7 great recipes to use up your leftover Christmas food

Posted by Kati Auld on 26 December 2012

Is there anything quite as depressing as the difference between fresh Christmas food, steaming and succulent, and the stodgy stuff in the fridge on Boxing Day? No. So don’t pick blindly at the cold leftovers: that isn’t going to make them regress to deliciousness. Instead, heat up a pan and try some of these really easy ways to make yourself grateful that you didn’t have thirds last night.

 

1. Vegetable frittata

Usually vegetables make up the bulk of the left-overs, seeing as they’re the least exciting thing on a Christmas dinner-table. This breakfast frittata is a great way to feed a number of people with very little effort, and it doesn’t really matter at all whether your left-overs are green beans, roasted butternut or peasepudding (we’ll probably have to draw the line at salad, though).

Ingredients:

  • 2 Tb oil
  • About a cup of left-over vegetables, chopped into bite-sized pieces
  • 8 eggs
  • Splash of milk (roughly three Tb)
  • ½ cup of cheese (gouda, mozzarella, feta: whatever you have on hand

Pre-heat your oven to 180. Then heat up a pan with the oil, and add your vegetables. Beat eggs with the milk, and when your vegetables are sizzling and have gained some colour, pour the eggs into the pan evenly. When the edges have set, sprinkle the cheese over the top and place the pan in your oven for about 15 minutes, or until the frittata has set and is golden-brown on top. Slice into wedges and serve with crusty bread or leftover salad.

 

2. Greek-style lamb pita

Lamb is growing in popularity as a Christmas dish in South Africa. Especially when it’s been roasted with garlic and rosemary, lamb is ideal in a Greek-style pita the next day.

Ingredients:

  • Left-over lamb, sliced
  • Ready-made wholewheat pitas
  • 1 red onion, diced
  • Tzatziki and/or hummus (make your own tzatziki by adding chopped mint and cucumber to plain yoghurt)

Cut your pita in half and assemble!

 

3. Turkey terrine

Here’s a recipe for using up leftover Christmas turkey and gammon: a delicate terrine set with naturally jellied stock and flavoured with a zingy mixture of fresh parsley, capers and gherkins.

 

4. Turkey sarmie

If that seems like too much effort, roast turkey is a fantastic substitute in a chicken-mayo toastie. Slather some bread with butter, mayo, mustard, slices of turkey and whatever else takes your fancy, and put it in the snackwich-maker until it’s golden brown.

 

 

5. Pea and ham soup

Ham can be used for a number of deliciously creamy dishes (pasta alfredo, for instance) but the day after Christmas, it’s unlikely that you’ll be in need of rich food. This soup is comforting, nutritious and simple.

Ingredients:

  • 50 g butter
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 4 cloves of garlic, crushed
  • 4 bay leaves
  • 250 grams ham, cubed
  • 500 grams frozen peas
  • 750 grams stock (chicken or vegetable)
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Creme fraiche to garnish (optional)

Melt the butter in a large pot and add the onion, garlic, bay leaves and ham. Cook gently until soft but not coloured. Then add the peas and two-thirds of the stock, and bring to the boil. Let simmer until the peas are soft, then discard the bay leaves and blend the soup. Add the rest of the stock slowly, to get the consistency you desire. When it’s piping hot but not quite boiling, serve into bowls and garnish with creme fraiche or chopped ham.

 

6. Mince pie ice-cream

You are not the only person who has wondered what happens when you put mince pies in the blender. Does it become a brown gunky mess, or a sweetly spiced sauce that wants to be swirled through your ice-cream? There’s only one way to find out. If you’re without a blender, you can still have mince pie ice-cream by smashing them up and garnishing your bowl with them. Just call it rustic.

 

7. Christmas pudding trifle

This is another of those recipes that’s more of a suggestion, seeing as it really depends on what you have in the fridge. Crumble some of the pudding into a big bowl, and then layer it carefully with at least two layers of sliced orange, cranberry sauce, mascarpone cheese, custard, whipped cream, grated chocolate, flaked almonds, or whatever other delicious sweets you have to hand. A good splash of liqueur won’t go awry either.

 

Left-over wine? Shame on you. But here are some ideas for how to use it.

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