Christmas Leftover Recipes: Make Your Twixmas Delicious

‘Tis a time of wonder. ‘Tis a time of magic. ‘Tis a time of not enough space in the blimmin’ fridge! So let us help you clear some of that excess with a selection of Christmas leftover recipes. We’ve ordered these by commonly over-ordered ingredients, so choose whichever is taking up the most room in your kitchen and get cooking!

Turkey

Leftover turkey sandwiches are almost as synonymous with Christmas as the main roast itself. But there are plenty of other formations your big bird can take …

• Spicy turkey noodles: An easy peasy recipe that uses a lot of ingredients probably already in your cupboards so no last-minute dash to the shops required. Turkey is the centre piece but feel free to add some leftover sprouts for a bit of green. See recipe here.
• Roast potato, turkey and stuffing pie: Take all your favourite bits from Christmas dinner (turkey! Stuffing! Roasties! Pigs in blankets!) and reinvent them in this hearty and most delicious pie. See recipe here.
• Turkey risotto: It might not pop straight into your mind, but a turkey risotto is a great way to give life to the old bird. Bonus points for using up the leftover gravy too! See recipe here.
• Turkey sloppy Joes: You’ll need the kitchen roll handy for this one, but what sloppy Joes lack in neatness they make up for in ease and taste. Combine shredded meat with BBQ sauce and gravy for an oozy, yummy burger that the kids will love. See recipe here.
• Mulligatawny soup: When in doubt, make a soup (nearly every leftover can be blitzed into a delicious soup!). In this case, shredded turkey, butternut squash and some store cupboard basics. See recipe here.
• Turkey potato croquettes: Beautifully simple and using both leftover turkey and mashed potatoes, these croquettes require just seven ingredients and are ready in 15 minutes. See recipe here.

Ham

It is the nation’s favourite Christmas meat second to turkey, so it’s no surprise that a few more ham recipes in the repertoire will come in useful this Twixmas …

• Klump: It may not have the most delicious-sounding name, but this German-inspired dish mixes leftover ham (or bacon, if you prefer), pears, potato and kale. Chuck in a few leftover veggies too for added flavour. See recipe here.
• Ham and potato hash: A breakfast classic and best accompanied by baked beans and a gooey fried egg. Yum. See recipe here.
• Christmas carbonara: After all the festive consumption a nice, light pasta can work wonders. Ok this dish also includes cream and cheese so it’s not totally indulgence free but hey, it’s Christmas. See recipe here.
• Ham and watercress salad: A SALAD?! At Christmas?? Trust us, this is yummy and as well as the ham it also uses up other festive favourites like dried cranberries and hazelnuts. See recipe here.
• Melting nachos with shredded gammon: Perfect for sharing while cosied up on the sofa in front of a favourite film, these nachos are hammy, cheesy and ready in minutes. See recipe here.
• Pea and ham soup: An old favourite, pea and ham soup is best enjoyed after returning home shivering after a long wintery walk. Keep it in the freezer to be defrosted and enjoyed in weeks to come. See recipe here.

Vegetables

Carrots, potatoes, cabbage, parsnips. broccoli and of course the dreaded sprouts. A clingfilm-covered dish of pallid vegetables may usually haunt you in the week after Christmas, but not if you try one of these dishes out …

• Bubble and squeak cakes: A traditional leftovers dish, bubble and squeak conventionally combines potato with cabbage but you can chuck any leftover veggies in to suit. Carrots and sprouts are equally delicious inclusions. See recipe here.
• Curried vegetable pie: Not only is this recipe gluten-free, it is also a veggie free-for-all with there being no such thing as too much veg. That makes it a great option for using up leftovers. Simplify the recipe by buying shop-bought pastry (we won’t tell) but make sure you still buy gluten-free pastry if needed. See recipe here.
• Christmas vegetable laksa: It’s another case of the-more-the-merrier with this recipe, as all leftover veggies will work well. Vegetarian guests will be happy, but if you’re all carnivores then you could also chuck some leftover roast meat in too. See recipe here.
• Leftover veg and orange cake: Cake might not spring to mind when it comes to repurposing leftover vegetables, but don’t discount it right away. Root vegetables work really well in a sponge (think: carrot cake). Plus, it’s healthy … right? See recipe here.
• Roasted veg frittata: Add feta to this veggie, eggy dish and you’re onto a winner. Ready in just 10 minutes. See recipe here.

Canapes

Ok, we admit, usually there aren’t many of these bite-sized delicacies left over. But if for some reason you have very restrained guests, you can try …

• Brown rice canapé bowl: We confess that this one looks a little strange. Tempura prawn on microwavable rice? But beggars can’t be choosers and Christmas is a time of forgiveness, so if this one turns out terribly we hope you’ll let us off. See recipe here.

Cheese

There is such a thing as over-cheesed, and it frequently occurs at Christmas. But adding the leftovers of your cheeseboard into other dishes is an excellent way to ensure nothing goes to waste.

• Posh toasties: You probably don’t need a recipe for this one, but the humble cheese toastie can be well elevated after Christmas. Ditch cheddar and opt for camembert, brie, red Leicester instead – any cheese that melts nicely. See recipe here.
• Cheeseboard mac and cheese: Macaroni cheese is pure comfort food and it’s not fussy when it comes to cheeses. Soft cheeses can become part of the main sauce, while hard cheeses can be grated over the top for that lovely, savoury crunch. See recipe here.
• Melty cheese fondue pot: Fondue is a wonderful family recipe where everyone gathers around a single, bubbling, cheesy pot on the table to dip their food of choice (you can’t go wrong with bread and raw veg) and shriek when it inevitably falls in. See recipe here.
• Cheeseboard and onion tart: Blue cheese, hard cheese and creamy cheese can all be utilised in this wonderfully simple recipe which requires just eight ingredients (six if you opt for shop-bought pastry instead). See recipe here.

Christmas cake and pudding

You eat it at no other time of year, so the need to scoff as much Christmas cake and pudding as possible is strong.

• Christmas cake souffle: Requiring just five ingredients, plus caramel sauce to serve, this souffle recipe wins on three counts: it uses up leftover Christmas cake, it’s simple, and it earns you serious smug points. See recipe here.
• Christmas cake scones: Use up your cake, pudding or both to create these warming scones. They’re very Christmassy with dried cranberries and mixed spice too. See recipe here.
• Christmas pudding trifle: Ah, the good old British trifle. Replace the bottom sponge layer with your leftover Christmas pudding, topped with Grand Marnier-soaked oranges, custard and the obligatory whipped cream. See recipe here.
• Christmas pudding strudel: Finally! A use for that Baileys! Mix it with the pudding and marscapone before covering in filo layers. Can also be refrigerated for up to a day. See recipe here.

Wine

Now come on, we don’t really need to tell you what to do with all that leftover wine, do we!?

• Drink it!

Wishing you all a very happy, delicious Twixmas full of Christmas leftover recipes. See you in the new year!

Lots of love from all the One Day Creative team x