3 Ways To Use That Leftover July 4 Coleslaw

July 4 is here! Let the coleslaw rain down! Please don’t take that literally, unless you want your guests picking shredded cabbage out of their hair and clothes for the next few days. Seriously, though: Coleslaw is, at least in my opinion, essential for any outdoor dining experience, and if you agree, odds are you’ll have a lot of it around over the next few days. And, if you’re in the habit of never being knowingly undercatered, you may well have some of it left over going into next week.

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So what do you do with the rest? Well, provided that it wasn’t sitting in the sun for too long (if it was, throw it out), you can repurpose it in these recipes. And if you thought we were just going to suggest putting it on hot dogs or pulled pork sandwiches, we’ve got other plans. 

Okonomiyaki

It’s surprisingly easy to turn creamy coleslaw into okonomiyaki, given that it has many of the ingredients you’d normally put in these vegetable pancakes. The mayo gives the okonomiyaki a bit more heft and body, while the vinegar in your dressing stops the pancake from tasting too dense, eggy, or floury. 

It is also literally quite as simple as mixing leftover coleslaw with egg, flour, and a little baking powder for lightness. You have all the seasonings you need in the coleslaw already. Add a little soy if you want to increase the umami, but otherwise, you’re good to go. Press it into a hot pan, and sizzle, baby.

Egg Rolls

Given that egg rolls are typically filled with shredded vegetables, using coleslaw in them is a natural move. You’ll want to avoid using coleslaw that’s too heavily dressed here, as it can moisten the rolls from the inside – but a little dressing is just fine here.

If you want to make veggie egg rolls, you can simply tuck the coleslaw in and get frying. Or, if you have some leftover pulled pork from your cookout, combine the two for a BBQ-inspired snack. 

Meatloaf

Okay, so the heat might put you off this one. But if, for whatever reason, you’re craving meatloaf next week, your secret ingredient might just be coleslaw. This trick comes courtesy of a comment tucked away in a classic meatloaf recipe over on Serious Eats, where the commenter in question discusses how they once used deli coleslaw instead of cabbage (which they’ve long advocated for in the dish) – and it stuck. “The cabbage melds with the mixture, becoming essentially invisible, and adds a moist sweetness that plays well with the onions and other vegetables,” they said. And honestly, we don’t really need more convincing than that.