15 smart ways to use up Christmas leftovers, from pies to curries and ice cream

Christmas Day is many things – generous, joyful, faintly chaotic – but it is also, inevitably, a gateway to the great leftovers limbo.

By the 27th, the fridge is a jumble of foil-wrapped parcels, Tupperware of indeterminate provenance and a nagging sense that you really should do something with that turkey before it stares you down one last time. Enter this collection: a no-judgement, high-reward guide to the very best ways to spin Christmas excess into something you’ll actually look forward to eating.

Because leftovers deserve better than limp sandwiches and half-hearted bubble and squeak (though we love both, when done properly). These recipes treat festive odds and ends not as a chore but as an opportunity – whether that’s turning fridge-cold turkey into a deeply comforting curry, stuffing yesterday’s roast into golden sausage rolls, or leaning fully into indulgence with a gravy-dunked toastie or panettone grilled cheese that feels gloriously wrong in all the right ways.

There’s plenty here for every mood and energy level. Low effort, high payoff dishes for the post-Christmas fog; slightly more involved pies and pastas for when you’re ready to potter; lighter, sharper plates to give your gut a breather; and, of course, something sweet for when the Christmas cake fatigue sets in (ice cream has the answer). Meat-heavy, veg-forward, vegan-friendly, quick fixes and cook-ahead saviours – it’s all covered.

Think of this as Boxing Day onwards, sorted. Less waste, more joy, and proof that some of the best meals of Christmas come after the big day itself – ideally eaten in slippers, with a glass of something cold and absolutely no pressure to make it pretty.

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“Leftover turkey is my favourite Christmas food and I’ll always save to buy a bigger bird than I need, so I can enjoy it after the day,” says chef and cookery content creator Jon Watts.

“This recipe turns those wonderful leftovers into a tasty curry. Over the rest of the year, you can also substitute cold roast chicken or rotisserie chicken from the supermarket. Serve with rice and naan, if you like.”

Serves: 4

Prep time: 5 minutes | Cook time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

1 tbsp vegetable oil

1 onion, chopped

3 cardamom pods

3 garlic cloves, finely chopped or grated

20g root ginger, peeled and finely grated

3 tbsp mild curry powder

1 tbsp tomato purée

400g can of chopped tomatoes

300ml chicken stock, or vegetable stock

400g leftover cooked turkey, shredded

50ml plain yoghurt

2 tsp garam masala

Coriander leaves, to serve (optional)

Method:

1. Heat the oil in a large pan over a medium-high heat. Add the onion and cardamom pods and cook for about 5 minutes, or until the onion softens.

2. Add the garlic and ginger and cook for a further minute.

3. Now add the curry powder and tomato purée and cook for 30 seconds.

4. Pour in the tomatoes and stock, stir well, then bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to medium, then simmer for 10 minutes, or until the sauce starts to thicken.

5. Add the turkey, then cover with a lid and simmer for a further 5–10 minutes.

6. Stir through the yoghurt and garam masala, then taste for seasoning and serve, scattered with coriander, if you like.

‘Speedy Comfort’ by Jon Watts (Bloomsbury Publishing, £22).

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Ingredients:

2 tbsp butter

1 white onion, finely diced

1 celery stick, finely diced

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 carrot, diced

1 leek, diced

Handful of leftover ham or bacon, roughly chopped

1 tbsp Dijon mustard

Any dried or fresh herbs, such as tarragon or parsley

3 tsp flour

300ml leftover gravy or stock

300ml double cream

Handful of grated cheese (any leftover cheese is fine)

500g shredded roast turkey or chicken (ensure there is no bones)

For the topping:

2 packs ready rolled puff pastry (if not using ready rolled, roll out until the pastry covers your tray and is around the thickness of a pound coin)

1 egg, beaten to glaze the pastry

Pinch of flaked sea salt

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 190-200C. Add butter to a large pan and wait until sizzling, add onions, leeks, carrots and celery and cook on a medium heat for around 4-6 minutes. Once softened, add garlic and cook for a further 1 minute. Add in your leftover ham and Dijon mustard to form a paste. Then add a pinch of salt and pepper to taste.

