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How to use up your Christmas leftovers

by Marina Hopkins

published on 5 December 2023

Whether your Christmas Day menu stars a traditional roast turkey, a festive ham, or a vegan nut loaf, chances are you’ll be left with enough leftovers to feed a small army. We all know that these lavish Christmas dishes are far too good to get rid of, so, in the name of waste-free eating, this collection of failsafe recipes will have you enjoying the remains of your Christmas Day feast in all sorts of original and flavoursome ways.

max la manna leftovers sandwich

Max La Manna’s Best Festive Leftover Sandwich

Boxing Day just wouldn’t be Boxing Day without the leftovers sandwich. In this recipe, Max La Manna shows you how to make the ultimate festive stack, piled high with stuffing, veg, mustard mayo and cranberry.

Pigs In Blankets, Cranberry and Deep-fried Brie Salad with Toasted Pecans

by The Jolly Hog

If you thought salads were just for summertime, think again. This festive salad is packed with festive touches, from cranberry sauce to deep-fried brie, and is the perfect way to use up any leftover pigs in blankets.

From the book

The Jolly Hog

Thanksgiving or Boxing Day Croissant

Thanksgiving or Boxing Day Croissant

by Michael Zee

Start Boxing Day the right way, with Michael Zee’s decadent Boxing Day croissants. Not only does this recipe make the most of any leftover stuffing, cheese, cranberry sauce and even gravy, all squeezed into a lovely hot pastry, it’s also got hangover-cure written all over it. 

Paul’s Hand-raised Boxing Day Pie

Paul’s Hand-raised Boxing Day Pie

by Paul Hollywood

Paul Hollywood’s classic, comforting pie is the ideal Boxing Day bake, made with all the best bits of your Christmas Dinner from the turkey to the cranberry sauce. 

Brussel Sprout soup

Brussels Sprout Soup with Candied Bacon and Roasted Hazelnuts

by Rachel Allen

Transform those leftover sprouts into a truly luxurious soup, topped with candied bacon and toasted hazelnuts. This soup freezes well, so make a batch and stow it away in the freezer for those chilly January evenings.

From the book

Rachel Allen

Turkey Chilequiles

Turkey Chilequiles

by Lizzie Kamenetzky

The clever GBBO team have come up with this inspired recipe for turkey leftovers, livened up with a dash of herbs and spices and a tasty Mexican twist for a moreish brunch or dinner dish. 

Nadiya Hussain’s Chicken, Brie, Cranberry and Pink Pepper Pithivier

Nadiya Hussain’s Chicken, Brie, Cranberry and Pink Pepper Pithivier

A pithivier is a classically French puff-pastry pie, which can be filled with either sweet or savoury ingredients. Here, Nadiya uses chicken (but you could easily swap in turkey or other meat), spiced and sweetened with pink peppercorns and cranberries, enveloping a centre of melted Brie.

Jessie and Lennie Ware’s Leftover Turkey Casserole

Jessie and Lennie Ware’s Leftover Turkey Casserole

by Jessie Ware, Lennie Ware

“This dish is by no means a sexy show-stopper, rather a nostalgic warmer and something my brother and I are always so happy to be greeted with at the table”, says Jessie Ware. Take about 15 minutes to prep this recipe, then leave the oven to do the rest of the hard work.

Eat Well For Less Turkey Lasagne

Eat Well For Less Turkey Lasagne

by Jo Scarratt-Jones

This recipe uses turkey mince, but you can easily swap in leftover cooked turkey. Simply skip the first step, then shred in the leftover meat along with the spinach. This recipe is a lighter take on lasagne, made using Quark in place of the classic white sauce.

Boxing Day Pasties

Boxing Day Pasties

by Jack Monroe

This is a super-easy recipe for Boxing Day pasties from Jack Monroe’s A Year in 120 Recipes, which you can fill up with whatever is left from your Christmas dinner. These pasties give even the most succulent turkey sandwich a run for its money. 

Brie and Bacon Risotto

Brie and Bacon Risotto

by Jack Monroe

This recipe from Jack Monroe is the ideal way to use up whatever’s left from the cheese course, and any bacon that didn’t get cooked for Christmas breakfast, combined together to make a deliciously rich and creamy risotto. 

Smoked Ham and Piccalilli Salad

Smoked Ham and Piccalilli Salad

by Gizzi Erskine

If the Christmas festivities have left you feeling a little full, this Gizzi Erskine recipe for a light but satisfying salad is the perfect way to balance out the over-indulging, and still make the use of any leftover Christmas ham.

Bonkers Bread & Butter Panettone Pudding Tart

Bonkers Bread and Butter Panettone Pudding Tart

Jamie Oliver certainly knows how to make a cracking pudding, and this recipe from Jamie’s Comfort Food is no exception, bringing together the very best of British and Italian Christmas baking. So if you’ve got any leftover panettone, you know what to do. 

Ham, Pea and Mint Casserole

Ham, Pea and Mint Casserole

by Jack Monroe

A simple and comforting casserole recipe from Jack Monroe, great for making the most of your ham leftovers, and just what you’ll need to warm you up after a chilly Boxing Day walk. 

Ed’s Victorious Turkey Hash

Ed’s Victorious Turkey Hash

Jazz up whatever’s left of your Christmas turkey with this inspired recipe from Nigella Lawson’s famous Christmas cookbook, Nigella Christmas, bringing delicious flavours of the Mediterranean into your Boxing Day feast.

Quick Cassoulet

Quick Cassoulet

by Tom Aikens

If you’re left with more Christmas ham than you know what to do with, Tom Aikens’ quick and easy cassoulet is a foolproof way to make the most of those meaty flavours.

Turkey Sloppy Joes Tasty Slaw with Gherkins & Chilli, Homemade BBQ Sauce

Turkey Sloppy Joes Tasty Slaw with Gherkins and Chilli, Homemade BBQ Sauce

These turkey sloppy joes from Jamie Oliver’s Christmas Cookbook are a real crowd-pleaser, perfect for a family gathering on Boxing Day. 

Finch bakery chocolate

Chocolate Orange Blondies

by Lauren and Rachel Finch

A celebration of a truly classic Christmas flavour combination, these chocolate orange blondies are the answer to a glut of leftover Terry’s.

Finch Bakery
From the book

Finch Bakery

Peanut Butter Chocolate Fondant

Peanut Butter Chocolate Fondant

by DK Publishing

And last but definitely not least, what to do with all that chocolate? This peanut butter chocolate fondant recipe from Step-By-Step Desserts is an easy solution to that problem.

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