mix it with warm milk to create a deliciously decadent hot chocolate.

For an extra touch of decadence, add some whipped cream and top with crushed mini eggs.

This is a perfect trick if you find that your kids had a hard time polishing their Easter eggs over the long weekend.

And it’s a great way to recreate this luxurious product at home, as consumers are said to be increasingly looking for high-quality hot chocolates.

Leftover meat: baguettes with sauce

A baguette filled to the brim with leftover meat from an Easter roast, accompanied by sweet potato chips (file image)

Matt also suggested making some of these quick and easy baguettes with leftover roast beef, whatever you chose the day before.

However, he recommended adding another dimension to your baguette: adding a little moisture and salt with sauce.

Adding this element to the dish also makes use of any roast dinner liquor you missed the day before, and the sauce is often wasted.

Matt recommends packing your gravy baguettes with any and all elements of your roast dinner that may be left behind, including meat and potatoes.

Get yourself some “home-baked” baguettes and follow the package directions, he says.

Then proceed to fill them with whatever you have left over.

Once you’ve done this, you can drizzle some sauce and eat, but you may want to have a napkin handy…

Leftover meat: Easter paella

Chicken paella, a traditional Spanish dish made of rice with chicken and vegetables in a pan, on a gray background (file image)

In a slightly different take on using leftover meat, Matt also suggested adding a little saffron and paprika to make a paella.

Having leftover meat can be overwhelming as there are so many recipes you can choose from.

But something like paella is perfect, as you can just throw together whatever’s in your cupboard and call it a day.

To begin, we mix the saffron and wine and let it rest.

Then sauté the onion until soft, add the paella seasoning mix, rice, pepper, beans, saffron and wine and cook over low heat until all the wine is absorbed.

Add the tomatoes and half of the broth and simmer for 10 minutes, being especially careful not to stir.

Place all remaining ingredients, including any leftover meat, over the rice, cover and simmer, adding broth as needed but without stirring, until cooked, about 10 minutes.

Let it sit, covered, for five minutes and then serve.