2. Next, add in your flour to form a roux and cook it out for a couple of minutes. Then add your chicken stock and cream bit by bit until you reach a thick, glossy consistency (a bit thicker than double cream). Finish with some leftover cheese and your shredded turkey.

3. Transfer to your pie dish and make sure it's level and even.

4. Next, cover your filled pie dish with your puff pastry, brush the egg over, season with flaky salt and bake for 30-40 minutes

Recipe from The Club House in West Bexington

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“There’s much debate about the best way to use Christmas leftovers but let’s face it, nothing beats a festive turkey club sandwich washed down with a frosty beer (or maybe two). A close second in our household is the mighty Christmas ragu,” says Padella chef Tim Siadatan.

“Slightly dry, fridge-cold turkey meat and stuffing? Perfect. A couple of lonely pigs in blankets? Yes, please (and I’ll take the sludgy fat they’ve set in as well). The one sad sprout destined for the compost – that’ll be our green intake for the day. Oh, and the ‘roast’ potato that didn’t quite make it – stuck in no-man’s land, somewhere between boiled and crisp. And let’s not forget the dregs of gravy that have turned to jelly.

There’s no hard-and-fast rule about what to include (though I’d draw the line at bread or cranberry sauce). The key is to lean heavily on the meat, with just a little veg – a sensible ratio is 70 per cent meat to 30 per cent veg.”

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

About 400g dried pasta (linguine or spaghetti if you have it, but go with what you’ve got)

Around 350g leftover cooked meat (turkey, duck, goose, sausage and chestnut stuffing, pigs in blankets, etc)

Around 150g leftover cooked veg/pulses (Brussels sprouts, red cabbage, cavolo nero, pumpkin, carrots, roast potato, lentils, etc)

1 heaped tbsp leftover fat (duck, goose, turkey or sausage fat) or a glug (about 40ml) of olive oil

50ml Marsala (or Vermouth or sherry)

About 150ml gravy (or milk will do if the gravy is finished)

75ml single or double cream (or crème fraîche or mascarpone)

50g unsalted butter, cubed

1 tbsp finely chopped parsley (if you have it)

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Parmesan (or a good mature Cheddar or Comté), finely grated, to finish

Method:

1. For the pasta, in a large cooking pot, bring 4-5 litres of water to the boil and add a fistful of salt. Finely chop your cooked meat. Chop the veg and pulses slightly coarser than the meat.

2. Heat the fat or olive oil in a saucepan or flameproof casserole large enough to easily fit all the ingredients, including the cooked pasta. Add the chopped meat and fry over a medium heat until just starting to brown. Add the chopped veg/pulses, stir and continue to fry for 2-3 minutes, stirring often.

3. Add the Marsala and stir for 30 seconds, then add the gravy (or milk). Turn the heat down to a low simmer and cook gently for 5 minutes. Take off the heat, stir in the cream and season with salt and pepper to taste.

4. Drop the pasta into the boiling water and follow the packet directions for timing, but take 2 minutes off the recommended cooking time.

5. Drain the pasta as soon as it’s ready, keeping two mugs of pasta water. Add the pasta to the ragu along with half a mug (about 120ml) of pasta water, the butter and chopped parsley, if using. Stir over a medium heat until the butter is melted, the sauce is smooth and creamy, and the pasta is al dente (firm to bite but easy to chew) and fully coated. If the sauce is too dry, add splashes of water to loosen it as you stir – you want the pasta to be loose and for the strands to slide freely over each other as you stir.

6. Serve on hot plates, finished with grated Parmesan (or other cheese). A peppery, herby green salad dressed in lemon oil sits well alongside.

‘Padella’ by Tim Siadatan (Bloomsbury Publishing, £25).

