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Bubble & Squeak
Bubble and Squeak is the most tradtional way of using leftovers from Christmas and it's a great way of using up leftover mash, sprouts and cabbage.
Ingredients:
- 1 tbsp duck fat, goose fat or butter
- 4 rashers of streaky bacon, chopped
- 1 onion, finely sliced
- 1 garlic clove, chopped
- 15-20 cooked Brussels sprouts, sliced, or leftover boiled cabbage, shredded
- 400g cold leftover mashed potato, or cold crushed boiled potatoes
Method:
- Melt 1 tbsp duck fat, goose fat or butter in a non-stick pan, allow it to get nice and hot, then add 4 chopped streaky bacon rashers. As it begins to brown, add 1 finely sliced onion and 1 chopped garlic clove.
- Next, add 15-20 sliced cooked Brussels sprouts or shredded boiled cabbage and let it colour slightly. All this will take 5-6 mins.
- Add 400g cold mashed potato. Work everything together in the pan and push it down so that the mixture covers the base of the pan.
- Allow the mixture to catch slightly on the base of the pan before turning it over and doing the same again. It’s the bits of potato that catch in the pan that define the term ‘bubble and squeak’, so be brave and let the mixture colour.
- Cut into wedges and serve.
Turkey Noodles
Use up your turkey leftovers at Christmas to whip up some spicy turkey stir-fry.
Ingredients:
- 250g medium egg noodles
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 limes , juiced
- 2 tsp brown sugar
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 garlic clove , thinly sliced
- 1 red chilli , thinly sliced
- 500g cooked turkey , sliced
- 2 spring onions , thinly sliced on a diagonal
- 100g beansprouts
- 30g salted peanuts
Method:
- Cook the noodles according to pack instructions, then drain and rinse with cold water. Set aside. Mix the soy, lime juice and sugar together.
- Heat the oil in a large frying pan or wok and add the garlic, chilli, turkey and spring onions, fry for around 2 mins, then tip in the noodles and the beansprouts and fry for 1 min more.
- Pour the sauce into the pan and toss everything together well, working quickly to coat all the vegetables and noodles.
- Once everything is heated through, season, and tip into bowls. Scatter over the nuts and coriander, and serve with lime wedges for squeezing over.
Cheeseboard Macaroni Cheese
What better way to use up your cheeseboard after a dinner party than with a creamy mac 'n' cheese dinner? Easy comfort food for weeknight!
Ingredients:
- 350g pasta shapes
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 garlic clove , crushed
- 1 tsp mustard powder
- ½ tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
- 3 tbsp plain flour
- 500ml milk
- 250g mix of cheeses you have around
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 Tikka Masala
Craving spice after the traditional Christmas lunch? Want to turn your leftover turkey into a whole new dish? Why not try adding in your leftover turkey into a tasty Turkey Tikka Masala.
Ingredients:
- sunflower oil
- onion, finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, crushed or finely grated
- thumb-sized piece of ginger, peeled and finely grated
- 1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- ½ tsp paprika
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
- ½ tsp garam masala
- 1 tbsp tomato purée
- 400g can passata or chopped tomatoes
- 1 tbsp mango chutney
- 100ml double cream
- 2 tbsp natural yogurt (optional)
- about 600g leftover roast turkey, cut into large chunks
- chopped coriander, toasted flaked almonds, steamed rice and garlic naan breads, to serve
Method:
- Heat oil in a casserole dish or shallow pan over a medium heat, and fry the onions for 10-12 mins until golden.
- Stir in the garlic, ginger, chilli and all the spices, and cook for 2 mins more until the mixture resembles a paste. Stir in the tomato purée, passata or chopped tomatoes and mango chutney, and bring to a simmer. Cook for a further 10 mins.
- Stir in most of the cream and the yogurt, if using, and return the mixture to a simmer. Add the turkey and continue to simmer until the turkey is piping hot.
- Remove from the heat, drizzle over the remaining cream and stir through briefly. Scatter over some coriander and flaked almonds, and serve with the rice and naan breads on the side.
Christmas Leftover Sandwich
Hollow out a loaf of bread and layer up all your Christmas leftovers inside it to make a lip-smacking sandwich.
Ingredients:
- 400g white round crusty loaf
- 2 tbsp mayonnaise
- 2 tsp English mustard
- 3-4 tbsp cranberry sauce
- handful of baby spinach
- 3-4 tbsp crispy onions
- 250g leftover roast turkey
- 6 leftover cooked pigs in blankets, halved lengthways
- 150g leftover cooked stuffing
Method:
- Slice a roughly 3cm lid off the top of the loaf. Scoop out most of the bread from the loaf and lid, leaving about a 1cm layer.
- Combine the mayonnaise and mustard, then spread 2 tbsp over the inside of the loaf, and 1 tbsp inside the lid.
- Spoon most of the cranberry sauce into the lid, followed by half the spinach, the crispy onions, and half the turkey. Arrange the rest of the turkey in the base of the loaf, followed by the rest of the cranberry sauce, the pigs in blankets, stuffing and remaining spinach.
- Top the loaf with the stuffed lid, press down lightly, then tightly wrap and chill for at least 3 hrs. Slice into four or six wedges to serve.