25 Delicious Ways to use Leftover Relish in Recipes (2024)

Other than grilled cheese toasties, dagwood sandwiches and adorning your cheese platter, just how do you use relishes and chutneys in recipes? Here’s 25 things to do with relish!

If you’re like me you’ll have untold jars of homemade relish stacking up in your pantry. From excess fruit harvest, you may well have fruit chutneys, savoury jellies, pickles or vegetable relishes.

Time to tidy the fridge, use up those left-over scrapings and free your jars for the next onslaught of relish making!

I’ve been giving full jars away to all my friends who ask, and in some cases who don’t! A good question was put to me the other day ‘exactly what do you do with the relish, cooking-wise’? So Brian, this is for you:

What to do with Relishes, Chutneys and Pickles:

1. Savoury Muffins will never taste the same once you’ve added a dollop or two of your favourite relish.
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2. Potato Mash: Add several tablespoons of homemade vegetable relish, salt and pepper, butter and milk to mashed potato during the smashing process. Eat as a side dish, under meatballs, atop a Cottage Pie or fry in a breakfast grill ‘cook up’.
3. Dip: Mix relish with natural yoghurt, sour cream or cream cheese as a dip for wedges, crackers, bread or vegetable sticks.
4. Bacon & Egg Pie: Add dollops to your favourite Bacon & Egg pie recipe or vegetarian alternative.
5. Stuffing & Dumplings: Toss a spoonful or two into your favourite stuffing or stewed dumpling recipe.
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6. Rice Pilaf: Fold through freshly cooked pasta or plain rice to add extra flavour.
7. Tuna Spread: Combine a tin of plain (and drained) tuna with several tablespoons of relish and cottage cheese if you please. It will add emense flavour. Serve on rice crackers or straight from the bowl. The same works really well with ham (blitzed into a crumb-like texture folded with sour cream and relish).
   
8. Stew: Add as a special ingredient to a soup or stew – a dollop or two will transform it!
9. Stuffed Baked Potato: Scoop out the insides of a baked potato, mash it with relish, any spare cooked vegetables, stuff it back into the cavity and grill with cheese and you have yourself a delicious side or main.
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10. Cheese Ball: The perfect addition to a classic cheese ball!
11. Gravy: Add a generous spoonful of your favourite relish to your next gravy.
12. Pumpkin Balls: Add relish to rice or risotto balls to add extra flavour and zing.
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13. Condiment: Use as a condiment for roasted vegetables or meat (hot or cold).
14. Stir Fry Sauce: Thin your relish with water then use as a stir-fry sauce for meat and vegetables alike.
15. BBQ Glaze: Use relish (thinned with water) as a glaze for BBQ meat or spare ribs.
16. Frittata: A ‘must have’ ingredient for vegetable quiches or a frittata.
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17. Mince Flavouring: Add to savoury mince, lasagne and spaghetti bolognaise OR to a cheese sauce.
18. Potato & Tuna Croquettes: add delicious oomph to a classic potato dish.
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19. Stuffed Mushrooms: Remove the stalk from mushrooms, stuff with relish, top with cheese and grill to delicious perfection.
20. Pizza Base Sauce: Spread on to wraps, panini or use as a pizza sauce base.
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21. Vegetable Glaze: Toss a little through hot steamed seasonal veggies along with butter.
22. Pulled Beef: Along with red wine, a tin of tomatoes and salt, add 1/2 cup of relish into your slow-cooker!
    
23. Stuffed Pumpkin: Not only is it a centre piece but the main course too! Here’s my vegan-friendly, dairy-free, Black Bean & Quinoa Stuffed Pumpkin.
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24. Chickpea Curry: Not just any old veggie curry, this one is vegan too.
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25. Buffalo Cauliflower Bites: perfect for a hot chill relish and vegan friendly.
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Is that enough to get you going? Don’t waste a drop from your relish jar — it all should be put to good use. Relish the thought.

Check out my 25 Delicious Ways to use Leftover Jam too!