Christmas leftovers? Never fear, we’re here to help you make the most of them with plenty of delicious Christmas leftover recipes. We’ve got lots of tasty ways to help you transform all those bits and bobs in the fridge into a whole new meal.
Whatever you decide to make with your Christmas leftovers one thing’s for sure, they’re going to be a tasty treat. How could they not be? It’s the one time of the year when it’s completely acceptable to eat multiple carbs, meats and sauces on one plate, all at once!
Cranberry Chicken Salad
Ingredients
2 skinless chicken breasts
4 tsp olive oil
2 red onion, thinly sliced
200g mixed leaves
½ cucumber, deseeded and sliced
25g dried cranberries
85g/3oz cranberry sauce
juice 1 lime
Method
Slice each chicken breast in half horizontally to give 4 thin breasts, then rub with half the oil and season. Heat a non-stick frying pan and fry the chicken for 3 mins on each side until cooked through. Set aside on a plate.
Heat the remaining oil in the pan and fry the onions for 5 mins. Slice the chicken, collecting any juices, and layer up with the onions, leaves, cucumber and dried cranberries. Mix the cranberry sauce, lime juice, 2 tbsp water and any chicken resting juices, and drizzle over the salad.
Recipe from Good Food magazine, December 2010
Fruity Turkey Tagine
Ingredients
1 tbsp olive oil
1 red onion, thickly sliced
3 carrots, thickly sliced on the diagonal
3 parsnips, thickly sliced on the diagonal
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 tsp ras el hanout
500ml turkey or chicken stock
400g can chopped tomatoes
400g can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
140g mixture of dried apricots and prunes, roughly chopped
300g leftover turkey, cut into chunks
good drizzle of clear honey
½ small bunch coriander, roughly chopped
1 tbsp flaked almonds
couscous, to serve
Greek yogurt, to serve
Method
Heat the oil in a large saucepan, add the onion and cook gently for 8 mins or until softened. Add the carrots and parsnips, and cook for 8 mins until starting to soften and brown a little. Stir in the garlic and ras el hanout, and cook for a further 30 secs. Tip in the stock, tomatoes, chickpeas, dried fruit and 150ml water. Season, bring to a simmer and cook for 25-30 mins until the vegetables are tender.
Add the turkey and simmer for 5 mins to warm through. Stir in the honey, then scatter over the coriander and almonds just before serving with couscous and Greek yogurt.
Recipe from Good Food magazine, November 2014
Turkey & Potato Curry
Ingredients
1 tbsp sunflower oil
1 large onion, thickly sliced
1 green pepper, deseeded and chopped
2 tbsp curry paste (or gluten-free alternative)
2 garlic clove, crushed
400g can chopped tomato
300g leftover turkey , diced
300g leftover cooked potato (either boiled or roast), diced
2 tbsp mango chutney
small pack coriander, roughly chopped
rice or naan bread, to serve
Method
Heat the oil in a large pan over a fairly high heat. Cook the onion and pepper for 3-4 mins until starting to soften and brown slightly. Stir in the curry paste and garlic, then cook for another 1-2 mins. Add the chopped tomatoes and 150ml water. Bring to the boil and bubble for 5 mins.
Turn the heat down, stir in the turkey and potatoes, and cook for another 2-3 mins, then season and add the mango chutney. Scatter with coriander and serve with rice or naan.
Red Cabbage & Potato Hash
Ingredients
800g diced potato
25g butter, plus more for grilling
100g-300g Festive red salad
fried eggs and leftover ham, to serve
Method
Boil potatoes until tender. Melt the butter in a shallow pan (ovenproof if you have it), then fry Festive red salad for a few mins to soften. Stir in the well-drained spuds with some seasoning, press down and carry on cooking to crisp the bottom and heat through.
If you like, dot the top with a bit more butter and grill to crisp it up. Eat with fried eggs and slices of leftover ham, if you like.
Recipe from Good Food magazine, December 2012
Melting Nachos With Shredded Gammon
Ingredients
200g plain tortilla chip
175g shredded cooked ham or gammon
2 x 200g tubs tomato salsa
100g grated cheddar
2 sliced jalapeños
guacamole and soured cream, to serve
Method
Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Empty the chips into a large ovenproof dish and scatter over the ham or gammon. Spoon over the salsa and bake for 5 mins. Sprinkle with the cheddar, then return to the oven for a further 5 mins. Top with jalapeños and serve with guacamole and soured cream.
Recipe from Good Food magazine, December 2011
Leftover Turkey Casserole
Ingredients
2 onion, finely chopped
1 eating apple, cored and chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp dried sage, or 5 sage leaves, chopped
2 tbsp plain flour
300ml vegetable or chicken stock
2 tbsp wholegrain mustard
2 tbsp runny honey
400g-500g leftover turkey, shredded
about 350g leftover roasted vegetables like roast potatoes, parsnips, celeriacs and carrots , chunkily diced
Method
Fry the onion and apple in the oil until softened in a casserole or deep pan. Stir in the sage for 1 min, then stir in the flour. Gradually stir in the stock followed by the mustard and honey.
Bring up to a simmer and stir in the turkey and roast veg. Cover and gently simmer for 15 mins until turkey is piping hot. Season and eat with mash or jacket potatoes.
Recipe from bbcgoodfood.com, December 2011
Leftover Veg & Orange Cake
Ingredients
200g butter, melted, plus extra for greasing
140g sultana or raisins zest and juice 2 oranges, or 4 clementines
300g self-raising flour
300g light soft brown sugar
2 tsp mixed spice
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
4 large egg, beaten with a fork
300g carrots, parsnips, pumpkin, butternut squash or swede , or a mixture, grated
200g icing sugar or fondant icing sugar
few crushed white sugar cubes
Method
Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Grease and line a 30 x 20cm baking or roasting tin with baking parchment. Mix the sultanas and zest and juice from 1 orange (or 2 clementines), and microwave on High for 2 mins.
Mix the flour, caster sugar, spices, bicarb and pinch of salt into a large bowl. Mix the eggs with the melted butter and sultana mixture, then tip into the dry ingredients and stir in with a wooden spoon. Stir in the grated veg, and scrape into the tin. Bake for 35 – 40 mins, or until a skewer poked in the centre comes out clean. Cool in the tin.
Once cool sift the icing sugar into a bowl and stir in remaining orange zest plus enough juice to make a runny icing. Drizzle all over the cake and scatter with the crushed sugar cubes. Leave to set, then slice into 15 squares to serve.
Christmas Stolen Pudding
Ingredients
750g-1kg/1lb 10oz-2lb 4oz stollen, cubed
300ml double cream
300ml milk
2 eggs , beaten
6 amaretti biscuit, crushed
icing sugar, to serve (optional)
Method
Heat oven to 180C/160 fan/gas 4. Put the stollen cubes into an ovenproof serving dish. Mix the cream, milk and eggs together and pour over the stollen. Sprinkle over the amaretti biscuits. Bake for 45 mins until golden and slightly risen. Serve dusted with icing sugar, if you like.