Looking for the best Christmas leftovers ideas? Want to cut down on waste and cost by making your festive ingredients last? Try our clever ways to use up Christmas turkey, ham, brussels sprouts and cheese. From pies to blue cheese toasties, we've got plenty of recipes for Boxing Day and beyond.

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Make these creative leftover dishes, try our leftover turkey recipes, Christmas leftover salad recipes and leftover Christmas ham recipes. Have lots of leftover Irish cream? Click here for our best ever Baileys recipes.


Best Christmas leftover recipes

Left-over roast turkey pie

Keep costs down over the festive period by using the remains of any roast chicken or turkey and turning into a creamy 1-hour pie, perfect on a chilly day.

Leftover Roast Chicken Pie Recipe

Posh bubble and squeak (with chestnuts)

The ultimate waste-cutting dish. By adding pancetta, cooked chestnuts and sneaking in some brussels sprouts, you've got yourself the perfect Boxing Day brunch.

Posh Bubble And Squeak (With Chestnuts) Recipe

Mix and match mac ‘n’ cheese bar

A cheeseboard is a classic for Boxing Day. While you can never have too much cheese, it's difficult to get through it all. If you're in this situation, try making this mac 'n' cheese. Not only is it a great way to use up left over cheddar and parmesan, but also it will be sure to keep all the family happy between Boxing Day and New Year.

Mix And Match Mac 'N' Cheese Bar Recipe

Turkey and ham pie

What better way to use up your Christmas turkey leftovers? This meaty, creamy turkey and ham pie is made with shop-bought puff pastry to make life a little easier. Perfect for a simple post-Christmas family dinner which doesn't break the bank.

A whole golden-crusted meat pie, with a plate of pie and green vegetables to one side

Pigs in blankets carbonara

If, by some miracle, you have any pigs-in-blankets left-over from your Christmas dinner, give them a new lease of life in this rich carbonara recipe.

A big stone serving bowl piled high with spaghetti and lots of parmesan

Turkey ramen

Cut down on waste and cost by making your leftover Christmas turkey last in this nutritious and restorative ramen.

Turkey Ramen Recipe with Noodles

Epic Christmas toastie

Use up your Christmas dinner leftovers to make our ultimate toastie with turkey, stuffing and homemade bubble and squeak. Plus, we share the greatest toastie secret you'll ever learn...

Ultimate Toastie Recipe with Turkey

Refried smashed roasties with green harissa and yogurt

Use up your leftover potatoes from Christmas Day in this punchy recipe. Make this quick dish for an easy side at a festive get together with friends.

Quick Pan Fried Potatoes Recipe with Harissa

Bread sauce and stuffing croquettes

Check out our epic croquettes with leftover bread sauce and stuffing. These crispy balls are easy to make and perfect at keeping a hungry crowd happy over the festive season.

Stuffing Croquettes with Bread Sauce

Leftover turkey toastie

This West Coast version of a deli sandwich uses smoked turkey rather than pastrami. Meaty leftovers from your Christmas food that are still lurking around after Boxing Day will work a treat.

California Grilled Reuben Recipe

Ham, spinach and mozzarella lasagne

Packed with leftover ham and oozing mozzarella, this inventive twist on the traditional lasagne is a great way to feed a crowd without buying more food. Try our lasagne recipes here.

Ham Spinach Lasagne

Turkey chilli bean stew

This is a good way of using up leftover turkey over the holidays – chicken or ham would work nicely as well. The chipotle paste and smoked paprika gives this a lovely smoky, but not too hot, chilli flavour.

Turkey chilli bean stew

Roast potato chaat

You can use left-over roast potatoes for this spicy treat, or frozen roast potatoes that have been cooked first following pack instructions. Serve with a sprinkling of bombay mix and plenty of coriander yogurt.

A colourful plate of spiced roast potatoes, chopped tomatoes, coriander and bombay mix

Mac ’n’ cheese with ham and pickled onions

Got ham or gammon to use up from the festive season? Check out our easy macaroni and cheese recipe with cooked ham, pickled onions and three types of cheese.

Mac and Cheese with Ham Recipe

Christmas pudding ice cream

A clever way to use up left-over Christmas pudding – add it to ice cream! This four-ingredient, no-churn recipe also comes laced with brandy or rum – the perfect winter pud.

A tub of homemade ice cream with a plate of ice cream scoops and wafers on the side

Shredded brussels sprouts salad

Looking for ways to use up your leftover brussels sprouts? Check out this low calorie Italian-style brussels salad with crispy pancetta and toasted walnuts for a lighter dinner.

Brussels Sprout Salad Recipe

Ham, pickled pear and blue cheese salad

This ham, pickled pear and blue cheese salad is a great way to use up Christmas food leftovers on Boxing Day and beyond. It's an easy starter for four people, or a quick meal for two.

Ham, Pickled Pear And Blue Cheese Salad Recipe

Double cheese, pickle and ham toasties

Check out this quick and easy grilled cheese sandwich, a super simple lunch idea for Boxing Day and great way to use up both ham and cheese.

Grilled Cheese Sandwich Recipe with Ham and Pickle

Pumpkin soup

Got a load of blue cheese leftover? Instead of serving it with crackers, try sandwiching between slices of bread and toasting to make these moreish toasties. Serve with big mugs of soup for a low-cost yet warming dinner.

More like this
Two mugs full of pumpkin soup, next to two slices of a blue cheese toastie

Lobster mac 'n' cheese

Do you have leftover cheese to use up? Make this lobster mac and cheese for an indulgent dinner between Christmas and New Year. The mac and cheese uses both gruyère and parmesan. The addition of sweet, rich lobster turns this into a luxurious treat which would be great for a New Year’s Eve celebration dinner.

Lobster Mac and Cheese Recip

Smoked haddock and ham gratin

This smoked haddock and ham gratin turns everyday ingredients into a really comforting dish that doesn't create lots of washing up. It's a great Boxing Day dish for using up Christmas leftovers.

Smoked Haddock Gratin Recipe with Ham

Parsnip soup

A spicy parsnip soup is a real winter favourite and is perfect for a chilly Christmas evening when you want something quick and easy. Of course, any other leftover Christmas veg will work too.

Bowl of parsnip soup, with a swirl of creme fraiche

Caramelised onion, sprout and bacon hash with chilli fried eggs

Spruce up your leftover sprouts with our crispy bacon and caramelised onion hash topped with chilli fried eggs. This easy recipe will make a great, cheap dinner over the festive season in under 30 minutes.

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Hash Recipe with Bacon and Brussels Sprouts

Chicken and shredded sprouts pie with butterbean mash

Our chicken and shredded sprouts pie with butterbean mash is a healthy version of your favourite comfort food. Use up any leftovers brussels sprouts from Christmas dinner to cut costs.

Chicken And Shredded Sprouts Pie With Butterbean Mash Recipe

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