When Christmas rolls around, everyone is so focused on the menu for the big day that it’s easy to overlook what happens after.
Given that a disproportionate amount of the UK’s total food waste for the year is chucked away during the festive period – 2 million turkeys (if you can get your hands on one), 5 million Christmas puddings and 74 million mince pies – it’s just as important to plan recipes for your leftovers as it is the big feast.
But that doesn’t mean you’re stuck to reruns of roast dinner up until new year – in fact, it’s an opportunity to get creative.
From a pigs in blankets pasta to a sprout and pancetta chow mein, this month’s Budget Bites column – where we’ve teamed up with Sorted Food to bring you easy, affordable and (most importantly) tasty recipes once a month – is dedicated to turning Christmas classics into speedy suppers.
And just in case you don’t want to wait until after Christmas to add a bit of festive fun to your weeknight dinners, we’ve also provided a handy shopping list with ingredients that are used across all recipes to minimise food waste.
Shopping list
- 8 pork sausages
- 140g diced pancetta
- 1 brown onion
- 250g loose white potatoes
- 2 large parsnip
- 365g Brussels sprouts
- 20g fresh ginger
- 3 cloves garlic
- 20g fresh sage
- 2 granny smith apple
- 180g cooked chestnuts
- 125ml milk
- 70g unsalted butter
- 30g hard Italian cheese
- 200g dried pasta
- 150g medium egg noodles
- 75g panko breadcrumbs
- Sesame oil
- Vegetable oil
- Caster sugar
- Cider vinegar
- Light soy sauce
- Sriracha
- Ground allspice
- Ground cinnamon
Pigs in blankets pasta
Leftover pasta cooking water is key here to help achieve a glossy sauce, so don’t throw it away after draining the pasta!
Serves: 2
Ingredients:
40g diced pancetta
4 pork sausage
2 tbsp vegetable oil
200g dried pasta
10g fresh sage
30g hard Italian cheese
80g cooked chestnuts
Method:
1. Fill the kettle with water and put it on to boil – this will be for the pasta later.
2. Tip 40g of pancetta into a large frying pan. Squeeze in the fillings from the casings of 4 sausages and drizzle over 2 tbsp of vegetable oil.
3. Place the pan over a medium heat and allow the fat to render from the meat. Fry for 6-8 minutes, until golden and crisp, tossing and breaking the sausage meat up occasionally. Get on with the rest of the dish in the next steps while you wait.
4. Tip 200g of pasta into a medium saucepan, add a generous pinch of salt and cover with boiling water from the kettle.
5. Place the pan over a high heat and bring everything up to a boil. Cook for 8-10 minutes, until soft but with a slight bite. Get on with the rest of the dish in the next steps while you wait.
6. Roll the leaves from 10g of sage up into a sausage shape and thinly slice it crossways into strips.
7. Finely grate 30g of cheese and 80g of chestnuts into a small pile on the same board. Crack on with a bit of washing up if you are still waiting for the pasta.
8. Use tongs or a slotted spoon to transfer the pasta straight from its cooking water into the pan with the meat. Toss everything together over a medium heat with 75ml of the pasta's cooking water.
9. Take the pan off the heat and mix through ¾ of the sage, cheese and chestnuts. The sauce should coat the pasta in a glossy glaze. Add a splash of water if things look a little thick, or return the pan to the stove for a minute if it looks a little loose. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
10. Divide the pasta between plates and top with the remaining sage, cheese and chestnuts. Tuck in!
To drink
Brunia Pinot Noir 2017
A fresh Pinot from South Africa, this cooler style is perfect for pigs and pasta. Buy now
Stuffing-style balls with parsnip chestnut mash and spiced apple sauce
If you’re looking to save a bit of time, swap out the homemade apple sauce for a pre-made cranberry sauce.
Serves: 2
Ingredients:
1 brown onion
20g unsalted butter
250g loose white potatoes
2 large parsnip
75g panko breadcrumbs
125ml milk
4 pork sausages
10g fresh sage
2 granny smith apple
1 tbsp caster sugar
2 tbsp cider vinegar
½ tsp ground allspice
½ tsp ground cinnamon
100g cooked chestnuts
50g unsalted butter
Method:
1. Halve, peel and finely dice 1 onion and add it to a large, microwave safe mixing bowl. Add 20g of butter and cover with cling film.
2. Microwave the onion and butter on full power for 5-6 minutes, until soft and translucent. Get on with the rest of the dish in the next steps while you wait.