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“There is so much that is seemingly wrong about this combination of melted, rich cheese with golden toasted sweet bread, yet – by some kind of alchemy – the two work exceptionally well together,” says cookery writer Skye McAlpine.

“Trust me on the addition of mustard: you need a slick of something sharp and peppery to cut through the glorious, greasy, buttery richness of the whole affair (indeed, by the same principle, this would be good with a few cornichons or pickled onions on the side).

“Trust me also on the mayonnaise: I know it seems egregious to slather mayo over something as delicately flavoured as a slice of panettone, but you won’t taste it. I promise. The mayonnaise seemingly evaporates into nothingness, but the combination of its constituent parts – eggs and olive oil – paves the way for a perfectly golden exterior on the sandwich.

“This makes for a gloriously rich and indulgent breakfast, especially for those who like to start the day with something savoury, but I am also quite partial to a grilled cheese sandwich for supper, with nothing more than a little crisp green salad on the side.”

Makes: 1

Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

80-90g panettone

10g salted butter

2 heaped tsp mayonnaise

1 tsp Dijon mustard

2 heaped tbsp grated mild Cheddar

Method:

1. Slice the panettone into 2 evenly (and roughly equal) sized pieces. If it’s a round, crossways section, I like to cut it on the diagonal, so that when sandwiched together, you have a rounded triangular sandwich.

2. Set a non-stick pan over a medium heat and melt the butter. Spread the mayonnaise over 1 side of each of the pieces of panettone. Now turn a slice over so its mayonnaise-coated side is facing downwards and spread with a thin layer of mustard, then top with the grated cheese. Sandwich together with the second slice of panettone, mayonnaise-coated side facing upwards this time, then set in the pan.

3. Fry gently over a medium heat for 2-3 minutes, until the bread turns golden, then carefully flip the sandwich onto the other side and fry for a further 2–3 minutes, until golden on both sides and the cheese has melted. Serve immediately.

‘The Christmas Companion’ by Skye McAlpine (Bloomsbury Publishing, £28).

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“A glorious centrepiece!” says time-saving guru Suzanne Mulholland. “This is a ‘cook ahead’ recipe and some elements are cooked before freezing, but it will need further cooking once out of the fridge/freezer.”

Serves: 6

Prep time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

500g frozen butternut squash chunks

2 tbsp olive oil

1 red onion, diced

1 tsp frozen chopped garlic

300g chestnut mushrooms, sliced

1 x 500g block of puff pastry

Plain flour, for dusting

150g Camembert cheese, cut into slices

2 tbsp cranberry sauce

1 egg, beaten

Method (if making ahead for the fridge or freezer):

To cook in an oven:

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/160C fan. Drizzle the squash with olive oil and season well, then roast on a baking tray for 20-25 minutes until golden.

2. Fry the onion and garlic in the remaining oil until soft, add the mushrooms and cook for 5-6 minutes.

3. Combine the cooked mushrooms and squash in a bowl and leave to cool.

4. Cut the pastry in half and roll out both pieces on a lightly floured surface to a £1 coin thickness. Cut a 23cm circle from one (use a plate as a template) and a 28cm circle from the other.

5. Place the smaller circle onto a parchment-lined baking tray. Add the mushroom and squash, leaving a 2.5cm gap at the edges. Top with the Camembert and the cranberry sauce.

6. Brush the pastry edges with beaten egg, then lay the larger pastry circle on top. Press around the edges with a fork. Brush all over with egg and decorate with leftover pastry, cut into shapes.

7. Flash-freeze on the baking tray, then place the pie in a freezer bag.

To make in an air fryer:

1. Preheat the air fryer to 180C. Drizzle the squash with olive oil and season well, then place in the basket and cook for 18-20 minutes, shaking halfway.

2. Fry the onion and garlic in the remaining oil until soft, add the mushrooms and cook for 5-6 minutes.

3. Combine the cooked mushrooms and squash in a bowl and leave to cool.

4. Cut the pastry in half and roll out both pieces on a lightly floured surface to a £1 coin thickness. Cut a 23cm circle from one (use a plate as a template) and a 28cm circle from the other.

