10 Delicious Meals With Christmas Leftovers

Christmas dinner is the best but what to do with all those delicious Christmas leftovers? We have you covered with our 10 favourite Christmas leftovers meals.

One of the best things about Christmas is the food. Nothing can quite beat the preparation and enjoyment that goes into that big Christmas meal that you have with your family. The turkey, the ham, all of the trimmings. When you have your Christmas dinner you know it is going to be epic. But because we have such a huge feast there is likely to be leftovers. So what can you do with them? Aside from having a similar roast dinner sort of meal again, here are some ideas to help you get creative with those Christmas leftovers. 

Turkey and meat ideas for Christmas leftovers

Let’s start with the main event for many families. The meat. Whether it is turkey, ham, beef or whatever you choose to be the main element of your dish, there is always something you can do with the leftover meat. Here are some ideas. 

A curry

One of the most common ways to use up leftover meat, especially something like chicken or turkey, is to create a curry. The perfect meal for boxing day. You can have something spicy or mild, but the change in flavours will be a nice contrast compared to the more traditional tastes of the day before. This easy Christmas curry recipe tastes yummy.

A pie

Who doesn’t love a pie? This is a great way to not only use up leftover meat but also any veggies and even gravy. Create the filling with whatever you have. If you don’t have any gravy, make up some more, or create a creamy sauce instead. This works well with most meat and veg and you could even cheat with the pastry and have the ready rolled waiting in the fridge. We love this leftover Christmas pie recipe from a Mummy Too

Healthy salad

If you feel like you have overindulged a little over the Christmas period then a salad is always going to be a winner. This works nicely with turkey, chicken or ham. You could even chop up some leftover vegetables and mix them up with the fresh salad leaves. 

Stir fry

A stir fry is another great option with Christmas leftovers and just like a curry gives you a change in flavour. Noodles, an oriental style sauce, chopped up sprouts or cabbage, and any leftover meat you have. This could be a quick and easy option when you don’t feel like spending so much time in the kitchen. 

Leftover pasties

Another lovely option that requires a bit of ready made pastry is to create leftover parcels. A little bit like the pie, use up what you have to create a filling and then add them to the pastry. Fold over to create a pastie and then bake in the oven for 15 minutes. This would be a great one to add to a buffet. 

What to do with those veggies

Often the big issue with leftovers is the vegetables. Many of us can think of something to do with meat, but the vegetables can often be forgotten about, and subsequently wasted. While you can add many of the vegetables to the options already mentioned, here are a few more ideas to help you make the most of your leftover veg. 

Refried roast potatoes

Ever thought of refrying your roast potatoes? This could be a great way to use up any you might have left and make a new meal. There are so many things you could do. You could serve them up with a fried egg and bacon for breakfast. You could add a few different herbs and spices and use them as an additional accompaniment to your meal. Or perhaps even serve them up as a hash with other vegetables fried with them like sprouts and carrots.

A pasta dish

A great way to use up any leftovers, especially vegetables, is in a pasta dish. Whizz up a tomato or creamy sauce, add your veg and pasta and serve it up, or even pop in the oven with some extra cheese on top. 

A lentil bowl

Lentils are a protein that is often underused. Create this filling bowl with extra spices and add your carrots and parsnips. 

Other options 

There will always be other leftovers, and the one thing we haven’t discussed is the desserts. So here are a couple of ideas to help you with that. 

Making use of the leftover cheese board

A cheese board is a great alternative dessert after a big meal, but a lot of us can be inundated with cheese over the festive period. So a great option is to create an epic macaroni cheese using all the leftovers. A rich and filling meal. 

A sundae

Finally, if you have bits of different desserts then why not create your own sundae. A bit of cheesecake, Christmas pudding, chocolate cake, a dollop of ice cream and some sauce. A winning combination and impressive dessert on boxing day. 

Hopefully, this has given you plenty of ideas for using your Christmas leftovers. For more Christmas content check out all my Christmas posts.