Easy Holiday Recipe #1: Christmas Leftovers Breakfast Frittata

The morning after Christmas brings a familiar scene: refrigerators packed with delicious leftovers, countertops scattered with containers of roasted vegetables, and the lingering warmth of yesterday's feast. While many families face the challenge of using up these precious remnants before they spoil, there's an opportunity here that goes far beyond simple meal planning: it's a chance to practice the kind of resourcefulness that can make a real difference in fighting food waste.

At The Hungry People Corporation, we believe that every meal matters, and every ingredient saved is a step toward a world where no one goes hungry. This Christmas Leftovers Breakfast Frittata isn't just about creating a delicious morning meal; it's about transforming abundance into opportunity and showing how creative cooking can be part of the solution to food insecurity.

Why This Recipe Matters

Food waste is a critical issue in our communities. According to recent studies, American households throw away approximately 76 billion pounds of food each year, while one in eight people struggles with hunger. When we find creative ways to use every bit of our holiday meals, we're practicing the kind of mindful consumption that could help feed our neighbors if applied on a larger scale.

This frittata recipe takes those beautiful Christmas leftovers: the roasted turkey, the honey-glazed carrots, the herb-crusted potatoes: and gives them new life in a protein-packed breakfast that can feed a family of four to six people. It's economical, nutritious, and absolutely delicious.

What Makes This Frittata Special

Unlike traditional egg dishes that require precise timing and constant attention, a frittata is forgiving and flexible. The technique originated in Italy as a way to use up leftover vegetables and meats, making it the perfect vehicle for your holiday remnants. The beauty lies in its adaptability: whether you have leftover ham, turkey, roasted Brussels sprouts, sweet potatoes, or green bean casserole, this recipe can accommodate whatever your Christmas table produced.

The combination of stovetop and oven cooking creates a frittata that's creamy in the center and slightly golden on top, with flavors that meld together beautifully. Plus, it can be served hot, at room temperature, or even cold, making it perfect for busy holiday mornings when family members are waking up at different times.

Gathering Your Holiday Leftovers

Before you begin cooking, take inventory of what's available in your refrigerator. The magic of this recipe is its flexibility, so don't worry if you don't have exact amounts or specific ingredients. Here's what works beautifully:

Leftover Proteins: Turkey, ham, prime rib, bacon, sausage, or even that glazed salmon from Christmas Eve dinner. Aim for about 1 to 1½ cups of diced cooked protein.

Leftover Vegetables: Roasted Brussels sprouts, honey-glazed carrots, roasted sweet potatoes, green beans, roasted cauliflower, or any of those beautiful vegetable sides from yesterday's feast. You'll want about 2 cups total of cooked vegetables.

Fresh Additions: While we're focusing on leftovers, a handful of fresh spinach, chopped fresh herbs like parsley or chives, or even some leftover cranberry sauce can add brightness and complexity to the dish.

Cheese: If you have any leftover cheese from your holiday cheese board: Gruyere, aged cheddar, goat cheese, or even cream cheese: these can add richness and depth to the frittata.

The Foundation: Perfect Eggs Every Time

The key to a great frittata starts with the eggs. For this recipe, you'll need 8 to 10 large eggs, which will create a frittata that serves 4 to 6 people generously. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs until they're well combined, then add ⅓ cup of milk, heavy cream, or even Greek yogurt for extra richness and protein.

Season this mixture generously with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Don't be shy with the seasoning: eggs can handle more salt than you might think, and proper seasoning is what transforms good eggs into great eggs.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Preparation Phase: Preheat your oven to 375°F. This higher temperature will help create a nicely set frittata without overcooking the bottom. While the oven heats, dice your leftover proteins into bite-sized pieces and roughly chop any large vegetables into manageable chunks.

Building the Base: Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil or butter in a 10-inch oven-safe skillet over medium heat. If your leftovers include any aromatics like onions or garlic that seem a bit dry, sauté them first for 2-3 minutes to refresh their flavors.