5. Place the smaller pastry circle onto a parchment-lined baking tray. Add the mushroom and squash, leaving a 2.5cm gap at the edges. Top with the Camembert and the cranberry sauce.

6. Brush the pastry edges with beaten egg, then lay the larger pastry circle on top. Press around the edges with a fork. Brush all over with egg and decorate with leftover pastry, cut into shapes.

7. Flash-freeze on the baking tray, then place the pie in a freezer bag.

To reheat:

Oven: Preheat the oven to 180C/160C fan. Place the frozen pie on a lined baking tray and cook for 45-55 minutes, covering with foil if it’s browning too quickly.

Air fryer: Preheat the air fryer to 170C and line the basket with baking parchment. Cook the frozen pie for 40-45 minutes, covering with foil if it’s browning too quickly.

If cooking now:

Follow the method in the “making ahead” section up until the end of step 6.

To cook in an oven: Preheat the oven to 180C/160C fan. Cook on a lined baking tray for 35-40 minutes until golden, covering with foil if it’s browning too quickly.

To cook in an air fryer: Preheat the air fryer to 170C and line the basket with baking parchment. Cook for 35-40 minutes until golden, covering with foil if it’s browning too quickly.

‘The Batch Lady Saves Christmas’ by Suzanne Mulholland (Ebury Press, £25).

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Makes: 16

Ingredients:

2 tbsp olive oil

1 onion, finely chopped

1 plump garlic clove, finely chopped

1 tsp dried mixed herbs

450g leftover cooked meat and/or vegetables

2 tsp chipotle paste or other chilli paste

2 tsp crème fraîche, cream or milk (if needed)

40g cold butter

1 sheet ready-rolled puff pastry, about 35 x 23cm or roughly 330g from a block

1 egg, lightly beaten

½ tsp nigella seeds

Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 220C/200C fan/425F/gas mark 7 and line a baking sheet with baking paper.

2. Warm the olive oil in a large frying pan and gently fry the onion with a pinch of salt over a medium heat until soft and translucent, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and mixed herbs and fry for a couple more minutes. Transfer to a large mixing bowl and leave to cool to room temperature.

3. Chop the leftovers by hand or pulse in a food processor. Don’t overdo it; the mixture should be rough, not smooth. Season generously with salt and pepper.

4. Transfer the leftovers to the bowl with the onions and add the chipotle paste and crème fraîche. Grate in the butter. Mix well.

5. Lay the pastry sheet on a lightly floured work surface with a short side closest to you. Fold the top edge down to meet the lower edge and lightly press to make a crease along the centre. Unfold and cut along the crease to make two smaller rectangles.

6. Fold each of the small rectangles in half along the short side. Unfold and cut along the crease to make four rectangles 9 x 23cm. Place a quarter of the filling along a long side of each pastry rectangle. Squeeze the filling as you go so it holds together. Brush the facing long edge with egg, then firmly roll into a log. Press to seal firmly. Repeat with the remaining filling and pastry.

7. Cut each log into four equal pieces and transfer to the prepared baking sheet. Brush with egg and sprinkle with nigella seeds. Bake for 25 minutes or until puffed and golden. Serve hot.

‘Second Helpings’ by Sue Quinn (Quadrille, £18.99).

