Still feeling full from your Christmas dinner? Even though you may, or may not have, over eaten, there always seems to be so much spare leftover from your festive banquet. Before you reach for the bin, The Hut have collated some of the best leftover Christmas dinner recipes that can be made from your table scraps this festive season. Including curries, gratins, desserts, snacks and more, you can rustle up something quick using your spare food, saving you both money and time …
Learn how to cook efficiently and reduce waste with tips and cookware information from Le Creuset here >>
Turkey, Ham and Vegetable Gratin
A tasty lunch or supper dish that uses Christmas day leftovers. Simply combine your Christmas leftovers including cooked turkey, ham and assorted cooked vegetables into a freshly made creamy onion sauce, top with a cheesy herby crumb and bake in the oven.
Preparation time: 10 minutesCooking time: 15 minutes making + 20 minutes in the ovenIngredients:
Onion sauce 55g (2oz) butter
2 medium onions - chopped
40g (1½ oz) plain flour
500ml (18 floz) vegetable or chicken stock
200ml (7floz) double cream
1 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg Salt to season
Leftovers
350 - 400g (12 -14oz) cooked turkey meat - roughly chopped
300g (10 ½ oz) cooked ham - roughly chopped
175g (6oz) cooked sprouts - cut in half
350 - 400g (12 -14oz) mixed cooked vegetables such as carrots, leeks, green beans, peas, asparagus or broccoli, in any combination
Optional ingredients
3 to 4 small cooked sage and onion stuffing balls - broken into half
5 to 6 cooked cocktail sausages cut in half
3 to 4 pieces of roasted parsnip cut into smaller pieces Handful cooked chestnuts - roughly chopped
2 tablespoons semi dried cranberries
Topping
115g (4oz) fresh white breadcrumbs
3 tablespoons mixed fresh herbs - chopped (thyme, sage, parsley)
Zest ½ lemon
70g (2 ½ oz) grated strong cheddar cheese
Method:
Oven: 190°C / Fan 170°C / 375°F / Gas Mark 5
- Melt the butter for the sauce in the roaster over a low to medium heat on the hob; add the onions and gentle sauté for 4 - 5 minutes until softened and lightly caramelised, stirring occasionally.
- Add in the flour and continue to cook for 1 minute. Remove the roaster away from the heat and stir in the stock a little at a time followed by the cream. You may find a silicone coated whisk easier to incorporate the liquid into the butter and flour.
- Return the roaster to the heat, bring to a simmer and cook whilst stirring until thickened. Add the pepper, nutmeg and season to taste with salt.
- Stir the leftovers into the sauce and continue to heat for 2 - 3 minutes.
- Combine the breadcrumbs, herbs, lemon zest and cheese together and sprinkle over the top of the sauce. Transfer to the oven and bake for 20 - 25 minutes until golden and bubbling.
- Serve with some crusty bread
Cook’s notes:
- If the cooked vegetables are a little large cut in half before adding.
- Chicken can be substituted for turkey.
- You can add as little or as many of the optional as you like.
Cheeseboard Macaroni Cheese
What better way to use up the scraps from your leftover cheese board than to make a tasty cheesy meal that can be eaten straight away, refrigerated and even frozen...
Preparation time: 10 minutesCooking time: 50 minutesIngredients:
350g pasta shapes
2 tbsp butter
1 garlic clove, crushed
1tsp mustard powder
½ tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
3 tbsp plain flour
500ml milk
250g mix of cheeses leftover (cook recommends cheshire, cheddar and camembert)
Scraps of hard cheese for the topping.
Method:
- Cook the pasta according to pack instructions, drain and set aside.
- Melt the butter in a saucepan, add the garlic and cook for a min until softened, then add the mustard powder and cayenne pepper and cook for 1 min more. Add the flour and stir to make a paste, cooking for about 1 min, until the mix starts to bubble a little.
- Take off the heat and gradually pour in the milk, whisking with every addition so the sauce doesn’t go lumpy. Return to the heat and cook for 5 mins until thickened, then add the cheeses, stir until melted, and fold in the pasta.
- Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Tip the pasta into a baking dish, and top with additional cheese, preferably some hard cheese such as cheddar or parmesan, then bake for 25-30 mins, until golden and bubbling. Allow to cool for 10 mins or so then serve.
Turkey Jalfrezi
Serve up your scraps in a tasty curry sauce and get the most out of your turkey. Have with rice, naan bread or veggies for a delicious mid-week meal. The ideal leftover turkey recipe...
