What To Do With Leftover Pie Dough

Storage tips and recipe ideas for leftover pie dough scraps.

I’d been meaning to write this post since I posted my Favorite Buttermilk Pie Crust recipe, because pie crust is one of those things you always have leftovers for, and you can make so many easy and delicious things with the scraps.

What to do With Leftover Pie Dough

First things first: You don’t have to do anything with the pie dough scraps right away! You just made an entire pie (like a Dutch Apple Pie or something probably equally impressive).

If you don’t feel like playing in the kitchen anymore, those scraps will keep until tomorrow or next month depending on how you store them.

Storing Pie Dough Scraps

• In the Refrigerator: Squish all your scraps together and place them in a zip-top bag and store in the refrigerator for up to 48 hours.
• In the Freezer: Squish scraps together, transfer to a freezer bag, and store in the freezer for up to 2 months. Defrost in the refrigerator for 12 hours before using.

Things to Make With Leftover Pie Dough

When you are ready to do something with the scraps, here are a few things you can make with them.

• Cinnamon Sugar Pie Dough Cookies: Crispy, buttery pie crust cookies sprinkled with sweet and spicy cinnamon sugar .
• Jam Pop-tarts: Mini versions of the store-bought fav made with your favorite jam and a quick and simple powdered sugar glaze.
• Chocolate-stuffed Cookies: Pie dough cookies with melty chocolate chips inside that are rolled in powdered sugar.
• Pizza Roll-ups: A fun savory snack stuffed with pizza sauce , cheese, and pepperoni.

MoreWaste NotPosts

• What to Do With Leftover Whipping Cream
• What to Do With Leftover Pesto
• What to Do With Leftover Pumpkin Puree
• What to Do With Leftover Egg Whites
• What to Do With Leftover Egg Yolks
• What to Do With Leftover Half and Half

Scroll past the recipe card for even more pie dough recipe ideas.

Ingredients

Cinnamon Sugar Leftover Pie Dough Cookies

• ▢ Melted butter
• ▢ Cinnamon sugar

Jam Pop-tarts

• ▢ Jam
• ▢ Powdered sugar
• ▢ Milk
• ▢ Sprinkles

Chocolate-stuffed Cookies

• ▢ Chocolate chips
• ▢ Powdered sugar

Pizza Roll-ups

• ▢ Pizza or spaghetti sauce
• ▢ Shredded mozzarella cheese
• ▢ Shredded Parmesan cheese
• ▢ Pepperoni
• ▢ Wooden toothpicks

Instructions

Cinnamon Sugar Pie Dough Cookies

• Roll dough scraps out to 1/4-inch thick and cut into strips or use a cookie cutter to cut out shapes. Brush with melted butter and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.
• Bake at 400°F on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet for 8 to 12 minutes, until bottom edges are golden brown.

Jam Pop Tarts

• Roll out scraps to 1/8-inch thick and cut into squares or rectangles. Add a dollop of jam to the center of half of the pieces. Place tops over the jam and crimp with a fork to seal. Poke with a fork a few times to allow steam to escape.
• Bake at 400°F on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet for 10 to 15 minutes until golden. Cool for at least 5 minutes and mix powdered sugar and milk together (about 1 teaspoon milk per 1/4 cup powdered sugar) until a thick glaze forms.
• Spread over the tops of the pop tarts and add sprinkles.

Chocolate-stuffed Cookies

• Roll dough out to 1/8-inch thick and cut about 3-inch rounds. Put a few chocolate chips in the center, fold edges up, and pinch to seal.
• Bake at 400°F on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet until golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes. As soon as they are cool enough to handle, drop into powdered sugar and toss to coat.

Pizza Roll Ups

• Roll leftover pie dough into a rectangular(ish) shape 1/8-inch thick. Spoon on a thin layer of red sauce, top with mozzarella, Parmesan, and pepperoni.
• Roll tightly and secure by poking wooden toothpicks through the center every 1 1/2 inch. Cut between toothpicks and bake at 400°F (leaving the toothpicks in the rolls) on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet for 10 to 15 minutes until golden. Remove toothpicks and enjoy!