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Makes: 1 sandwich

Ingredients:

2 nice, thick slices of good white bread

Lashings of butter

Heap of cooked ham, cut thin, or thick if that’s what you prefer (I like it thin)

2 heaped tbsp celeriac rémoulade (see below)

1 tsp mayo

1 tbsp very finely chopped flat leaf parsley or chives (whatever you prefer) (you might need more herbs; be prepared)

For the celeriac rémoulade (makes enough for 4-6 people):

Juice of ½ lemon

1 tbsp wholegrain mustard

1 tbsp Dijon mustard

100g mayonnaise (I like Hellmann’s) or homemade

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 tbsp red wine vinegar

½ tsp salt

10-12 grinds of black pepper

1 small celeriac (celery root), top and messy bottom cut off, peeled (but don’t do any of this until you’ve made the sauce)

Method:

1. Make the celeriac rémoulade: Put all the ingredients apart from the celeriac into a bowl and whisk them together. Taste it. Nice, huh?! Now julienne the celeriac with that special peeler you’ve bought and mix the slivers into the sauce as you go, being careful not to julienne yourself. At the end, mix well – I like to use my hands for this one so that I can gently squish everything together. Once mixed, leave for at least one hour, or ideally a few hours, for the flavour to develop and the celeriac to soften. My friend Owen, I believe, salts his celeriac slivers before putting everything together. I never bother! This’ll keep for three days in the refrigerator.

2. Make the sandwich: Butter the bottom of your bread with a heavy hand and pile on the ham in a nice, even layer.

3. Pile on the rémoulade. Lid on, bit of a squish, trim the crusts off and cut the sarnie in half with a serrated knife, back and forth, back and forth, being careful not to squidge the bread. Spread all around the open, now crustless edges of the sandwich with mayo. Sprinkle the chopped parsley onto a little plate or something and dunk the mayo’d edges into it. Sit down, feet up, TV on, enjoy yourself. Have a glass of wine, or two; it’s Boxing Day.

‘Max’s World Of Sandwiches’ by Max Halley and Ben Benton (Hardie Grant, £25).

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Serves: 6

Ingredients:

2 tbsp olive oil or water

2 leeks, washed and finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, crushed

160g sweetcorn

200g leftover vegan roast, cut into cubes (or leftover vegetables)

1 tsp sea salt

2 tsp cracked black pepper

240ml vegan-friendly white wine or vegetable stock

360ml oat or soy cream or coconut milk

1 tbsp white miso paste

A little flour, for dusting

320g ready-made vegan puff pastry

For the glaze:

4 tbsp maple syrup

4 tbsp non-dairy milk

4 tbsp vegetable oil

Method:

1. Heat the oil or water in a large saucepan placed over a medium heat. When hot, add the leeks and garlic and sauté for three to four minutes until soft. Add the sweetcorn and vegan roast (or veg), stir with a wooden spoon, and cook for a further three minutes. A little caramelisation on the turkey will add a great flavour. Add the seasoning, then pour in the wine or stock, scraping any bits off the bottom to deglaze the pan. Cook for a further three minutes.

2. Stir in the cream and miso paste and simmer gently for 15 minutes – don’t let it boil. After 15 minutes, it should be nice and creamy. Check the seasoning, and add more if needed. Scrape the filling into a 23-centimetre pie dish and leave it to cool for around 25 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 180C. Lightly flour a clean work surface and roll out your pastry to around four millimetres thick and wide enough to fit over your pie dish.

4. Carefully transfer the pastry and lay it over the filling, gently pressing around the edges of the pie dish to seal and trim off any overhanging pastry. Pinch the pastry around the edge of the pie dish to create a fluted edge. Get creative with the pastry trimmings – roll out again and cut into festive shapes or letters to decorate your pie, brushing with milk.

5. Mix the glaze ingredients together in a small bowl, then brush the glaze over the pie top and decoration. Bake on the lower shelf of the preheated oven for 30 minutes until the pastry is beautiful and golden. I like to brush over a little more glaze just before serving.

‘Plants Only Holidays’ by Gaz Oakley (Quadrille, £18.99).

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Great British Bake Off judge and chef Prue Leith says: “Few children like Christmas pudding, but I’ve never met one who didn’t like ice cream. About 40 years ago, I started using the leftover Christmas cake or lump of Christmas pudding in a Christmas dessert made mostly of vanilla ice cream.

“Now everyone expects this version of Christmas ‘pud’. Some years, the ice cream is flavoured with leftovers, sometimes I just buy a jar of mincemeat and use that.

