13 Uses for Leftover Hamburger Buns (TT #27)

After a big get together, it’s not uncommon to have lots of leftover hamburger and hot dog buns. So…what are you going to do with all these leftover buns? There are lots of fun things to do with them.

Although my list is for hamburger buns, most of them could be used for leftover hot dog buns as well.

1. Have more burgers or chicken — Use them for your leftover burgers or cook up some more burgers or chicken for sandwiches. (I love having grilled chicken breasts on sandwiches and adding honey mustard or barbecue sauce. Yum!)

2. Grilled Cheese — My smartie friend, Amanda, gave me this idea when we visited her house. She made grilled cheese sandwiches with leftover buns. She buttered the insides of the bun and used them as the outsides. Then, she made them just like regular grilled cheese sandwiches. Man — they were good!

3. Pizza Burgers — Try out this hamburger / pizza hybrid

4. Cold Cuts — Brown bag it for lunch to school or work with a fun change from having your lunch meat sandwiches on buns instead of bread

5. Quack Quack — Take them with you to the park to feed the ducks. This is especially fun to watch if you have kids.

6. Donate — Take unopened packages to a food pantry that will accept perishable foods. Or, ask friends with larger families. (That’s how my smartie friend ended up with all those extra buns!)

7. Hello Science Experiments! — If you accidently leave them in the pantry too long, you can have an impromptu mold experiment.

8. A Salad Topper — Make your own croutons

9. Breakfast — Toast the buns slightly and make a breakfast sandwich with eggs, ham (or bacon), and cheese

10. Use Your Leftover Tomatoes Too — Make bruschetta

11. Bread Pudding — Make this caramel bread pudding or any of a variety of bread pudding recipes

12. Cinnamon Toast — Toast the buns and add butter. Then, top with cinnamon and sugar for quick breakfast.

13. Tiny Frisbees — Your old plastic frisbee still stuck on the roof? Use your leftover hamburger buns as tiny frisbees. If they land on the roof, at least the birds will eat them.