Five Ways to Make the Most of Your Christmas Leftovers
Updated: 28 December, 2023
It's that weird time between Christmas and New Year - no one really knows what day it is. But one thing's for certain, your fridges are now a treasure trove of remnants from your festive feasts.
Whether it's the lingering aroma of turkey, comforting roast potatoes and decadent brie - behold our guide to make the most of your Christmas leftovers!
Festive Fusion with Hearty Ramen
A hearty bowl of ramen is the perfect way to replenish your body if you're feeling the Christmas slump. Plus, any leftover meat, roasted veggies and gravy can be thrown in for a nourishing, warming bowl of goodness.
This simple recipe makes four bowls of ramen:
  1. Start off by boiling your eggs for 6 minutes. Drain and fill the saucepan with cold water, then set aside
  2. In a large saucepan, bring your chicken or turkey stock to the boil
  3. Once boiling, add in the fresh ginger, soy sauce, and dried mushrooms - simmer for 20 minutes
  4. Next, add in the egg noodle nests, and simmer for 4-5 minutes until just cooked
  5. While the noodles are cooking, heat sesame oil in a frying pan over a high heat and add in your chosen meat. Season with salt and pepper and cook for around 4-5 minutes, until your meat begins to crisp
  6. Add in your leftover roasted vegetables to heat through, then add garlic cloves and sliced red chilli - cook for a further two minutes
  7. In four bowls, divide the cooked noodles and broth, then top with your meat and vegetables
  8. To serve, add the spring onions and scatter over each bowl, along with the sesame seeds, a pinch of chilli flakes and half a boiled egg per bowl
  9. Season with more soy sauce to taste, and enjoy!
Brussels Sprouts for Brunch
Upgrade your brunch this festive season by pairing your leftover brussels sprouts with gorgeous, caramelised onions, salty bacon, and a runny egg.
  1. Pre-heat your oven to 190°C
  2. To a large roasting tin, add the onions and toss with a drizzle of olive oil and the sugar and salt
  3. Roast the onions in the oven for around 10 minutes, until they begin to soften
  4. Slice your leftover brussels sprouts in half, and add to the roasting tin along with your pancetta or sliced bacon, mushrooms, garlic, rosemary and thyme; along with the fennel seeds (optional) and paprika
  5. Add another drizzle of oil, then season with black pepper and return to the oven for around 10 minutes if the sprouts are pre-cooked, or 20 minutes if they are raw. Turn occasionally until the sprouts are tender and turning golden
  6. Remove the tin from the oven and mix in a knob of butter. Make four rough wells in the pan, and crack in your eggs. Place back in the oven for around 7 minutes, or until the eggs are cooked how you like them
  7. Take the tray out, season with salt and pepper, add a pinch of paprika, then serve alongside some golden sourdough toast
Smooth and Silky Whipped Brie
If your guests overindulged too much over the festive season, and you've still got some brie lying around, don't let it go to waste! From brie and bacon toasties, to brie stuffed crispy potatoes, the possibilities are endless.
Why not try our whipped brie recipe? It's the perfect plate for picky bits, a light snack, or an appetiser, in these days between Christmas and New Year. Plus, our 1kg round of brie is perfect for this recipe, with more leftover for another day. It can be paired with a whole range of flavours including honey, thyme, chilli, bacon and so much more!
To make a plate of whipped brie for four people:
  1. Remove the rind from the brie, cut it into cubes, and leave aside to reach room temperature
  2. In the meantime, you can prepare what you will top your brie with. We fried some diced pancetta in a frying pan over a high heat, with a drizzle of olive oil. Fry for a few minutes until well done and crispy, then remove from the heat and place on some paper towels to drain off the oil
  3. If you prefer spicy flavours, infuse your honey with chilli flakes and hot sauce, in a saucepan. Warm gently but do not let the honey boil. Remove from the heat and set aside, allowing the chilli flavours to penetrate the honey, then strain the honey into a jar or jug discarding the chilli seeds
  4. Once your brie has reached room temperature, place it in a food processor, blender, or standing mixer. Season with your desired herbs and spices; we used garlic powder and chilli flakes. Simply whip the brie until it becomes light and fluffy, and looks almost like a butter consistency
  5. If the brie is struggling to whip, loosen it with a small dribble of warm water
  6. Once the brie looks spreadable, scoop it out from your mixer onto a plate, and use the back of a spoon to spread it out
  7. We then topped ours with a drizzle of our homemade spicy honey, crispy pancetta, and served with some warm crusty bread
This dish is incredibly versatile and can be personalised to your taste. You can also serve with some mini crisp breads or crackers. Enjoy!
Hoisin Turkey Bao Buns
Forget turkey sandwiches or turkey curry, why not use your leftovers to make these fluffy bao buns filled with sweet and sticky shredded turkey!
KaterBake's bao buns are a convenient option to keep in the freezer, and they can be steamed directly from frozen.
  1. Firstly, prep your bao bun toppings by slicing the cucumber, spring onions, and deseeded red chillis, into thin strips. Roughly chop a small handful of coriander leaves
  2. Over a medium heat, add the hoisin, oyster and soy sauce to a saucepan, along with the honey, orange juice, sesame oil and grated ginger
  3. Cook for two minutes until all the ingredients are combined and sticky, then add in your leftover shredded turkey and stir to coat in the sauce
  4. Allow the turkey to heat through for a few minutes, then set aside and keep warm
  5. Take your desired amount of bao buns, and steam in the microwave on full power for 20 seconds; in a steam oven, or hob bamboo steamer. Set aside ready to fill
  6. Fill each bao bun with your hoisin turkey, and top with the sliced spring onion, cucumber, chilli and coriander. To finish, sprinkle some crispy onions, sesame seeds and a drizzle of spicy mayo
Elite Christmas Toastie
Christmas toasties have been going viral on social media in the run up to the festive season, and now you've got all of the tools to craft one yourself!
It's super simple - just take all of the leftovers you have and sandwich them between two slices of bread of your choice, (personally we'd recommend a thick bloomer)!
You will need:
  • Leftover roast potatoes, meat, pigs in blankets and stuffing
  • 2 tablespoons of mayonnaise
  • 1 tablespoon of wholegrain mustard
  • 2 slices of your chosen bread
  • 2 tablespoons of cranberry sauce
  • 2 tablespoons of pickled red cabbage
  • Handful of spinach leaves
  • Gravy for dipping
  1. Take two of your leftover roast potatoes, and gently squash them on a chopping board to slightly flatten, then pop them in an oiled frying pan and fry for 5 minutes on each side, or until they're warmed through and crisp
  2. While the potatoes are frying, take your leftover meat, pigs in blankets and stuffing, and reheat using a microwave or pan
  3. In a bowl, mix the mayo with wholegrain mustard, and spread over one slice of your chosen bread. On the second slice, spread over the cranberry sauce
  4. Top the mayo slice with pickled red cabbage, your crispy roast potatoes, stuffing, meat, pigs in blankets, and a handful of spinach leaves
  5. Place the second slice of bread on top of the sandwich and press down firmly. Butter each outer side of the bread, and cook in a frying pan on a medium-low heat for 3 minutes on each side, until golden brown
  6. Secure the toastie with a skewer, and serve alongside a hot bowl of gravy for dipping. Enjoy!
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