“Sometimes it’s crumbled mince pies. But the essential thing is to get enough of that Christmas flavour – so taste as you mix, and add a bit of powdered cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and ginger, if you need to.”

Serves: 8

Ingredients:

1L/35fl oz shop-bought soft-scoop vanilla ice cream

About 350g/12oz leftover Christmas cake, pudding or mince pies, roughly crumbled

3 tbsp brandy

Method:

1. In a large, chilled mixing bowl, combine the softened ice cream with the crumbled leftovers and the brandy. Take care not to over-mix – you want to see nice big pieces of Christmas pudding, or whatever, throughout.

2. Line a large plastic pudding bowl or a large loaf tin with cling film, making sure to leave plenty of overhang so that you can wrap the contents fully. Transfer the mixture into the container, then cover the top and freeze the ‘pudding’ for at least six hours.

3. When it’s time to serve, unwrap the ice-cream pudding or loaf and either turn it out to serve in slices or scoop it from the tin.

Tips for success: Before you start, chill the cake or pud that you want to incorporate, and chill the big bowl you are going to mix it in and the small container you are going to freeze it in. Line the smaller bowl or tin with cling film to help you un-mould the ice cream later.

Use soft-scoop ice cream, so you can mix without having to melt the ice cream first. It’s better to have patches of plain ice cream than to beat all the air out of the mixture and end up with a rock-hard frozen dessert.

You want the result to be two-thirds plain vanilla ice cream and one-third added pudding/cake/mince pies.

‘Life’s Too Short To Stuff A Mushroom’ by Prue Leith (Carnival, £25).

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While Christmas leftovers make great bubble and squeak and turkey curry, sometimes all you have the energy to put together is a really, really good sandwich.

This version is fried in a pan and dipped in gravy.

Serves: 1

Prep time: 5 minutes | Cook time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

2 slices of sourdough bread

2 tbsp mayonnaise

1 tsp Dijon mustard

70g leftover turkey

Pinch of Maldon Chilli Sea Salt

Black pepper

Leftover stuffing

Leftover pigs in blankets

50g sliced Brie

1 tbsp cranberry sauce

A knob of butter

Cornichon and cocktail stick

Warm gravy for dipping, optional

Method:

1. Start by assembling your toasted sandwich. Take each slice of sourdough bread and spread the outside of each with mayonnaise. Then fill by spreading a teaspoon of Dijon mustard, followed by the leftover turkey meat. This is a good point to season the toastie with a pinch of Maldon Chilli Sea Salt and some black pepper.

2. Top this with the sliced-up leftover stuffing and pigs in blankets. Then top with slices of Brie. Finally, finish with a generous amount of cranberry sauce, then sandwich the top slice of bread on top.

3. Place a heavy-bottomed pan on medium heat and add the knob of butter. When melted, add your sandwich, then use a heavy weight to press it down. Allow this to cook on one side for approximately three to five minutes before lifting the weight and carefully flipping the sandwich. The other side should be golden and crisp on the bottom. Add the weight back on and cook the other side for the same time.

4. As soon as the toastie is done, remove it from the pan and cut it in half. The cheese should be oozy, and you can serve it with a cornichon and a cocktail stick on top. It is delicious served with warm leftover gravy for dunking.

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Christmas can be an unforgiving time for your gut. Instead of making your leftover turkey into sandwiches or pies, try transforming it into this vibrant salad. Despite having wheat in the title, “buckwheat” is a seed rather than a grain, making it naturally gluten-free. Buckwheat noodles are higher in protein and fibre than noodles made from wheat or rice. Buckwheat contains both soluble and insoluble fibre. Insoluble fibre helps food move through the gut and soluble fibre is a prebiotic to feed beneficial bacteria. It gets fermented by gut microbes to produce beneficial compounds like butyrate, which can reduce inflammation. If you’re gluten-intolerant, check the packet to ensure your noodles are 100 per cent buckwheat and not blended with wheat.

