Barbecue sauce is a staple of American summertime gatherings. But what to you do when you have a lot of leftover BBQ sauce? Try these ideas.
The barbecue is over and your guests have left, but what to do with all the leftover BBQ sauce you’ve accumulated? Lucky for you there’s a number of creative ways to get the most out of your leftover barbecue sauce.
Pizza
I decided to start us off with a strange one right off the bat. I’m sure you’re scratching your head right now, but you should absolutely try some barbecue sauce pizza.
Just make a pizza like you normally would, but instead of using marinara sauce beneath the cheese, spread some barbecue sauce.
If you’re hesitant, just drizzle some of it on top after using your regular tomato based sauce in the pizza. Pizza Hut, Blaze Pizza, and other chains have taken to offering this method. Top your pizza with some grilled chicken, pan roasted corn, and a drizzle of sour cream thinned out with lime juice and you’ll never look back.
Slow Cooker Recipes
Load up your slow cooker with all the barbecue sauce you’ve got along with a hefty helping of pork shoulder or chicken for a perfect barbecue pulled recipe. Try it with this BBQ Pulled Pork Loin recipe too.
The slow cooker will make sure the meat absorbs all the sauce. Then it’s a simple matter to shred and pull the meat with two forks. If you despise pulling the meat with forks, throw it in your stand mixer on medium speed for a few seconds. Done!
Salads
We don’t often associate barbecue sauce with a salad but it does exist. Include barbecue sauce with a creamy dressing to cut through all that richness and bring all the flavors together wonderfully. This also works for potato salad and pasta salad. Simply mix some barbecue sauce in with your creamy mayo-based dressing. (Or use Alabama White Sauce.)
Meatloaf
Barbecue meatloaf? Yes please!
Mix the barbecue sauce in with some ketchup to get a smoky spicy flavoring in the glaze of your meatloaf recipe. Don’t be stingy either. Pour some into the meat mixture itself when you’re mixing it all together to really bake some flavor into the meal.
Meatballs
Don’t laugh, barbecue meatballs are no joke.
Small meatballs like the Swedish and cocktail varieties soaked in barbecue sauce make for a fantastic appetizer for your next get together. You can buy frozen meatballs or make homemade meatballs. Then all you need to do is toss them in the barbecue sauce and you’re good to go.
Cookies
I kid you not. There is a recipe for barbecue spiced cookies that calls for half a cup of barbecue sauce to be mixed in with cookie dough.
It’s not my cup of tea per say, but if you happen to try it, let me know how it is.
Bloody Mary Bar
A Bloody Mary has a ton of strangeness packed into one glass. But I’ve seen people use barbecue sauce alongside a little jalapeno pepper and lime in their Bloody Mary concoction. It’s an interesting mix to be sure, and it will get the job done at your next cocktail party.
Pasta
Tomato sauce and Alfredo sauce don’t have a monopoly on pasta. Try some barbecue sauce in there and I think you’ll be surprised at how good it really is.
Throw barbecue sauce over some pasta and mix in chicken, bacon, and cheese to create a full meal that you won’t forget. In fact, it might become a regular on your meal plan.
Burritos
Burritos typically take salsa or hot sauce, but throw some barbecue sauce on a chicken burrito with rice and beans and you’ll be sure to enjoy the experience.
A barbecue chicken wrap or burrito is a good time that the whole family can enjoy. And it can be made using leftover ingredients that are just hanging out in your fridge.
Nachos
The next time you’re making a plate of nachos, try marinating your meat in barbecue sauce.
This injects some smokey flavor into it and creates a very different but amazing nacho experience. Add some stewed tomatoes, cheese, and corn salsa, then go to town.
This can also be accomplished with ground chicken or turkey for those of you who are more health conscious.
Beans
Barbecue sauce can make a can of beans into a good time. Its sweet and tangy taste pairs really well with pinto beans in particular.
Throw in some hot sauce, garlic, and onion and you’ve got a really nice side dish to serve at your next dinner.
Make Better Barbecue Sauce!
You can use leftover barbecue sauce as kind of a kitchen experiment. Throw some brown sugar in there along with some soy sauce and ground ginger to create a whole new condiment.
Then, try out this new product on any of the ideas we’ve mentioned within this article. Play around with the mixture and get creative. You can take inspiration from my basic barbecue sauce recipe, as well as my Sweet and Smoky BBQ Sauce.
If you’ve got a fridge full of leftover barbecue sauce, don’t fret. Get creative and think outside the box with any of these twelve ideas.
What’s your favorite barbecue sauce based recipe? Sound off in the comment section below and let us know.
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