Cut down on your food waste and save some money this Christmas with our top 10 recipes to use up your leftover Christmas dinner!
As an adult, one of our favorite things about Christmas has to be the food!
Of course, it’s a wonderful time for family celebrations, but again, this seems tantamount to preparing a big Christmas that can be enjoyed by the whole family.
And I think we’re all guilty of using the festive season as an excuse to indulge in our favorite treats!
Be it the Christmas chocolate, chips and nuts or just about anything wrapped in puff pastry! Someone on Quality Street???
But one thing that quite often comes with all that food is hard work and lots of leftovers!
As many of us are trying to save some money this year, we want to help you reduce your food waste, which is an easy way to cut back on spending by showing you some great ways to repurpose some of those leftovers!
Recipes for leftover turkey, chicken and ham for Christmas
Don’t get me wrong, I love a leftover turkey sandwich, usually around 10pm on Christmas Day with a big side of me Ultimate Christmas Cheese Board and a glass of something to wash down in front of the fire!
But if you have tons of leftover turkey, then you’re going to love these next few recipes!
Leftover Turkey Curry
Make the most of your leftover Christmas turkey with this super easy turkey curry recipe the whole family will enjoy! Mild enough for kids, this curry takes less than 30 minutes to make, so it’s perfect for Boxing Day when you want to put your feet up after all that hard work on Christmas Day.
Leftover pasta with turkey and ham
This easy pasta recipe will use up both your leftover turkey and any leftover ham you have.
I do either of these every year Christmas ham in colaor one of my older recipes for it Easy Slow Cooker Christmas Ham.
So I usually have some ham and turkey to use up and this recipe is a great way to combine the two!
And the best part is that everything is cooked together in one pot, which saves on washing up too!
Festive Leftovers TikTok Wrap
In the last year, you’ve probably seen the tortilla wrap hack, now dubbed the TikTok Wrap.
This is such a clever way to fold a wrap to make sure you don’t lose any of your fillings! The sky is literally the limit as to what you can fill your wrap with, and we’ve seen both sweet and savory fillings!
I wanted to give this a festive twist and what better way to use up your leftovers the next day than in a wrap!
I filled mine with turkey, ham, brie, and cranberry, but you can fill them with whatever you happen to have laying around. Do you have any spare roast beef? Throw that in with some blue cheese and your taste buds are in for some good times!
Leftover Turkey, Cranberry & Brie Pie
This is not your regular turkey pot pie!!! This cake is so delicious and really doesn’t feel like you’re eating leftover ingredients!
Not only does this give you a chance to use up leftover meat, but leftover Christmas veggies get a trip, as well as the last sip of cranberry sauce!
And that bit of brie that was left over from the cheeseboard? Yes, you guessed it, that goes in too!
Leftover Roast Chicken Risotto
While turkey is probably the most popular meat around the holiday season, chicken is a fantastic alternative if you’re just having a small gathering or want to keep the cost of your Christmas Day dining down.
Not only is it a lot cheaper than turkey, but it also cooks a lot faster so less time is spent in the kitchen!
If you’re eating fried chicken over the holiday season, then this super easy risotto recipe is the perfect way to use up the leftovers!
It even uses the carcass to make a delicious broth! Zero food waste at its finest!
Idea for Christmas leftovers to take away
Fill these bowls with leftover roast turkey, ham, hash browns, veggies, leftover stuffing, or any leftovers you might have from your meals around the holiday season.
Then cover with aluminum foil and the tray can be placed directly in the oven to heat up.
They’re the perfect way to see your guests off with a meal for the next day, or even line them up to deliver to guests who can’t be there that day!
Toastie made with Airfryer Christmas leftovers
Tired of the same old boring turkey sandwiches?
My Airfryer Toastie will take your leftover Christmas sandwich to the next level!
This is the perfect Boxing Day recipe when you want something delicious but want minimal fuss!
And the best thing is that you can try the Airfryer you just got for Christmas!
Recipes for leftover Christmas vegetables
We’ve got some fantastic leftover recipes to help you make the most of your leftover veggies so absolutely nothing goes to waste this Christmas!
Bubble & Squeak Donuts
These Bubble and Squeak Fritters are an excellent way to make leftover veggies a little more appealing to the kids! A slightly more modern take on a traditional bubble and squeak recipe, these donuts are perfect for Boxing Day brunch with either a dollop of crème fraiche or a lovely runny poached egg!
Leftover Mashed Potato Ham and Cheese Muffins
If you’re looking for creative ways to use up your leftovers, then bring your leftover mashed potatoes back to life with these delicious Mashed Potato Ham Cheese Pea Muffins! A really easy recipe that’s ready in just 30 minutes.
Leftover Christmas salad
A quick and easy kale Christmas salad made with leftover Christmas turkey, ham, and veggies.
You can throw this turkey salad recipe together in just 10 minutes, so perfect for the day after your holiday dinner when you don’t feel like doing too much!
Other recipe collections you may like:
30 minute family dinner – Our collection of 30-minute family meals are all super easy to make, use easy-to-buy ingredients, and with options for pastas, curries, burgers, and more, there’s something for everyone!
The Best One Pot Family Recipes – One-pot miracle recipes tend to be not only quick, but also super easy, as they use everyday ingredients and require minimal prep.
From pasta recipes to risottos, stews, and even soups, we have 15 of the best one-pot meals the whole family will love.
20 family batch cook recipes – I don’t know about you, but I always thought that batch cooking was only for dinner, but actually, batch cooking is great for breakfast muffins or bars, lunch box fillers, and on-the-go sauces for dinner.
Check out our collection of 20 delicious and easy family recipes you can make at once for busy days!
PRE-ORDER my new book THE EASY FAMILY COOKBOOK will be released on January 26th. 100 healthy easy and quick recipes that the whole family will love!
