Top 10 Ideas for Leftover Hush Puppies
I like to call hush puppies “the gift that keeps on giving” since they are a delight in many aspects. First of all, they are fun and easy to make; secondly, they are delicious and very versatile; and finally, not only do the leftovers spring back to life in a second, but you can also repurpose them in another meal. So, what to do with leftover hush puppies?
Sandwiches, wraps, tacos, stuffing, casserole, salad, sauce, chili, meatballs, or cream soup are the tastiest ideas for using leftover hush puppies.
Hush puppies are among my favorite snacks and sides, and I often have a box of leftovers in my fridge. When I feel like having something delicious or have surprise company, these are great for making something tasty, and a delicious meal is ready in a few minutes. In this article, I will share with you a few ideas and recipes about what to do with leftover hash puppies.
What to Do with Leftover Hush Puppies?
This delicious dish is very versatile and offers many serving and pairing possibilities. From light and simple combos to something more complicated, you can make many different meals by adding a few more ingredients. Take a look at the ideas below, and feel free to improvise and make them your own!
Hush Puppy Sandwich
If you want to repurpose your hush puppy leftovers, making a sandwich is one of the easiest ways to make them into something delicious. You can use any sandwich ingredients you have around your kitchen.
I usually cut a hot dog bun and layer it with mayo and mustard. I add lettuce, cheese, and a few hush puppies. You can top the ingredients with tomato sauce or plain ketchup. You can also add some leftover chicken, pork, or beef if you have any, and enjoy your meal.
Hush Puppy Casserole
If you want to try something traditional yet experimental, I recommend you try this yummy casserole. Since casserole is a very welcoming dish when it comes to ingredients, you can use your favorite ones to make it.
I usually use my leftover hush puppies, shredded chicken, and whatever veggies I have (kale works best, by the way); I top them with cooking cream and grated cheese and pop them into the oven.
I usually bake for 20 minutes at 150 °C, i.e., 300 °F, and I’m done. You can either add the hush puppies in pieces or whole. I prefer them whole, but they work great in pieces as well.
Hush Puppy Salad
This salad has as many variations as there are veggies you can add to it. So, you can make a plain green hush puppy salad or do something a bit more complicated and add other veggies and ingredients, both cooked or fresh.
Which salad I make depends on my mood and creativity, so I don’t have a favorite one. You can try our different recipes and combinations until you find your groove.
Hush Puppy Wraps or Tacos
When you want to do something easy, light, yet delicious with your leftover hush puppies, you can always turn them into wraps and make yourself a tasty meal. The best thing about this idea is that you don’t need any special ingredients — you can use those you already have in your fridge.
I usually go with lettuce, mozzarella, thin tomato slices, and a generous dollop of sour cream. You can also add some deli meat, leftover turkey, chicken, or pork, olives, pickles, or a fried egg. It is an excellent breakfast or a quick lunch idea.
Hush Puppy Cream Soup
If you are a fan of cream soups, leftover hush puppies will do a great job enriching your meal. Since they are versatile and fit great with many flavor combinations, I like to add them to many varieties of cream soups.
My favorite cream soup for this purpose is cream of champignon soup, but they fit well in French onion soup, pumpkin soup, tomato cream soup, cauliflower soup, or any vegetable or chicken cream soup.
Hush puppies also work great as crouton substitutes, further thickening and enriching the soup’s texture and consistency.
Hush Puppy Stuffing
If you can’t figure out what to make, turn your leftovers into stuffing. They work as turkey stuffing but also as stuffing for various kinds of veggies. The beauty of this idea is that you can be as lazy as you want and still get a delicious meal.
You can cut the hush puppies into pieces, mash them, or use them whole. I usually use them as an eggplant stuffing, and it works great every time. I scoop the inside of the eggplant until I get a boat-like shape, and I fill it with hush puppies and grated cheese.
You can add some cooking cream or other stuffing ingredients such as ground meat, mushrooms, carrots, peppers, tomatoes, or whatever else you like.
Hush Puppy Chili
I am a huge chili fan, and lately, I’ve been experimenting with various ingredients to make it even more delicious. That’s how I discovered this amazing chili ingredient, although I see how it may sound strange.
Chilli is thick enough, so thickness isn’t the only thing hush puppies give you here. They also enrich the texture with a slight grainy sensation and contribute to the flavor. I usually use spicier hush puppies when I want to add flavor or milder ones when I add too much spice to my chili.
Hush Puppy Meatballs
I used to think that an all-meat meatball was irreplaceable until I tried these. I thought that there wouldn’t be enough meat to make as many meatballs as I had intended, so I added a few torn hush puppies.
To my surprise, they added more mass than I had hoped, and the meatballs tasted even better than I thought they would. The only downside is that these deep-fried balls can absorb the moisture from the meat and result in drier meatballs. Still, that is nothing you can’t fix by adding an egg or a little water to the mixture.
Hush Puppy Sauce
Hush puppy sauce is great for pasta, especially if you’re looking for something in the vegetarian pasta sauce department. They add texture and flavor to the sauce and a few extra carbs. I add them to both red and white pasta sauces, and they always turn out delicious.
I first break them apart and add them to the sauce a few minutes before it’s done. When I make white sauce, I always add grated parmesan on top. It sticks to the hush puppy bits, making the sauce creamier.
I use mozzarella when I make red pasta sauce. It creates a nice cheesy coating that further enriches the meal.
Which of these ideas is your favorite? I’m excited to hear your opinion in the comments below!
