Got a fridge piled high with turkey, ham & lots of cheese and wondering what to do with your Christmas dinner leftovers? Can Brussels Sprouts really have a second life beyond the Christmas dinner table?
In today’s blog, we caught up with some of our favourite foodies for tasty - and sustainable - ways to reduce waste and mop up the leftovers in style. From pies to toasties, these recipes are packed with lots of festive flavour, and are perfect for Boxing Day and beyond…
Epic turkey toastie
Use up your Christmas dinner leftovers to make our ultimate toastie with turkey, stuffing and homemade bubble and squeak
Putting mayonnaise, instead of butter, on the outside of the bread is the greatest toastie hack you’ll ever learn. It gets infinitely more crisp than butter
Ingredients
white bloomer bread 4 slices
Mayonnaise 4 tbsp
cranberry sauce 6 tbsp
cooked turkey a few slices
cooked stuffing a few slices (optional if you don’t want the carb double up)
brie 8 slices
spicy pickled beetroots 3, sliced (we used Waitrose sweet and spicy beetroots)
coleslaw 4 tbsp
BUBBLE AND SQUEAK
roast potatoes 6, finely chopped
cooked brussels sprouts 25g, finely chopped
roast parsnips 50g, finely chopped
roast carrots 50g, finely chopped
pigs in blankets 2, finely chopped
Branson Original Pickle 1½ tbsp.
vegetable oil 2 tsp
Method
STEP 1
Start by making the bubble and squeak. Put the roast potatoes, sprouts, parsnips, carrots and pigs in blankets in a bowl with the pickle and lots of seasoning. Mash with a potato masher until it starts to combine and the mixture holds together when squeezed. Form into two 10cm x 7cm patties. Heat ½ the vegetable oil in a frying pan and fry the patties for 2 minutes on each side until golden and crisp.
STEP 2
Put the bloomer slices onto a large chopping board and spread the outsides with mayonnaise. Spread 1 tbsp of cranberry sauce on the inside of each slice and divide the turkey and stuffing between 2 of the slices. Spoon the remaining cranberry sauce over the top of the bubble and squeak patties, followed by the brie slices. Put onto the sandwiches, followed by the beetroot and coleslaw, and top with the remaining 2 bloomer slices.
STEP 3
Wipe the frying pan clean with kitchen paper and heat the remaining tsp of oil, then wipe with kitchen paper. Fry the sandwiches, weighing them down with a clean pan, for 2-3 minutes on each side or until really golden and crisp. Cut in half and serve.
Loaded spicy turkey ham naans
Use up your leftover turkey to make our incredibly moreish tikka spiced naans with the sweetness of mango chutney and freshness of a simple pea relish. Perfect for a Boxing Day brunch.
Ingredients
curry paste (any kind will do) 1 tbsp
natural yogurt 4 tbsp
cooked turkey 200g, cut into large chunks
ground turmeric ¼ tsp
mint sauce 1 tsp
naan breads 2
mango chutney 3 tbsp
red onion a few thin slices
tomato 1, chopped
mint leaves to serve, (optional)
PEA RELISH
frozen peas 100g, defrosted
spring onions 3, finely chopped
mint a handful of leaves
red chilli ½, finely chopped
groundnut oil 1 tsp
lemon juice a squeeze
Method
STEP 1
Mix the curry paste and 1 tbsp of the yogurt in a bowl, then mix the turkey in and leave for 10 minutes.
STEP 2
In another bowl, mix the remaining yogurt with the turmeric and mint sauce.
STEP 3
To make the pea relish, toss all of the ingredients together in a bowl with lots of seasoning.
STEP 4
Warm the naan breads in the oven following pack instructions.
STEP 5
Spread the turkey on a baking sheet and grill on high until a little charred and heated through.
STEP 6
Put the naans on plates and spread over the mango chutney. Top with the turkey, onion, tomato and pea relish, then drizzle with the minty yogurt. Finish with mint leaves sprinkled on top, if you like.
