Don't let anything go to waste! Turn your Xmas leftovers into salads, pancakes, enchiladas and more
So you’ve planned, prepared, and demolished an epic Christmas feast for the whole fam. Now comes the hard part: what to do with all the leftovers. Forget about making turkey sandwiches for the rest of the week – don your aprons and whip up inspiring, delish meals with these easy-peasy Christmas leftover recipes that’ll have you sated well past New Year’s.
Leftover ham
Ham and cheese breakfast enchiladas
The perfect morning-after meal – these ham and cheese enchiladas can be customised the way you like it. Not Mexican-y enough for you? Throw in diced green chillies and serve them with salsa. If you’re Mr. or Ms. Grumpy in the morning, make these the night before, just before you hit the sack.
Leftover turkey
Too much turkey? Throw some chunks and slices into a piping hot bowl of pho. Be sure to toast the spices (cinnamon, anise and cloves) before making the pho, as these things will really bring out the flavour of the broth.
Leftover roast beef
Roast beef salad with shiitake mushrooms and goat cheese
Fare thee well, over-indulgence! It’s time to eat clean — even with an ingredient like roast beef. Choose your greens, add in some cooked shiitake mushrooms (plus goat cheese) and chow down. You don’t need much dressing for this one, just some balsamic vinegar and a bit of lime juice.
Leftover mashed potatoes
This wonderful recipe is actually making us save some spuds for cheesy mashed potato pancakes. Mash them up in a bowl with other ingredients like cheese, scallions, egg and flour before frying them in a pan until golden brown. Top these babies with some sour cream for a lip-smacking treat any time of the day.
Leftover wine
We’re not entirely sure how someone would wind up with leftover wine (really?), but should you want to “get rid” of it, you might as well make this fab wine jelly, which goes great with some cheese and crackers. The main steps are to reduce it, sweeten it, thicken it, reinforce it, and set it.
Leftover bread
You could even use stale bread for this recipe – just be sure to warm it up so it softens. The other components of this belly-warming creation are pretty simple (lots of onions, olive oil, garlic, and cheese), though you’ll want some beer or wine on hand to give it an added oomph.
Leftover vegetables
Making this classic English favourite is the best way of using your leftovers, no matter what greens you have. This recipe calls for Brussels sprouts and you’d end up with bubble and squeak potato cakes. Mmm.