More things to make with leftover pie dough!

And, I asked some food blogger friends for some more ideas. These recipes don’t specifically call for scraps, but they are easily scalable and all look fantastic!

• Wee Little Blueberry Maple Pies from Hungry Enough to Eat Six – I bet you have enough dough to make a couple cupcake-sized versions of these adorable wee pies!
• Mini Nutella Pies on a Stick from The Road to Honey – Pie on a stick? Love it. Add Nutella? Even better. It doesn’t get much easier than these!
• Apple Pie Stuffed Apples from Two Purple Figs – I’m definitely making one of these with my next batch of leftovers.
• Cinnamon Roll Dippers from 4 Sons R Us – Make up a mini batch of this glaze dip and use it on some Cinnamon Sugar Leftover Pie Dough Cookies!!

This Easy Carnitas Recipe makes amazing carnitas: rich, tender shredded pork with crispy, crunchy edges, perfect for tacos, burritos, or just eating by the forkful. The post includes step-by-step instructions and everything you ever wanted to know about making carnitas.

Okay, you all know that I love every recipe I share here, but there are some that I get extra excited about sharing. My Oven-roasted Tri-tip was one (and it has been incredibly pop

ular). My Freezer Meatballs were another (these have not been popular at all, people, go fall in love with them!!), and today I have another recipe I’m really excited about: carnitas!!!

Have you ever made carnitas? Have you ever eaten carnitas? Because, friend, They. Are. So. Good.

What are carnitas?

Carnitas translates literally as “little meats.” It’s a Mexican dish made by braising pork until it yields fall-apart tender meat which is then cooked over high heat to make the outside crispy and delicious.

The result is fantastically rich shredded pork that manages to be both tender and have all sorts of crispy, crunchy bits. It’s the type of meal you’re going to want to share, not just because it tastes great (and makes a ton), but because it makes you look like a genius cook.

You bring these carnitas to one potluck or serve them at one party, and I guarantee you will have people asking you for the recipe and talking wistfully about them months later.

Ingredients

• Vegetable oil: Traditional carnitas recipes use lard as their cooking fat, but we’ll use vegetable or canola oil today.
• Pork shoulder roast: The best cut of meat for carnitas is pork shoulder AKA pork butt AKA Boston butt because it is well-marbled with fat and cooks up incredibly tender with a long braise.
• Large onion: A yellow, white, or red onion all work here.
• Lime juice: Just a bit of lime juice gives the pork a slightly tangy flavor.
• Garlic and spices: Garlic and a mix of chili powder, oregano, and cumin help to flavor the pork as it braises.
• Chicken broth: Using chicken broth as our braising liquid instead of water also helps boost the flavor of the pork as it cooks.

A Note on Bone-in vs Boneless Pork Shoulder Roasts: You’ll probably find both bone-in and boneless pork shoulder roasts at your grocery store. Either one works just fine for carnitas, but if you have a choice between the two at a comparable price, go with the boneless roast. The bone-in roasts have a Y-shaped bone that is a bit of a pain to get out cleanly.

If you do end up with a bone-in roast, the good thing is that they are so large and inexpensive that you don’t have to worry too much about getting every single last piece of meat off the bone. Just use a sharp knife ( a boning knife if you own one) and slice the meat away from the bone as best you can until you are able to remove it. Don’t stress too much about it. Here’s a good video of someone doing a much nicer job of removing the bone than I usually manage.

Preparing Pork Shoulder for Carnitas

As mentioned, pork shoulder is a pretty fatty piece of meat. Before cooking, you’ll want to remove the large fat cap (the thick layer of fat on one side of your roast) and cut away any silver skin (the thin, silvery blue membrane that sticks closely to the meat). Don’t worry about the smaller bits of fat marbled throughout the meat. Any fat that remains after braising can be picked out while shredding.

