How to transform Christmas leftovers into something special

Everyone loves a Boxing Day sandwich, but leftovers aren't just for picking at straight from the fridge. These easy meals made from the Christmas leftovers are special enough for guests…

When Christmas is over, leftovers help us through the festive in-between days. More than that, they are something to properly look forward to and they deserve better than being plonked cold onto a plate. Armed with the Food Standards Agency's guide to properly storing leftovers, our ideas will help you transform them into proper delicious meals to be proud of.

Transforming… turkey

Hearty turkey chowder

“This is a perfect way to use leftover turkey along with any remaining veg without too much effort,” says Natalie Coleman, Head Chef at The Oyster Shed, London.

“Simply shred the leftover turkey and combine with some stock and double cream, along with thyme, bay leaves, potatoes, onion, leek, celery and carrots, plus some crispy bacon lardons for the ultimate Boxing Day meal. Best served with a warm, crusty bread roll – this is comfort food at its finest!”

Leftovers pie

A white sauce, mixed with cream and mustard, can make leftover turkey, ham, roast vegetables and greens into a fantastic pie filling. If you fancy some fun and restorative cooking, a rough puff pastry is both forgiving to make and impressive to eat.

Butternut squash and turkey risotto

Michael Caines, Chef Patron at Lympstone Manor, Exmouth explains: “After the excesses of the Christmas meal, this is a deliciously simple one-dish meal: a risotto made in the classic way using leftover turkey and turkey stock.Make a butternut squash risotto as you usually would, then add the turkey towards the end.

“Cooking time [of the risotto] will depend on the variety of rice, probably between 14–18 minutes. Add the diced turkey five minutes before the rice is done to ensure it doesn’t dry out – making sure to keep it ‘al dente’. Remove from the heat when the rice is cooked – not chalky but still firm – then vigorously beat in grated Parmesan and a good spoonful of mascarpone. Serve at once with a fresh grating of Parmesan on top,” suggests Caines.

Turkey curry puffs

Chef and Tiktok food star Tristan Welch suggests: “Make a simple turkey curry by sautéing some garlic, chilli and ginger, adding your curry paste and tinned tomatoes and popping in your turkey. Moisten it with a bit of gravy and you can put in any veggies you’ve got leftover.

“Then fold the curry into pasties using sheets of ready-made puff pastry and bake in the oven for delicious turkey curry puffs.”

Transforming… vegetables and sides

Veg pies

A pie is an easy way to make an impressive new dish from existing ingredients. For plant-based chef and nutrition coach Lisa Marley, the preference is to use filo pastry. “Scrunched up filo pastry makes a great topping for a creamy pie. Add a tin of coconut milk to chopped vegetables, as well as dried herbs (or curry paste if you have it) and bake in the oven.” Alternatively, use puff pastry to make free-form tarts.

Cheesy pasta

Put those unused bits from the cheese board to good use, says Marley: “Make a white sauce and stir in the leftover cheese. Add 500ml milk, four tablespoons flour and 30g butter to a pan and whisk over a medium heat. Once it starts to thicken, add in the cheese, around 120g is perfect.” Then, pour over the pasta of your choice.

Take it a step further and make Christmas leftovers macaroni cheese, add your leftover root veg to the pasta and cheese mixture and then crumble over some stuffing on top and place in the oven for 20-25 minutes (200C/180C Fan/Gas 6).

Carrot and lentil curry

Turkey curry has become a mainstay of leftover recipes, but if you’re after a meat-free alternative there are plenty of options too, says Marley.

“Throw in tinned chickpeas, tinned lentils, and a tin of tomatoes into a large pan. Add two tablespoons of curry powder and any leftover, cooked chopped vegetables and reduce to a thick, fragrant vegetable curry. Add fresh coriander (or any fresh herbs you may have) and serve with rice.”

Transforming… a bit of everything

Cottage pie

“This is really easy as most people will have some gravy, meat and veg leftover,” says Kenny Tutt, MasterChef 2018 champion and founder of restaurants PITCH and Bayside Social, Sussex.

“For the filling, chop up all the leftover meat – whether that’s gammon, turkey or beef into small pieces, and stir in gravy. For the top, chop your leftover veg including parsnips, sprouts and potatoes and mix through some mashed potatoes. Use any little bits of cheese from the cheeseboard like Stilton or Wensleydale to sprinkle on the potato top. Pop it into a hot oven, bake until the cheese is bubbling and crispy. It’s a really warming, zero waste dish!”

Christmas dinner burrito

“This makes amazing lunches, dinners or just quick snacks. And the secret to the success of this recipe is gravy. Always put in as much gravy as you think it can handle,” says Welch.

“Crush some roast potatoes down onto a flat tortilla and then add any of the Christmas veg you’ve got left.

“Also add turkey, some crispy skin, pigs in blankets, lashings of gravy, salt and pepper and even some cheese and a dollop of cranberry sauce.

“Then roll into a burrito shape and fry in a pan until it’s crispy on the outside – it’s an absolute winner.”

The ultimate Boxing Day toasted sandwich

The Christmas leftover toastie is hard to beat – and if you’re a veggie, there are options too.

“I actually look forward to all of the flavours of Christmas neatly tucked between two thick pieces of bread more than the main event itself, says Tutt, before adding: “Make it with sliced turkey leftovers, crushed roast potatoes, cranberry sauce, rocket and cheese, and [serve it in] toasted white sourdough or bloomer bread.

“Giving you the very best fillings with very little effort, the mixture of sweet, crunch and creamy cheese (use any cheese that you have left such as cheddar or Stilton that melts well, or a soft cheese that you can spread instead) really does make this a decadent treat.

“For a veggie alternative swap out the turkey for any leftover root vegetables like parsnips or carrots.”

Transforming… Christmas pudding

Fried Christmas pudding, fried eggs and chilli

Welch explains: “Boxing Day morning always starts with this, it’s my favourite. Just fry some Christmas pudding in butter until it’s crispy and serve with two fried eggs and a sprinkle of fried, crushed chilli! It’s the perfect Boxing Day breakfast.”

Christmas pudding ice cream

“Another great use for Christmas pudding is to take ice cream and mix the two – it’s a great way to use up the pudding and you can keep it in the freezer for weeks afterwards,” says Welch. He advises: “Crumble the leftover Christmas pudding and fry in some butter, add a splash of brandy and mixed candied peel if you’ve got it. Then let it cool and fold through some ice cream before refreezing (or eating!).”

Christmas pudding chocolate truffles

If you’re having guests over during the festive period, you can impress them with homemade Christmas pudding chocolates. Marley suggests, “crumble around 100g of the leftover Christmas pudding in a bowl, add 250g melted chocolate. Pour in 75g warm cream and mix to combine. You can also add a splash of your favourite spirit. Place in the fridge to set for at least four hours. Roll into truffles and coat with cocoa powder.”

Originally published December 2022