Buttermilk fried turkey
Buttermilk fried turkey is a great alternative to chicken. The buttermilk makes the batter really light and crisp
Ingredients
skinless turkey breast 1 (or 450g slices)
buttermilk 284ml
plain flour 100g
celery salt ½ tsp
paprika 2 tsp
garlic powder or smoked garlic powder 1 tsp
cayenne a large pinch
groundnut oil for frying
lemon wedges to serve
coleslaw to serve (optional)
Method
STEP 1
Cut the turkey breast into goujons or the slices into strips and soak them in the buttermilk in the fridge for 1 hour.
STEP 2
Heat the oven to 220C/fan 190C/gas 7. Put a roasting rack over a roasting tin. Mix the flour, celery salt, paprika, garlic powder and cayenne and tip the lot onto a large flat plate. Add a generous amount of seasoning. Shake the buttermilk off each piece of turkey and toss it in the flour mix until it’s completely coated.
STEP 3
Heat 4cm oil in a large deep, non-stick frying pan until a cube of bread browns in 30 seconds. Add the turkey in batches of 4 or 5 pieces and fry for a few minutes until they’re light gold all over (don’t let them get too dark as you are going to cook them in the oven).
STEP 4
Carefully lift each piece onto the roasting rack with a slotted spoon. When all the pieces have been fried, put them in the oven for 10 minutes to finish cooking (separate the pieces out a little so they crisp up rather than steam). Serve hot sprinkled with sea salt, the lemon wedges to squeeze over, and coleslaw.
Turkey, stuffing and cranberry sausage puffs
Try these crispy turkey, stuffing and cranberry sausage puffs for an easy festive canapé. This recipe makes 15 and can be made well in advance, meaning you'll be ready for all those Christmas parties
Ingredients
turkey thigh mince 350g
sage and onion stuffing 200g
dried cranberries 3 tbsp, chopped
puff pastry 500g pack
English mustard 1 tbsp
cranberry sauce 1½ tbsp.
egg 1, beaten
black onion seeds (nigella seeds) 1 tbsp
Method
STEP 1
Put the turkey mince, stuffing, dried cranberries and some seasoning into a bowl and mix well.
STEP 2
Heat the oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Roll the block of pastry to a 50 x 30cm rectangle and cut into 15 10 x 10cm squares. Brush a little mustard into the middle of one square and put 1½ tbsp of mince and stuffing mixture in the middle. Make an indent in the stuffing and put 1 tsp of cranberry sauce. Fold the four corners into the middle, making a loose parcel, and seal lightly at the top. Transfer to a baking-paper-lined tray, brush with beaten egg and sprinkle with onion seeds. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling. At this stage you can freeze these on the tray and, once frozen, transfer to freezer bags. To serve, defrost in the fridge overnight.
STEP 3
Bake for 15-20 minutes until puffed and golden. Cool on a wire rack and eat warm with more cranberry sauce.
We also spoke to to some of our favourite local food bloggers to get some top tips of how they use their leftovers…
@glutenfreefi’s Boxing Day Breakfast Hash.
Fiona said: “I chop up (or literally just hash up) any leftover veg, turkey and ham (and cocktail sausages if you like), mix it all together in a wok, then fry and serve with poached eggs for an amazing Boxing Day brekkie!
@eatingideas - Christmas Pie
Lynne said: “Place the chopped up turkey & ham in a casserole dish, top with veg and stuffing, pour over the gravy, then slice all the roasties before laying over the top and heating in the oven. Cheese on top of that is optional! This is perfect for freezing if you fancy keeping a bit of festive goodness for a later date! The problem in our house is that we rarely have that many potatoes left, so we’ve chosen a good puff pastry topping as an alternative!”
@Dishyouwerehere – Turkey curry
Marty from Dish You Were Here said: “Make a turkey curry – with sprouts! Believe me, sprouts in a curry is a total game changer – try it and believe it!”