Guy Fieri Makes Better Slaw With This Leftover Ingredient

If you've roasted a big batch of broccoli, you may have some leftover stems that you don't know what to do with. Instead of tossing them in the trash, consider Guy Fieri's trick of using broccoli stems to make an epic slaw (per Food Network). Not only is this a genius way to use up your leftovers, but incorporating broccoli into your recipe also helps to avoid one of the common mistakes that everyone makes with coleslaw: not using enough variety.

When using broccoli stems, all you have to do is cut them into strips or use a peeler to create thin planks. While you would typically want to blanch broccoli florets for a slaw or salad, the stems have a nice crunch that works well to bring both flavor and texture to the party. You could use this trick whether you're making a recipe from scratch, or you could slice up and mix up your broccoli stems into a ready-made bag of coleslaw to make it your own.

When making this, don't forget that there are other ingredients you can add to make your coleslaw stand out. Whether you want to swap the classic mayo for something with a little more flavor, like homemade Alabama white sauce, or you could even swap out the typical mayo for a creamy broccoli sauce. Just blanch some broccoli, blend it up with cream cheese and your seasonings of choice (we like garlic and lemon pepper), and voilà! This could help tie in broccoli to multiple layers of the dish. You could also add some fruit for a unique twist. Pineapple is one example that could go well with broccoli. You could also take some notes from Fieri's original recipe, like including slivered almonds or sliced fennel for some pop and texture. 

While you can certainly enjoy this as a side dish, you could consider using it in some other ways. For example, this broccoli slaw could be a crunchy element to top some fish tacos, a burger, or on a fried chicken sandwich. If you're a pasta lover, you could even add some cooked macaroni to it to create a broccoli and macaroni coleslaw that we know your guests will love.