Serves: 4

Prep time: 10 minutes | Cook time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

1 cucumber

250g radishes

150g podded edamame beans, defrosted if frozen

200g buckwheat (soba) noodles

325g leftover cold roast turkey, shredded

3 spring onions, thinly sliced

3 tbsp roasted peanuts, chopped

For the dressing:

2½ tbsp Chinese sesame paste or tahini paste

2½ tbsp rice vinegar

2½ tbsp light soy sauce

1 tbsp chilli oil

1-2 cloves garlic, crushed

1½ tsp caster sugar

Method:

1. Place the cucumber on a chopping board and bash it a few times with a rolling pin. Split it open lengthways, scoop out most of the seeds with a teaspoon, then cut it diagonally into 1 cm slices.

2. Lightly smack each radish with the rolling pin until they split open. Put the cucumber and radishes into a sieve or colander, sprinkle with salt and leave it to draw out the moisture from the vegetables while you make the dressing.

3. Mix all the dressing ingredients together until smooth. Taste and adjust the ratio of vinegar, soy sauce or chilli oil if needed.

4. Cook the edamame beans and noodles in boiling water according to the packet instructions, ensuring the noodles retain a little bite. Drain and plunge into cold water. Drain well through a colander, then toss with the dressing in a large mixing bowl.

5. Pat-dry the vegetables with a clean tea towel or kitchen paper. Add them to the noodles with the turkey and spring onions.

6. Give everything a final toss, then arrange on a platter and sprinkle with chopped peanuts.

Cook’s tip: This salad works equally well with thin slices of leftover rare roast beef, or go meat-free by adding an extra handful of edamame beans. If you’re coeliac, use tamari in place of the soy sauce, as some varieties contain wheat.

Recipe from Love Your Gut

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Ingredients:

1 pre-made or homemade shortcrust pastry shell

Leftover shredded turkey, cut-up pigs in blankets, sliced roast potatoes, and crumbled stuffing

3 large eggs, beaten

125ml milk

125ml double cream

125g grated cheese (any leftover cheeseboard cheeses)

1 tbsp Dijon mustard

1 tbsp dried mixed herbs

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 160C.

2. In a large jug, mix your eggs, milk and cream, seasoning and dried herbs.

3. In the quiche case, spread out your chopped-up leftovers and half your cheese.

4. Gently pour over your egg mixed, making sure it's evenly distributed.

5. Finish with the other half of your cheese and bake for 30-35 minutes or until golden and set.

6. Let the quiche cool for at least 20 minutes before serving.

7. Serve with some cranberry sauce and salad.

Recipe from The Club House in West Bexington

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Ingredients:

200g leftover roast potatoes

200g leftover cooked vegetables

Crumbled stuffing

Shredded leftover meat

1 egg

3 tbsp plain flour

Handful of grated leftover cheese

Method:

1. Using a masher in a large bowl, mash up the leftover vegetables and roast potatoes.

2. Add your stuffing by crumbled or having nice small lumps throughout the mix.

3. Next, shred or chop your leftover meat and add it to the mix, it should be coarse.

4. Add in your grated cheese.

5. Add the beaten egg and mix, then add in flour until it all holds its shape when pressed.

6. Press them into burger-shaped pucks and lightly flour both sides.

7. To cook them heat 1 tablespoon of butter or vegetable in a frying pan to a medium high heat and evenly cook on both sides for around 3 minutes a side (try not to move them too much to avoid breakage) can do this in batches and transfer to a baking tray to finish in the oven at 180C for around 8-10 minutes.

8. Serve with poached or fried eggs and a slab of cranberry sauce.

Recipe from The Club House in West Bexington

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Serves: 6

Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

250g cooked turkey can be white or dark meat or a mix of the two

2 slices of white bread

50ml milk

5g parsley

1 shallot

1 garlic clove

1 egg

50g flour

60g panko breadcrumbs

Vegetable oil (for frying)

Method:

Place the slices of bread in a dish and pour over the milk and set to one side. Peel and finely chop the garlic and shallot and finely chop the parsley. Heat a pan with a small amount of oil over a medium heat and fry the onion and garlic for 2-3 minutes until translucent.