Then you just cut your roast into large chunks about the size of a lady’s fist, and you’re ready to start cooking.

PS: Don’t worry if your chunks don’t look pretty or are not completely even in size. You’re going to shred that pork so no one is ever going to know.

How to Make Carnitas

There are three stages to making carnitas. Stages two and three are pretty hands-off, but step one will require your full attention, so make sure you have all your ingredients prepped and ready to go before you begin.

1. Salt and brown the meat. Depending on how large your roast and Dutch oven are ( this is the Dutch oven I always use for carnitas), you might need to do this in batches. You’ll want to brown all sides of your meat, so don’t crowd the pan too much, and this may take up to 15 minutes.
2. Long, slow cooking time. After your meat is browned, you’ll add the onions, garlic, spices, lime juice, and enough chicken broth to mostly cover the meat. That all simmers covered for about two and a half hours, until your meat is tender enough to pull apart with a fork.
3. Make it crispy. This is my favorite part. Now that your meat is nice and tender, you get to make it crispy too. You shred the meat, transfer it to a sheet pan, and let it crisp up in the oven at a high temp for 30 minutes, occasionally adding a little cooking liquid to keep it from drying out. As soon as you’ve got enough crispy edges for your liking, it’s done and you get to eat!

What to serve with pork carnitas?

Carnitas are super versatile. You can serve them in Carnitas Tacos , tostadas, or make sliders with them. Adding them to nachos , a salad, or made into Carnitas Enchiladas is also highly recommended.

For sides, as with something like Beef Stroganoff or Braised Short Ribs , Carnitas are so rich that you probably want to stick to sides that aren’t too heavy. Something like Cilantro Rice , Skillet Mexican Zucchini , Mexican Coleslaw , Corn and Black Bean Salad or Mexican Street Corn Salad would be perfect. And when in doubt, you can never go wrong with simple universal sides like Green Beans or Steamed Broccoli .

What to do with leftover carnitas?

Store leftover carnitas in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Drizzle with a couple extra tablespoons of the cooking liquid to help keep them moist before storing. Reheat in the microwave. Second-day carnitas are fantastic in quesadillas, burritos , and burrito bowls .

And not going to lie, it’s also pretty satisfying to stand in the refrigerator and eat cold carnitas leftovers plain the day after a party (they get better on day two!).

Can I freeze carnitas?

Yes! Because carnitas are a real time commitment and the cut of meat you need comes as a pretty large roast, even if you’re part of a small household and not cooking for guests, I still recommend making the full-size carnitas recipe rather than trying to cut it down because carnitas freeze really well.

Just freeze meal-sized batches with a few spoonfuls of the cooking liquid in freezer-safe plastic bags. When you’re ready for more carnitas, defrost in the refrigerator. To reheat, microwave until warm or spread on a baking sheet and bake, loosely covered with foil at 350°F until heated through (usually 10-15 minutes).

Remove the foil and broil on high for just a minute or two until the edges are crisp. (Heads up: If you’ve just cleaned your oven, you might want to skip this step. The carnitas pop and sizzle quite a bit as they broil.)

What kind of meat are carnitas?

Pork! Carnitas are made from nice, marbled (with fat) chunks of pork shoulder, which when braised over a long period of time become incredibly tender.

The nice thing about pork shoulder is that it’s readily available, and it’s usually very cheap. Here is Southern California, I often see it as low .99/ pound. So for parties, feeding a crowd, or even stocking your freezer with leftovers, this is a very low-cost meal option.

You Might Also Enjoy

• Homemade Carne Asada
• Barbacoa Beef
• Chicken Enchiladas
• Salsa Chicken
• Awesome Steak Fajitas

Carnitas Recipe Notes

If you’re making carnitas for an event, make sure to give yourself enough time to cook them. Between prepping the meat (especially if it’s bone-in), browning, the long, low simmer, and crisping time, carnitas always take longer than you expect, so allow yourself that time.