3. Wash, then peel 250g of potatoes and 2 large parsnips. Cut them into bite-sized chunks.
4. Tip the veg into a medium saucepan, add a generous pinch of salt and cover with water. Place the pan over a high heat.
5. Bring everything up to a boil, then cook the veg for 12-14 minutes, until soft throughout. Once cooked, drain through a colander and return to the pan. Get on with the rest of the dish in the next steps while you wait.
6. Once the onion is ready, add 75g of panko and 75g of milk to the bowl – give everything a good mix.
7. Finely chop 10g of sage and add ¾ of it to the bowl – we will use the rest for garnish later. Preheat the grill/broiler to its highest setting – this is for cooking the balls in a couple of steps!
8. Squeeze in the meat from the casings of 4 sausages, season with a generous pinch of salt and pepper and mix to combine.
9. Line a medium baking tray with tin foil, then shape the meat into 6 even-sized balls and plonk them on. Remember to wash your hands after handling raw meat!
10. Grill for 10-12 minutes, until golden brown on the surface and cooked throughout. Get on with the rest of the dish in the next steps while you wait.
11. Coarsely grate 2 apples around their cores into another large, microwave-safe mixing bowl.
12. Add 1 tbsp of sugar, 2 tbsp of vinegar, ½ tsp of allspice and ½ tsp of cinnamon. Season with a pinch of salt and give everything a good mix.
13. Cover with cling film and microwave on full power for 5-6 minutes, until the apple is soft and jammy. Get on with the rest of the dish in the next steps while you wait.
14. Once the veg has been cooked and drained, crumble in 100g of chestnuts, add 50g of butter and add 50ml of milk.
15. Mash everything together, until smooth. Season well with salt and pepper – if you are still waiting for the meatballs, now would be a great time to crack on with a bit of washing up.
16. Divide the mash between plates, lay the meatballs on top and spoon over the apple sauce. Scatter over the remaining sage and get involved!
To drink
Ipsum Merlot, Sans Soufre 2020
This all natural Merlot has enough juicy fruits and silky tannins to be delicious with these balls. Buy now
Sprout and pancetta chow mein
This recipe does involve a bit of chopping at the beginning so get your knife sharp and at the ready!
Serves: 2
Ingredients:
100g diced pancetta
2 tbsp sesame oil
365g Brussels sprouts
20g fresh ginger
3 cloves garlic
150g medium egg noodles
2 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp sriracha
1 tsp caster sugar
1 tsp cider vinegar
Method:
1. Fill a kettle with water and put it on to boil – this will be for the noodles later.
2. Tip 100g of pancetta into a large frying pan or wok. Add 2 tbsp of sesame oil and place it over a medium heat. Fry for 5-6 minutes, until golden and crisp – get on with the rest of the dish in the next steps while you wait.
3. Finely shred 365g of sprouts with a sharp knife – take your time and be careful!
4. Peel, then cut 20g of ginger into matchstick-like strips – this is called the julienne! Peel and thinly slice 3 cloves of garlic.
5. Once the pancetta is ready, tip in the sprouts. Continue to fry everything, tossing occasionally for 2-3 minutes, until they start to soften slightly.
6. Tip 150g of noodles into a medium saucepan. Add a generous pinch of salt, cover with boiling water from the kettle and place the pan over a high heat.
7. Cook for 3-4 minutes, until soft but still have a slight bite.
8. Tip the garlic and ¾ of the ginger into the pan with the sprouts once they have softened slightly – we will use the rest of the ginger for garnish later. Fry for 1-2 minutes, tossing regularly, until fragrant.
9. Once the noodles are ready, use tongs to transfer them to the pan with the pancetta and sprouts. Toss everything together.
10. Add 2 tbsp of soy sauce, 1 tbsp of sriracha, 1 tsp of sugar and 1 tsp of vinegar. Continue to toss everything together over a medium heat. The sauce should coat the noodles in a glossy glaze – loosen with a splash of water if the noodles are too sticky.
11. Divide between plates and top with the remaining ginger. Enjoy!
To drink
Jane Eyre Fleurie Vendanges Entieres 2020
A lighter style red with enough structure to pair well with pancetta and sprouts. Buy now
Recipes from Sidekick, which publishes a wide choice of ‘Smarter Recipe Packs’, each containing three awesome recipes that work together to make sure nothing is wasted. The app then provides a full shopping list of ingredients to buy – you choose where, so you can shop local or online. These are used multiple times across the dishes, meaning users are left with zero food waste at the end of the week. Subscriptions start at £4.99 per month. Head to sortedfood.com/sidekick find out more.
