After the crackers have been pulled, the presents opened and dinner cleared away, you’ll probably be ready to don your comfiest Christmas PJs and sleep until New Year’s. These easy recipes are the perfect way to use up your Christmas leftovers, while involving minimal effort. Forget food waste and enjoy these simple Christmas leftovers recipes for a well deserved Boxing Day rest.
Cheeseboard Mac & Cheese
After an olympic attempt at demolishing Christmas dinner, you may not have enough room for that delicious cheese board. This Cheeseboard Mac & Cheese recipe takes care of all those leftover wedges. So delicious and comforting for when you’re relaxing in front of the TV after all the guests have gone home.
What You’ll Need:
350g Macaroni (or other Pasta)
2 tbsp Butter
1 Garlic Clove
1 tsp Mustard Powder
½ tsp Paprika
3 tbsp Plain Flour
500ml Milk
250g Cheese
Preheat the oven to 180ºC/160ºC fan. Cook the pasta, drain, then set aside. Finely chop the garlic. Melt the butter in a saucepan, adding garlic and mustard powder. After 1 minute, add the flour and stir. Cook for another minute, then remove from heat and add the milk slowly, whisking as you go. Cook over heat for another few minutes until the sauce has thickened. Add the cheese and stir until completely melted. Stir in the pasta. Tip into a baking dish and top with grated cheese and paprika. Bake for 30 minutes, then leave to cool for 10 minutes before serving.
Christmas Pudding Brownies
In case no one has left room for dessert, these Christmas pudding brownies are the perfect solution for using up those leftovers the next day. Even those who claim to dislike Christmas pudding can’t fail to enjoy these chocolatey brownies. These are so delicious, you might want to buy another Christmas pudding just to make more of these festive treats!
Tip: You can also use leftover Christmas cake (minus the icing) for this recipe!
What You’ll Need:
150g Butter (unsalted)
250g Dark Chocolate
3 Eggs
150g Granulated Sugar
1tsp Salt
4 tbsp Cocoa Powder
2 tbsp Plain Flour
300g Christmas Pudding (crumbled)
Preheat the oven to 180ºC. Simmer water in a saucepan. Place a heatproof bowl over the top of the pan and melt the butter and chocolate in it, stirring until there are no lumps. Once melted, remove from the pan and set aside. Whisk eggs, sugar and salt in a mixing bowl. Then, pour in the chocolate mixture. Mix in the flour and cocoa powder, adding the Christmas pudding last (but save a handful for the topping).
Grease and line a 30 x 20 cm baking tin, before pouring in the brownie mix. Spread evenly, then scatter the remaining Christmas pudding on top. Bake for 35 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean. Leave to cool before serving.
Smoked Salmon Frittatas
This Spanish style frittata is a great way to use up leftover smoked salmon and any potatoes that didn’t get eaten. Tasty and filling, and ready in just over half an hour. This recipe serves up to 6 people. Perfect for a lazy Boxing Day lunch.
What You’ll Need:
150g Potatoes
8 Eggs
170g Smoked Salmon
20g Chives
100g Cream Cheese
Preheat the oven to 200ºC. Roughly chop the chives and leftover potatoes (if using fresh potatoes, you’ll need to soften in a pan of boiling water for 10 minutes afterwards). Whisk the eggs in a mixing bowl and add the potatoes, smoked salmon and chives. Season with salt and pepper. Grease and line a 20 cm baking tin, before pouring in the egg mixture. Add blobs of cream cheese over the top.
Cook in the oven for around 20 minutes. Leave to cool, then cut into slices to serve. Great with any leftover salad or veg.
Spicy Leftover Turkey Rice
This quick and easy way to use up leftover Christmas turkey takes just 15 minutes to put together (if you’re using ready cooked rice). If you had chicken instead of turkey, you can easily substitute it in this delightfully simple recipe. Sorry cold turkey sandwiches. Maybe next year.
What You’ll Need:
Olive Oil
1 Onion
1½ tbsp Garam Masala
2 Garlic Cloves
500g Ready Cooked Brown Rice
400g Turkey (shredded)
Lemon Juice
200g Spinach
Coriander
Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in a frying pan. Chop and fry the onion for a few minutes, before adding the garam masala and chopped garlic cloves. Fry for a couple more minutes, then add the rice (you can buy ready cooked bags, or make your own) and shredded turkey with a little water. Add a splash of lemon juice and stir in the spinach. Finally, add some freshly chopped coriander to season. Serve with natural yoghurt.
Potato and Stuffing Hash
Overdone it on the potatoes and stuffing? Never fear, this simple potato and stuffing hash recipe will use up all your leftovers. For a comforting, easy Boxing Day dinner, you can eat this hash sprawled out in front of the TV. Adding cranberries gives it a lovely fruity kick to cut through all the carbs.
What You’ll Need:
500g Roast Potatoes
175g Stuffing
Rosemary
Parsley
2 Garlic Cloves
Olive Oil
30g Dried Cranberries
Preheat the oven to 180ºC/160ºC fan. In an ovenproof dish, using the back of a wooden spoon, break up the roast potatoes into smaller pieces. Crumble the leftover stuffing over the potatoes and add 2 tbsp of olive oil, crushed garlic cloves, and rosemary and parsley to season. Stir together and lightly squash with the spoon. Sprinkle cranberries over the top and bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes.
Panettone Bread and Butter Pudding
Panettone is a wonderful Italian Christmas offering. But, if we’re honest, we always end up with way too much. This recipe uses leftover panettone for an upgrade on the traditional bread and butter pudding. Rich, creamy and delicious. Perfect for a lazy Boxing Day afternoon treat.
What You’ll Need:
50g Butter 2
50g Panettone
2 Eggs
150ml Double Cream
225ml Milk
1tsp Vanilla Extract
2 tbsp Caster Sugar
Cream or Custard (to serve)
Preheat the oven to 160ºC/140ºC fan. Slice the panettone into wedges or triangles. Butter the slices and arrange them in a shallow, greased baking dish, with the buttered side facing up. Whisk the eggs, adding the milk, cream, sugar and vanilla extract. Pour the mix over the panettone slices. Bake in the oven for 40 minutes. Serve with cream and/or custard.
Leftover Vegetable Rosti
Perfect for using up leftover veggies, this delicious rosti is quick and easy, taking no more than 30 mins to make. It’s suitable for vegetarians and vegans, so everyone will be happy. Plus, it’s extra filling. Serve by itself or with a poached egg. This recipe serves around 4 people.
What You’ll Need:
250g Roast Potatoes
150g Roast Carrots and Parsnips
100g Brussels Sprouts
2 Red Onions
1 Egg
2 Tbsp Plain Flour
Cumin
Salt
Olive Oil
Preheat the oven to 200ºC. Finely chop the potatoes, carrots, parsnips and sprouts. Beat the egg in a mixing bowl, then add flour, 1 tsp of cumin, a pinch of salt and the vegetables. Mix together. Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in an ovenproof frying pan on low. Add the mixture to the pan and press down firmly using the back of a wooden spoon. Cook for 10 minutes on low. Place the pan in the oven and cook for 8 minutes, or until golden. Remove from the pan and serve cut into wedges.
And of course, for a really easy way to use up literally all your leftovers, there’s always bubble and squeak!