Ingredients

Special Equipment

• ▢ Large Dutch oven

Carnitas

• ▢ 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• ▢ 4-6 pound pork shoulder roast boneless or bone-in, trimmed of fat cap and cut into fist-sized chunks
• ▢ Salt and pepper
• ▢ 1 large onion diced
• ▢ 1 clove garlic crushed
• ▢ 3 tablespoons lime juice
• ▢ 1 tablespoon chili powder
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• ▢ 6-8 cups ( 3-4 14.5 ounce cans) chicken broth

Instructions

• Pre-measure all your ingredients, dice your onion, and prep your garlic. Once you get started cooking, things move fast.
• Generously salt and pepper pork chunks on all sides.
• In a large Dutch oven, heat oil over medium-high heat. Once hot, brown meat on all sides, in batches if necessary. This will take 10 to 15 minutes.
• Add onion, garlic, lime juice, chili powder, oregano, cumin, and enough chicken broth so the meat is mostly covered. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to a low simmer. Cover and cook for 2 to 2 1/2 hours, until meat is tender and can be easily pulled apart with a fork.
• Preheat oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with foil for easier cleanup. Use a large slotted spoon to transfer meat to a cutting board (reserve the broth) and use two forks to shred the meat. Transfer shredded meat to the baking sheet and spread it in an even layer over the surface. Drizzle 1/4 cup of the cooking liquid over the meat, sprinkle with salt, and bake for 10 minutes.
• Drizzle a little more broth over the meat, cook 10 minutes more, and repeat for a total of 30 minutes, until edges are crispy and browned.
• Serve and enjoy.

Notes

Recipe Adapted From AllRecipes

These easy chicken enchiladas are stuffed with creamy chicken filling and topped with melty cheese and a tangy homemade enchilada sauce that you’ll want to eat with a spoon.

I shared a carnitas version of these enchiladas a couple of years ago, and since then, I keep getting requests for a chicken version, so today let’s make chicken enchiladas.

These enchiladas are so easy to make and incredibly satisfying. The recipe makes a full dish of 10 enchiladas, so it will serve a 5 to 6 or freeze the enchiladas in batches and stock your freezer for later.

Ingredients

• Chicken filling: For the chicken filling, we’ll use boneless skinless chicken breasts seasoned with taco seasoning and mixed with cooked onions and sour cream. The sour cream helps add a bit of fat and richness to the meat, which I find you sometimes miss with chicken enchiladas compared to beef/pork enchiladas.
• Enchilada sauce: If you’re in a hurry and want to use store-bought sauce or have your own favorite sauce recipe, you’ll need 3 cups of sauce for these enchiladas. The homemade sauce recipe I’ve included is my very favorite enchilada sauce that comes out smooth and tangy with just a bit of heat and not too bitter.
• Tortillas: Traditional enchiladas are made with corn tortillas, but you can use corn or flour tortillas here depending on your preference.
• Toppings: The enchiladas are finished with whatever melty cheese you prefer. I like a good Mexican cheese blend, but cheddar or Monterey Jack would be delicious too. After baking, you can load the enchiladas up with sour cream, cilantro, and pico de gallo or chopped tomatoes.

How to Make Chicken Enchiladas

1. To make the filling, you’ll start by coating chicken breasts with taco seasoning and then cooking them on the stove using my favorite method for cooking shredded chicken , which is a mix of pan frying and poaching. Once the chicken is cooked, you’ll cook the onions for a couple minutes to take the bite out of them, and then shred the chicken and mix it with sour cream.
2. After everything is mixed, taste and add salt as needed. Depending on the brand of taco seasoning you used, you may need quite a lot or just a bit.
3. To make the sauce, you’ll want to make sure to measure out all your ingredients before you start. The sauce comes together quickly at the beginning, and you won’t have time to hunt down spices and measuring spoons while it’s cooking.
4. Make a roux of olive oil, flour, and your spices and cook them for 30 seconds to a minute to help cook the raw taste out of the flour and bloom the spices. Then you’ll whisk in the tomato paste followed by chicken or vegetable broth and let that simmer until thickened. At the very end, you’ll stir in a little vinegar, which brightens up the sauce and makes it tangy and delicious. Finally, add salt and pepper to taste.
5. To assemble the enchiladas, you’ll add just a little sauce to the bottom of your baking dish and then fill each tortilla with about 1/3 cup of chicken filling. Roll the tortillas tightly and fit them seam-side down into the baking dish. Pour the remaining enchilada sauce over the top and then sprinkle with cheese.
6. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until cheese is bubbly, and then serve and enjoy!