Add the soaked bread, onion and garlic mixture, parsley and cooked turkey with a pinch of salt and pepper to a food processor and blend until almost smooth.

Crack the egg into a shallow bowl and mix well. Add the remaining flour to a plate and season with salt and pepper, then add the panko breadcrumbs to another plate.

Remove 1/6th of the mixture at a time and form into a rough nugget shape. Coat each nugget in the flour, tap off the excess, then add to the beaten egg and finally press it into the breadcrumbs firmly to evenly coat all over.

Heat a wide non-stick frying pan (with a matching lid) with 1 inch of vegetable oil. Fry the nuggets for 2-3 minutes on each side until golden brown and crisp. Remove from the oil and drain on a cooling rack over kitchen roll. Alternatively, you can place them on a baking tray with a drizzle of oil and bake in an oven preheated to 200C/180 fan/gas 6 for 20 minutes.

Recipe from Gousto

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Serves: 2

Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients:

40g cheddar cheese

1 tsp garam masala

1 tsp turmeric

200g Brussels sprouts

1 tsp nigella seeds

160g puff pastry

5g coriander

2 garlic cloves

1 red chilli

50g lamb’s lettuce

1 brown onion

300g waxy potatoes

20g mango chutney

Method:

Preheat the oven to 200C/180C (fan)/gas 6. Boil a full kettle. Add your waxy potatoes to a pot of plenty of boiled water with a pinch of salt and bring to the boil over a high heat. Once boiling, cook for 12-15 min or until fork-tender, then drain and allow to steam.

While the potatoes are boiling, peel and finely dice your brown onion. Peel and finely chop (or grate) your garlic. Cut your red chilli in half lengthways, deseed (scrape the seeds out with a teaspoon) and chop finely.

Heat a large, wide-based pan (preferably non-stick) with a drizzle of olive oil over a medium-high heat. Once hot, add the diced onion, chopped garlic, and half the chopped chilli (can’t handle the heat? Go easy!) with a pinch of salt and cook for 5-6 min or until softened.

Meanwhile, trim the ends from your Brussels sprouts, then finely slice. Once the onion has softened, add your ground turmeric, garam masala and a splash of water and cook for 1 min. Add the sliced Brussels sprouts to the pan with a knob of butter and cook for 7-8 minutes further or until softened.

While the sprouts are softening, grate your cheddar cheese and chop the coriander finely, including the stalks. Once softened, add your mango chutney, grated cheese and half the chopped coriander (save the rest for garnish!). Season with a pinch of salt and a grind of black pepper and give everything a good mix up – this is your Brussels sprout & garam masala tart filling.

Dust your work surface with a generous sprinkling of flour. Unwrap your puff pastry and roll it out to approximately 0.5cm thickness with a rolling pin and cut into 1 square per person. Transfer the pastry square to a baking tray lined with non-stick baking paper and score a 1cm border around the edge of the pastry with a knife. Top the centre of the pastry square with the Brussels sprout & garam masala tart filling.

Add the drained potatoes to a baking tray and crush gently. Add a drizzle of olive oil, your nigella seeds and a generous pinch of salt – these are your nigella smashed potatoes.

Put the Brussels sprout and garam masala tarts and nigella smashed potatoes in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until the pastry is golden and cooked through and the potatoes are caramelised.

Wash your lamb’s lettuce, then pat dry with kitchen paper. Serve the Brussels sprout and garam masala tart with the nigella smashed potatoes and lamb’s lettuce to the side. Add a drizzle of olive oil and a grind of pepper to the lamb’s lettuce. Top the tart with the remaining chopped coriander and chopped chilli (not a fan of spice? Just add a little!).

Recipe from Gousto