Add your leftover proteins and vegetables to the pan, stirring gently to warm them through and distribute them evenly. This step not only heats the ingredients but also allows their flavors to meld with the cooking fat, creating a more cohesive final dish.

The Pour: Lower the heat to medium-low and pour your seasoned egg mixture over the warmed leftovers. Use a spatula to gently lift the edges of the mixture, allowing the uncooked eggs to flow underneath. This technique helps ensure even cooking and prevents the bottom from setting too quickly.

Stovetop Cooking: Let the frittata cook undisturbed for 3-5 minutes, until you can see the edges beginning to set and pull slightly away from the sides of the pan. The center should still be quite liquid: this is exactly what you want.

Cheese Addition: If you're using cheese, now is the time to sprinkle it evenly over the top of the frittata. The cheese will melt beautifully in the oven and create an appealing golden top.

Oven Finishing: Transfer the entire skillet to your preheated oven. Bake for 10-15 minutes, until the frittata is completely set and no longer jiggles when you gently shake the pan. The top should be lightly golden and perhaps slightly puffed.

Customization Ideas That Celebrate Your Feast

Every Christmas table is different, and this recipe should reflect your family's traditions and preferences. Here are some inspired combinations using common holiday leftovers:

The Traditional: Leftover turkey, roasted sweet potatoes, and Brussels sprouts with Gruyere cheese and fresh thyme.

The Glazed Ham Special: Diced honey-glazed ham, roasted carrots, and a touch of that leftover cranberry sauce for sweetness, finished with aged cheddar.

The Prime Rib Luxury: Small pieces of leftover prime rib, roasted mushrooms, and caramelized onions with goat cheese and fresh rosemary.

The Vegetarian Celebration: All your leftover roasted vegetables: cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, sweet potatoes, and green beans: with feta cheese and fresh herbs.

Serving and Storage

Allow the frittata to cool in the pan for about 5 minutes before slicing. This resting period helps it hold together better when cut and prevents the filling from sliding around. Cut into wedges like a pie and serve directly from the skillet for a rustic presentation that celebrates the comfort-food nature of this dish.

The frittata is delicious hot from the oven, but it's equally wonderful at room temperature or even cold. This versatility makes it perfect for holiday mornings when people are eating at different times, or for a casual brunch where guests can help themselves.

Leftover frittata keeps beautifully in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, wrapped in plastic wrap or stored in an airtight container. Individual slices can be reheated in the microwave for 30-45 seconds, or you can warm larger portions in a 350°F oven for about 10 minutes.

Making a Difference, One Meal at a Time

This Christmas Leftovers Breakfast Frittata represents more than just a convenient way to use up holiday food: it's a small but meaningful step toward the kind of resourceful thinking that can help address food insecurity in our communities. When we learn to see potential in leftovers, when we develop skills to transform abundance into new meals, we're practicing the same creativity and resourcefulness that drives effective hunger relief efforts.

At The Hungry People Corporation, we know that fighting hunger isn't just about food distribution: it's about changing how we think about food itself. Every time we choose to transform instead of discard, to create instead of waste, we're contributing to a culture that values every ingredient and every meal.

This holiday season, as you enjoy this frittata with your family, consider how the skills and mindset that created this meal might be shared with others. Whether through volunteering at local food banks, supporting community cooking programs, or simply sharing recipes and techniques with neighbors, we can all play a part in ensuring that the abundance of the season reaches everyone in our community.

The beauty of this frittata lies not just in its delicious combination of flavors, but in its representation of possibility: the possibility that leftovers can become something even better than the original meal, that creativity can triumph over waste, and that each small action in our kitchens can be part of building a world where no one goes hungry.

Start your post-Christmas morning with this hearty, satisfying breakfast, and carry forward the spirit of abundance and sharing that makes the holiday season so special. Because when we gather around tables filled with good food and shared stories, we're reminded of what's truly possible when communities come together around the simple, powerful act of feeding one another.