Christmas dinner leftover recipes for meat, vegetables and cheese - Women’s Health UK

Christmas dinner might now have be served, eaten and enjoyed – but the chances are that’s there a few bits and bobs left over.

And that’s great news! Because we’re here with three imaginative recipes that will elevate that sad looking cheese board, bits of cold turkey and chunks of unclaimed stuffing to new heights of taste and flavour.

Check out these delicious leftover ideas – and it’s good news for traditionalists who love a turkey sarnie, that’s in the mix… but with a twist.

Stuffing cannelloni

Lisa Faulkner is the genius behind this recipe, which lets you revamp leftover stuffing in to a fragrant pasta dish. While she opts to make the béchamel and tomato sauces from scratch, ready made varieties will also do the trick!

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, sliced
• 400g tinned chopped tomatoes
• 75g butter
• 75g plain flour
• 1.2 L whole milk
• 1 pinch freshly grated nutmeg
• 340g pork, sage and onion stuffing, crumbled
• 100g leftover cooked leeks
• 50g ricotta
• 40g parmesan, finely grated
• 16 dried cannelloni tubes , (approx. 200g)

Method:

1. For the tomato sauce, heat the oil in a pan over a medium heat, add the garlic and sizzle for 20-30 secs. Add the tomatoes then half-fill the empty tin with water and add that. Season; simmer for 20-30 mins, until thickened.
2. Meanwhile, make the white sauce. Melt the butter in a large pan over a medium heat. Add the flour and whisk into a paste. Cook for 1 min, stirring, then whisk in a splash of milk until smooth and bubbling; add a little more, whisking. Repeat to use up all the milk; simmer for 5 mins, until thickened, then remove from the heat. Season and add the nutmeg, then set aside. Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas 6.
3. Pour the tomato sauce into a baking dish that’s roughly 23 x 30cm, to cover the bottom. In a bowl, mix the stuffing with the leeks, ricotta and half the parmesan. Use a teaspoon to fill the cannelloni with the mixture, pushing it in with the handle. Put the cannelloni on top of the tomato sauce.
4. Pour the white sauce over the top. Sprinkle with the rest of the parmesan then cover with foil. Bake for 25 mins; uncover for a further 25-30 mins, until golden. Serve with a green salad.

Pulled turkey

The team at caterers Wilson Vale made their brioche buns from scratch, but ones from the shop are just as good! This recipe serves 4.

Ingredients:

Pulled turkey

• 1x large turkey leg
• 250g smoked pancetta
• 100ml extra virgin olive oil
• 1 x bunch rosemary
• 1 x bunch thyme
• 2 x baby gem lettuce
• 1 x bulb garlic
• 2tbsp cracked black pepper
• 2tbsp flaked sea salt
• 150ml chicken stock

Cranberry jam

• 500g fresh cranberries
• 200g white granulated sugar
• 1 lemon
• 1 large green apple

Brussels sprout slaw

• 400g Brussels sprouts
• 50g dried cranberries
• 1 x bunch sage
• 1 x bunch flat leaf parsley
• 1 x large carrot
• 1tbsp Dijon mustard
• 6tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 2 x cloves garlic

Method:

Pulled turkey and marinade

1. Marinade your turkey leg – ideally 24 hours in advance. To make the marinade, chop the rosemary, thyme and garlic, then mix with the olive oil. Add a touch of salt and pepper to the marinade. Score your turkey leg so the marinade can penetrate the meat. Make sure the turkey leg is fully covered in the marinade, then leave in the fridge overnight or 24 hours for the best result.
2. Once the turkey leg has had time to marinade, place in a deep walled dish. Pour the chicken stock over, cover, then place in the oven at 150C for 3 hours.
3. After 3 hours remover the cover and cook for a further 30 mins to let the skin crisp.
4. When cooked, carefully take the skin off and put to one side – you can cut this into strips and use when plating up for some extra crunch.
5. Now pull the turkey meat ensuring all bones are left behind. Use two forks to pull the meat and not fingers – it will be very hot inside!
6. Pour the juices from the tray into a pan and reduce by half. Then mix into your pulled turkey.

Cranberry jam

1. Place all the ingredients in a pad with the lemon being juiced and zested.
2. Simmer over a low heat for 50 minutes.
3. Once thickened, take off the heat and leave to cool at room temperature.

Brussels sprout slaw

1. Slice the sprouts as finely as you can and place in a mixing bowl. Peel and grate the carrot and place with the sprouts and add the dried cranberries.
2. Mix the mustard and apple cider vinegar in another bowl. Then very slowly whisk in the oil until the dressing thickens.
3. Grate the garlic into the dressing then finely shop the sage and parley and add in too.
4. Mix your dressing and sprout mix together, season with salt and pepper.

Plate up and serve!

Bread and Boursin Pudding

This recipe was created by Rosie Birkett in collaboration with Boursin, and it’s designed to tackle the most commonly wasted food – bread. It’s part of the moreish cheese brand’s You Create We Donate campaign with FoodCycle.

Rosie said: ‘It’s been such a pleasure developing this delicious savoury bread and Boursin pudding with kale, onion and bacon for Boursin which is collaborating with the brilliant food charity FoodCycle to raise money and get creative with leftovers.’

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsps olive oil
• 1 onion, sliced
• 1-2 rashers of bacon, chopped into lardons (or pancetta)
• A couple of sprigs of thyme or other herbs
• A handful of kale or other greens, de-stemmed (keep the stems for kimchi)
• 6-8 slices of bread, stale is fine
• 150g Boursin
• 250ml milk
• 2 eggs
• A splash of double cream
• Grated hard cheese-whatever you have in the fridge

Method:

1. Fry the onion and bacon in the olive oil over a medium heat. Season with salt, pepper and a splash of Worcester sauce. Add in some thyme, or whatever herbs you might have.
2. Cook for about five mins, until the bacon is crispy and the onion is soft and sweet. Set aside.
3. Finely chop some kale and fry this off in the residual oil.
4. Grease a baking dish with butter and then spread your bread generously with Boursin. Cut them in half.
5. Heat the oven to 180 fan.
6. Pour the milk in to a bowl or jug and crack in the eggs. Whisk in the mustard and cream, season with black pepper.
7. Now start building the pudding by arranging the bread, Boursin side up, in the dish.
8. Strew over the kale, onion and bacon and scatter over the cheese. Pour over the custard and bake for 25 mins, until crusty on the outside and custardy within.
9. Serve with a bitter leaf salad.