Delicious Things to Do With Your Christmas Leftovers
James Davies
Inevitably we all buy too much food for Christmas time: dining tables groan under a banquet of seasonal delights and belts are loosened to make room for expanded girths, but still we all wake up on Boxing Day morning to a fridge full of leftovers. Eating turkey sandwiches for breakfast, lunch and dinner for the foreseeable future may not be an attractive option, so shake things up with the ten ideas below:
· Leftover turkey can be made into the Spanish Tapas favourite “croquettes”. These small snacks can also be made with leftover ham and cheese for an alternative flavour. The meat should be sliced into very small pieces and mixed with a thick bechamel sauce. When the Bechamel sauce mixture is cooled, coat spoonfuls of the mixture with breadcrumbs. Fry or bake these until crispy and golden, and serve as a teatime snack or light supper with a selection of dips.
· Turn leftover vegetables and mash into a satisfying Bubble & Squeak, which is delicious served for breakfast with sausages and bacon. This simple dish is made by mixing the vegetables and mash, along with salt and pepper to season. Heat some oil in a frying pan and cook the mixture until it is golden on one side, before flipping over the cook the top.
· If you have spare Yorkshire Puddings leftover, ring the changes by turning them into a fun and tasty dessert. Warm individual Yorkshire Puddings up for a few minutes in a hot oven, then fill with a scoop of your favourite ice-cream, plus fruit or chocolate sauce. Kids love these desserts and you are not limited as to what you put in them- Golden Syrup is a particularly popular topping.
· Try making a delicious Roast Dinner Soup to use up a variety of ingredients: cooked meats, vegetables and potatoes can all be added. If you have a blender handy, this warming soup couldn’t be easier or quicker to make. Simply add you chosen ingredients to a large pan of hot, richly flavoured stock and blend, then heat through. The result is satisfying and warming dish, perfect on the coldest days.
· If you make too much stuffing, don’t cook it all at once. Save some of the raw mixture and shape into burger patties. These can be frozen, and then cooked as required, to be served in a burger bun with salad and sauces. Another idea is to fry stuffing balls and serve with a tomato based pasta sauce and spaghetti.
· Make leftover Melon and Champagne into a light and refreshing sorbet, a perfect palate cleanser after the excesses of Christmas. Liquidise the melon(any variety will do, but Cantaloupe is particularly good) and add a small glass of Champagne, one teaspoon of lemon juice and sugar, to taste. Place the mixture in a large bowl and freeze, whisking it every hour or so to break up ice crystals and ensure a smooth, thick blend.
· An indulgent treat which makes a quick and festive supper is the Pan-fried Cheese Sandwich with Cranberry Sauce. Any cheese which melts well could be used, but it works particularly well with Brie and Camembert, which many of us find lurking in the fridge after Christmas Day is past. For each serving, butter two slices of bread and prepare the sandwich with the buttered sides facing out, to stop it sticking to the pan. Fill with sliced cheese and a dollop of cranberry sauce and fry until golden brown.
· Candy canes and chocolate bars can be combined to make minty sweet Candy Cane Treats. Gently melt plain, milk and white chocolate bars over a bowl of hot water, and add crushed candy canes. Drop spoonfuls of this mixture onto greaseproof paper and allow to cool before eating. Kids can get involved with this recipe with an adult supervising, and can sprinkle the warm chocolate with extra ingredients- try desiccated coconut or chopped dried fruit.
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Filed under Food and Drink