Cold Plate (a.k.a. “Clean Out the Fridge with Style”)

Some days call for creativity. Others call for Cold Plate. It’s not a dish—it’s a vibe. Around here, “Cold Plate” is family shorthand for whatever leftovers, snacks, or simple preps can be piled next to a salad and passed off as dinner. And honestly? It works.

How to Build a Cold Plate
Start with one of these bases:

• A big green salad (bonus points for garden lettuce)

• A tray of chopped veggies

• An assortment of dips and dippables

From there, mix and match to your heart’s content (or based on what’s hanging out in the fridge):

Proteins & Savories

• Sliced leftover steak or grilled chicken

• Chicken wings (hot or BBQ)

• Chicken salad or cottage cheese

• Deviled eggs or boiled eggs

• Sausage cheese balls or loaded potato skins

• Pigs in a blanket (homemade or leftover)

Cold Sides & Dips

• Potato salad, macaroni salad, or pimento cheese

• Spinach dip, chips & salsa

• Pickles, olives, or fruit tray

• Cheese ball & crackers

Bread & Crunch

• Crackers, sliced baguette, or buttered toast

• Leftover biscuit dough wrapped around kielbasa slices (a lunchbox hit)

Tips

• There’s always homemade salad dressing at our table.

• Not everyone eats salad, but they’ll eat the parts. Customize each plate accordingly.

• Kids love the variety—and Cold Plate travels well when dinner’s on the go.

It’s Actually a Thing

I didn’t make up the cold plate. Its formal name is the Newfoundland Cold Plate which is a traditional after Christmas dinner made of leftovers that are suitable to be eaten cold.

Real Life Cold Plate Example

On this particular day, Cold Plate started with a big garden salad—fresh lettuce from the Victory Garden, loaded with shredded cheese and boiled eggs for protein.

I had a lunch plan in mind, so I wrapped sliced kielbasa in biscuit dough to make a batch of pigs in a blanket (and yes, I made extras). One kid doesn’t touch salad but will happily eat the parts—so everything was served deconstructed. Another needed their Cold Plate packed to go. Everyone ate, nobody complained, and the fridge got a little cleaner. That’s a win.