How do you freeze chicken enchiladas?

Unbaked enchiladas freeze quite well. You can freeze them in two 8×8 pans of five enchiladas each or three 5×7 pans of three or four.

To freeze, line baking dish (disposable or reusable) with parchment paper. Assemble enchiladas completely. If using a disposable baking dish, wrap tightly with foil and store in a freezer bag.

If using a regular baking dish, place in the freezer and freeze until solid, about 4 hours. Use the parchment paper to lift enchiladas out of the pan and wrap tightly in foil (leave the parchment paper on the enchiladas). Store in a plastic freezer bag.

To reheat, preheat oven to 400°F. Remove foil. (If not using a disposable container, place frozen enchiladas, parchment paper included, into a baking dish.)

Grease a piece of foil and loosely cover the top of your enchiladas, greased side down. This will keep your cheese and tortillas from burning and won’t stick as the cheese melts.

Bake until heated through or an instant-read thermometer reads 160°F, this will take at least 30 minutes, up to over an hour for a full pan of enchiladas. When the enchiladas seem very nearly heated through, remove foil so the top of the enchiladas can brown.

What to Serve with Chicken Enchiladas

Serve your enchiladas with cilantro lime rice and a simple veggie side like butter and garlic green beans or roasted broccoli .

A Note on Serving Size

If feeding to guests or large eaters, plan on 2 enchiladas per person. Personally I find that the perfect serving size is 1 1/2 enchiladas, though kids and smaller eaters might only eat 1.

You Might Also Enjoy

• Easy Carnitas
• Barbacoa Beef
• Quick Chicken Fajitas
• Carne Asada
• Shredded Beef Burritos

Equipment

• 9x13-inch baking dish

Ingredients

Chicken Filling

• ▢ 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts about 3 to 4 medium breasts
• ▢ 1 tablespoon taco seasoning *
• ▢ Cooking spray or olive oil
• ▢ 1/2 small onion diced
• ▢ 1/4 teaspoon salt
• ▢ 1 cup ( 240g ) sour cream

Enchilada Sauce

• ▢ 3 tablespoons olive oil
• ▢ 3 tablespoons ( 23g ) all-purpose flour
• ▢ 2 tablespoons chili powder
• ▢ 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• ▢ 3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• ▢ 1/4 heaping teaspoon dried oregano
• ▢ 1/4 heaping teaspoon salt
• ▢ 3 tablespoons ( 50g ) tomato paste
• ▢ 3 cups chicken or vegetable broth
• ▢ 1 1/2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar or distilled white vinegar
• ▢ Pepper

Enchiladas

• ▢ 10 8-inch tortillas corn or flour are fine
• ▢ 1 1/2 cup ( 6oz ) shredded Mexican cheese blend or your favorite melting cheese