Preparation time: 15 minutes Cooking time: 20 minutes + preferred time to infuseIngredients:
Sauce 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 1 teaspoon mustard seeds 1 teaspoon cumin seeds 80g (3oz) root ginger 3 cloves garlic 1 large onion 400g (2½ cups) chopped tomatoes with their juice 2 tablespoons ready-made Jalfrezi curry paste
Meat and vegetables 600g (1lb 5oz) leftover cooked turkey meat cut or torn into bite size chunks Salt to season 1 tablespoon oil 1 tablespoon butter 1 red pepper roughly diced, 1-2cm (½ inch) pieces 1 green pepper roughly diced into 1-2cm (½ inch) pieces 4 tomatoes cut into quarters 2 teaspoons garam masala
To finish 3 tablespoons natural yoghurt A good handful of freshly chopped coriander
Method:
- Peel and chop the ginger, garlic and onion.
- Heat the 2 tablespoons of oil in the casserole dish or stir fry pan on the hob over a low to medium heat.
- When the oil is hot add the mustard and cumin seeds, cook for one minute.
- Add the chopped ginger, garlic and onion and continue to cook until softened.
- Add the chopped tomatoes and curry paste. Stir well and cook for a couple of minutes.
- Turn off the heat, cool a little then add the contents of the pan to a processor or blender and blend until smooth.
- Return the blended sauce to the casserole and stir in the cooked turkey, butter and chicken stock. Cook uncovered over a medium heat for a couple of minutes.
- Stir in the chopped peppers, tomatoes and garam masala. Place on the lid and simmer for 12-15 minutes until the peppers are tender and the turkey meat is piping hot. (See Cook’s Notes.)
- Season to taste with a little sea salt.
- Spoon the yogurt on top of the curry and sprinkle over a generous handful of freshly chopped coriander.
- Accompany with rice and warm Indian breads.
- If you like a hotter curry, add either a fresh chilli or ¼ teaspoon of dried chilli flakes.
- Always ensure that previously cooked poultry has been stored in a refrigerator and is reheated to a temperature above 75°C (165°F).
Root Vegetable and Ham Rostis
Whether you’re looking for a midday snack or a small side dish, try this delicious crispy edged rosti that uses up all your overstocked vegetables and meats…
Preparation time: 15 minutes + coolingCooking time: 15 minutesIngredients:
250g carrots, peeled and coarsely grated
250g swede, peeled and coarsely grated
1 small onion, coarsely grated
6 eggs
1 1⁄2 tsp wholegrain mustard
150g leftover ham, shredded
2–3 tbsp groundnut oil
Method:
- Blanch the veg in a pan of boiling, salted water for 2 minutes; drain and press out as much liquid as possible. Tip into a large bowl and leave to cool. (You can do this up to 2 hours ahead.)
- Whisk 2 eggs with the mustard and mix this into the vegetables, then fold in the ham and season. Heat 1 tbsp oil in large non-stick frying pan over a medium heat, and drop in heaped tablespoons of the mixture. Gently but firmly press each mound down with a spatula into a patty about 1cm thick, with ragged edges. Fry for 2–3 minutes until the underside is golden and crispy, then carefully turn with a spatula (they will be quite delicate) and fry for another 2 minutes. Set aside on kitchen paper to drain while you cook the remaining röstis, adding more oil as necessary. You should get around 8 in total.
- Wipe out the pan and add 1 tbsp oil. Fry the remaining eggs for 2 minutes; serve on top of the rostïs and season.
Yuletide Brownies
Ingredients:
- 225g plain chocolate, broken into pieces
- 150g butter
- 3 medium eggs
- 150g light soft brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 125g self raising flour
- 1 rounded tablespoon cocoa powder
- 60g pecan nuts, chopped roughly
- 60g small glace cherries (or leftover cranberries), cut into quarters
- 60g leftover raisins or sultanas
- 100g white baking chocolate chips
- Pre-heat the Oven to 180ºC/ 350ºF, Gas 4 or for a fan oven 160ºC.
- Lightly butter the rectangular dish and place a piece of greaseproof or baking parchment into the base.
- Put the chocolate and the butter into a non-stick saucepan and melt slowly together, over a low heat, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat and cool slightly.
- Whisk together the eggs, sugar, and vanilla extract until smooth. Stir in the sieved flour and cocoa powder followed by the nuts, cherries, fruit and chocolate chips. Finally stir in the melted chocolate and butter.
- Pour into the dish and level the top. Bake in the centre of the oven for approximately 45 minutes or until the mixture feels just firm at the centre-don’t worry if the centre sinks a little as it cools, this is due to the very moist squidgy consistency.
- When cooled a little, ease around the edge of the brownies with a round bladed knife. Leave to finish cooling thoroughly in the dish before turning out.
Cook's Notes
- If possible, store for 24 hours in an airtight container before slicing.
By Olivia Seed
