Got salsa leftovers from your New Years Party?

What do you do with your leftover salsa?

I found this at Chile Pepper Magazine where they are inundated with salsas. They try them all. This generally results in an abundance of half-used salsa jars in their fridge. With all this excess salsa, they’ve come up with a few creative ways to use it over the years. I thought I'd give you some of their suggestions below (with a few of mine) next time there’s a salsa jar lurking in your fridge or you have some leftover from a party. Do YOU have a creative way to use salsa that we can add to the list?

1. Mix with ketchup; use as a dip for French fries. Mix with mayo and use as a dip for tortilla chips.

2. Combine with softened butter and refrigerate for a salsa compound butter; add thin slices to a grilled steak.

3. Stir into scrambled eggs or add to omelets and frittatas.

4. Spoon into cooked grits; add bacon and cheese.

5. Add to burger meat mixtures or slather on top of burgers (or both!).

6. Add lime juice and canola oil to a thin, puréed salsa and marinate meat.

7. Replace tomato sauce for a chunky tomato salsa on a homemade pizza.

8. Make a béchamel sauce, add salsa and toss with pasta.

9. Stir into cooked rice; add olives and cheddar cheese.

10. Layer onto a grilled cheese sandwich.

11. Use a puréed, chile-intense salsa an enchilada sauce.

12. Add salsa as your secret ingredient to soups, stews or chilis.

13. Take a fruit salsa and use as a chutney substitute with roasted pork loin.

14. Kick up some mac and cheese with a dollop of salsa.

15. Use in place of cocktail sauce for shrimp.

16. Add to deviled eggs for a pop of fire.

17. Combine with cheese for jalapeño popper filling.

18. Top off tacos, burritos, or huevos rancheros.

19. Glaze a sweet, fruit-filled salsa over pound cake or drizzle over ice cream.

20. Add breadcrumbs and feta cheese to salsa; stuff into eggplant, pepper or zucchini halves.

21. Use a chunky salsa as an easy start to bruschetta.

22. Mix with goat cheese and use as a dip for veggies or serve with crackers.

23. For a quick Mediterranean spin, top fish or chicken with an olive-filled salsa and bake.

24. Add cucumbers, jalapeños, tomatoes and vegetable stock to salsa. Purée into gazpacho.

25. Mix equal parts with yogurt or sour cream; slather on a baked potato or combine with mashed potatoes.

26. Add to meatloaf to give it a Mexican flair.

27. Stir into chicken salad, tuna salad or potato salad.

28. Mix with lemon or lime juice and use as a ceviche marinade.

29. Use a thin salsa, like as a base for salad dressing.

30. Mix chunky salsa with ranch dressing to dip your chicken nuggets/strips in.


Don't forget to enter my Cookbook Giveaway, you still have time to enter a comment and get that cookbook Santa didn't bring you!

Enjoy!