Optional Toppings

• ▢ Cilantro
• ▢ Pico de gallo
• ▢ Sour cream

Instructions

Shredded Chicken

• Preheat oven to 350°F and lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish. Set aside.
• Coat both sides of the chicken breasts in taco seasoning. If using taco seasoning that does not include salt, generously sprinkle both sides with salt as well.
• Heat a large skillet with a lid over medium-high heat. Grease with cooking spray or a drizzle of olive oil. Add chicken breasts to the pan and cook until browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Flip and repeat with the second side. Add enough water to the pan to come up about 1/2-inch.
• Bring to a simmer, cover the pan and cook for 6 to 10 minutes (longer with very large chicken breasts), until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the meat reads 165°F. If at any time the water level gets low, add a bit more water to the pan.
• Transfer chicken to a cutting board to rest and discard any juices from the pan. Return the pan to the stove and grease with cooking spray or a little olive oil and heat over medium heat. Add onions and 1/4 teaspoon salt and cook 5 to 7 minutes, until onions begin to turn translucent around the edges. If at any time they begin to brown, turn down the heat.
• Use two forks to shred the chicken breasts, and combine shredded chicken, onions, and sour cream in a large bowl. Mix well and add salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.

Enchilada Sauce

• Pre-measure all of your sauce ingredients (flour, spices, and salt will be added together so they can all go in the same small bowl) and place them next to the stove.
• In a medium pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add flour, spices, and salt and whisk until a thick paste forms and begins to bubble, 30 seconds to 1 minute.
• Whisk in tomato paste and stir until mostly combined. Slowly pour in broth, whisking out any lumps as they form and whisk until completely smooth. Bring to a simmer and cook, whisking often, until sauce has thickened, 6 to 12 minutes.
• Remove from heat, stir in vinegar, and add salt and pepper to taste. Set aside to cool slightly.

Assemble Enchiladas

• To your prepared baking dish, add 1/4 cup of the enchilada sauce, spreading it so that it mostly coats the bottom in a thin layer.
• Fill each tortilla with about 1/3 cup of meat and sour cream mixture and roll tightly. Place in the baking dish, seam-side down.
• Pour remaining sauce over the enchiladas and sprinkle the cheese over the top.

Bake

• Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until cheese is melted and the edges of the tortillas are just slightly golden.
• Cool for 10 minutes before serving. Top with sour cream, cilantro, and pico de gallo if desired. Enjoy!

Notes

What to do With Leftover Pie Dough

Ingredients

Cinnamon Sugar Leftover Pie Dough Cookies

• Melted butter
• Cinnamon sugar

Jam Pop-tarts

• Jam
• Powdered sugar
• Milk
• Sprinkles

Chocolate-stuffed Cookies

• Chocolate chips
• Powdered sugar

Pizza Roll-ups

• Pizza or spaghetti sauce
• Shredded mozzarella cheese
• Shredded Parmesan cheese
• Pepperoni
• Wooden toothpicks

Instructions

Cinnamon Sugar Pie Dough Cookies

• Roll dough scraps out to 1/4-inch thick and cut into strips or use a cookie cutter to cut out shapes. Brush with melted butter and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.
• Bake at 400°F on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet for 8 to 12 minutes, until bottom edges are golden brown.

Jam Pop Tarts

• Roll out scraps to 1/8-inch thick and cut into squares or rectangles. Add a dollop of jam to the center of half of the pieces. Place tops over the jam and crimp with a fork to seal. Poke with a fork a few times to allow steam to escape.
• Bake at 400°F on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet for 10 to 15 minutes until golden. Cool for at least 5 minutes and mix powdered sugar and milk together (about 1 teaspoon milk per 1/4 cup powdered sugar) until a thick glaze forms.
• Spread over the tops of the pop tarts and add sprinkles.

Chocolate-stuffed Cookies

• Roll dough out to 1/8-inch thick and cut about 3-inch rounds. Put a few chocolate chips in the center, fold edges up, and pinch to seal.
• Bake at 400°F on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet until golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes. As soon as they are cool enough to handle, drop into powdered sugar and toss to coat.

Pizza Roll Ups

• Roll leftover pie dough into a rectangular(ish) shape 1/8-inch thick. Spoon on a thin layer of red sauce, top with mozzarella, Parmesan, and pepperoni.
• Roll tightly and secure by poking wooden toothpicks through the center every 1 1/2 inch. Cut between toothpicks and bake at 400°F (leaving the toothpicks in the rolls) on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet for 10 to 15 minutes until golden. Remove toothpicks and enjoy!