Christmas dinner was a while ago - but many people might still be opening the fridge to find platefuls of leftover turkey and spare vegetables needing to be used up as soon as possible. And it's an experience borne out by research.
Last year a study by Which? found that shoppers are much more likely to buy more than they actually need over the festive season. The consumer guide surveyed more than 1,300 individuals about their Christmas food purchasing habits, with 45% saying they overbought and had leftovers, while only 14% said they ran out of food or drink.
But luckily there are plenty of ways to repurpose anything that wasn't eaten on the big day or stuffed into a Boxing Day sandwich. From classics like bubble and squeak to a less traditional curry to spice things up, Aldi has shared some ideas to make this year’s leftovers a little more exciting.
The retailer has provided step-by-step instructions for each dish, making them easy to prepare between Christmas and New Year. Find out more below.
Turkey and leek pie – serves four
Ingredients
1 465g Pack Ready To Cook Turkey Breast
300g Leeks
1 Quixo Chicken Stock Cube
250ml boiling water
1 teaspoon Bramwells English Mustard
30g Greenvale Salted Butter
30g The Pantry Plain Flour
3 teaspoons Stonemill Dried Parsley
1 teaspoon Stonemill White Pepper
100ml Double Cream
1 x 375g sheet Greenvale Ready Rolled Puff Pastry
1 500g pack Sprouts
1 x 4-pack Bannister Frozen Jacket Potatoes
Sea Salt
A little milk
Method
Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas Mark 6.
Put the jacket potatoes on a baking sheet and put in the oven for 40 minutes.
Meanwhile cut the turkey into bite size pieces and put into a medium size saucepan.
Cut the leeks into slices and wash well, then put in with the turkey.
Crumble the stock cube in the boiling water, add the pepper and stir to dissolve the stock cube, pour over the turkey and bring to the boil, simmer for 5 minutes.
Melt the butter in a small saucepan, add the flour and cook for a minute, stirring.
Drain the liquid from the turkey, add this to the flour and butter and stirring bring to the boil, add the double cream, mustard and the parsley.
Put the turkey and leeks in the ovenproof dish and pour over the sauce.
Unroll the pastry and put on top of the filling, trim the pastry to fit.
With a pastry brush, brush the top of the pastry with a little milk, make a few holes in the top of the pastry to allow the steam to escape and bake in the oven for 25 minutes – till the pastry is golden.
While the pie is cooking, trim the sprouts and cook in some salted boiling water for 5 minutes – drain and serve with the pie and jacket potato.
Bubble and squeak - serves four
Ingredients
700g Leftover Vegetables and Potatoes
60g Butter
50ml Olive Oil
1 X Large Red Onion, finely chopped
2 X Cloves Garlic, minced
Method
In a large frying pan sauté the onion in the olive oil for a few minutes on a low heat.
Add the garlic and butter and cook for another minute.
Chop all the vegetables and potatoes into bite-size pieces, add to the pan and mix well.
Turn up the heat and cook for 7-8 minutes, pushing down with a wooden spoon to squash all the vegetables.
Flip over the vegetables and cook the other side for a further 7-8 minutes.
Turn out onto a plate and cut into slices, like a cake.
Serving suggestions
- Great served topped with slices of streaky bacon and eggs
- Serve alongside grilled chops or chicken breasts
- Sprinkle with grated cheese and serve alongside grilled sausages
Leftover turkey curry - serves four
Ingredients
450g Cooked Leftover Turkey Meat
400g Chunky Chopped Tomatoes
400ml Coconut Milk
1 Large Onion, finely chopped
1 Green Chilli, finely chopped, no seeds
5g Fresh Coriander, chopped
2 tbsp Curry Powder
1 tbsp Mango Chutney
30ml Olive Oil
20ml Lemon Juice
100ml Boiling Water
1 Chicken Stock Cube
Method
In a wok, sauté the onion in the olive oil until softened.
Add the chilli and the curry powder to the wok and cook gently for a few minutes.
Add the tomatoes, coconut milk, boiling water, lemon juice, mango chutney and crumble in the stock cube.
Stir well and gently cook for 20 minutes.
Add the turkey and heat through, gently.
Sprinkle with coriander and serve with rice and naan bread.
Juggling carrots - serves six
Ingredients
1kg Carrots
50ml Maple Syrup
50ml Olive Oil
5g Fresh Rosemary
75g Pine Nuts
3 Garlic Cloves
Sea Salt
Ground Black Pepper
Method
Pre-heat the oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas Mark 6.
Peel, trim and cut the carrots into thick slices on the diagonal.
Peel and mince the garlic.
Mix the maple syrup, garlic and olive oil together in a bowl, and season with salt and pepper.
Add the carrot slices and mix well.
Pour the carrots onto a large flat baking sheet.
Roast in the oven for 25 minutes.
Chop the rosemary.
Take the carrots out of the oven, sprinkle the chopped rosemary and the pine nuts over.
Put back in the oven for another 5 minutes and serve.
Yorkshire pudding wrap - serves four
Ingredients
3 X Medium Eggs
150g Plain Flour
300ml Semi Skimmed Milk
50ml Sunflower Oil
250g Sliced Cooked Turkey
400g Leftover Vegetables
250g Leftover Stuffing
Leftover Gravy
Salt and White Pepper
1 X Shallow Roasting Tray 25 X 40cm
1 X Baking Sheet
Method
Pre-heat the oven to 220°C/Gas Mark 7.
Beat the eggs and milk together.
Sieve the flour into a bowl and make a well in the centre.
Gradually add the egg mixture, beating as you do, to form a smooth batter.
Season with some salt and pepper and allow to stand for 30 minutes.
In the meantime, chop the vegetables into small chunks.
Put the oil in the roasting dish and place in the oven for 5 minutes to heat up.
Layer the vegetables on a baking sheet, add the sliced turkey, then cover with foil.
Carefully remove the roasting tray containing the oil from the oven. Remove the oil from the tray, pour in the batter, then place on the top shelf of the oven.
Place the vegetables tray on the bottom of the oven.
Cook for 30 minutes (until the Yorkshire pudding is puffed up and golden), then remove both trays.
Crumble the stuffing over the Yorkshire pudding, then add a layer of vegetables and turkey.
Carefully roll up.
Pop back in the oven for 5 minutes while you warm up the gravy.
Serve immediately.
