The Best Recipes for Christmas Leftovers

There is a particular kind of magic that happens on the 26th of December. The pressure lifts, the good china goes back in the cupboard, and the fridge — still brimming with cold turkey, leftover ham, wilting Brussels sprouts, and half a tub of bread sauce nobody finished — quietly becomes the most creative kitchen in the country.

Christmas leftovers have a reputation they do not entirely deserve. Too often, people plate up cold turkey and call it a day. But with a bit of imagination, the remnants of Christmas dinner can become genuinely excellent meals — arguably more satisfying than the main event itself, because all the effort has already been done.

Here are three leftover recipes that are worth adding to your post-Christmas routine.

1. Turkey and Vegetable Curry

The undisputed king of Christmas leftovers. A turkey curry is warming, deeply savoury, and takes less than 30 minutes from start to finish because the meat is already cooked.

Ingredients (serves 4)

  • 400–500g leftover turkey, roughly chopped
  • 1 large onion, finely diced
  • 3 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 1 thumb-sized piece of ginger, grated
  • 2 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 2 tbsp medium curry powder (or a mix of cumin, coriander, turmeric, and chilli)
  • 1 tsp garam masala
  • 1 x 400g tin of chopped tomatoes
  • 1 x 400ml tin of coconut milk
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Fresh coriander to serve
  • Basmati rice or naan to serve

Method

  1. Heat the oil in a large pan over a medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 8–10 minutes until soft and golden.
  2. Add the garlic and ginger and cook for a further 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
  3. Stir in the curry powder and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
  4. Pour in the chopped tomatoes and coconut milk. Stir well and bring to a gentle simmer.
  5. Add the turkey and cook for 10–12 minutes, allowing the sauce to thicken and the meat to heat through completely.
  6. Stir in the garam masala, season generously, and serve over rice, scattered with fresh coriander.

Tips: Leftover roast parsnips or carrots can be stirred in with the turkey. A squeeze of lime juice at the end brightens everything up.

Estimated cost per serving: approximately £1.20–£1.60 (using ingredients largely already in your kitchen)

2. Bubble and Squeak

One of Britain's oldest leftover dishes, bubble and squeak is pure comfort food — and it uses up the roast potatoes, sprouts, and any other vegetables that did not make it onto Boxing Day plates.

Ingredients (serves 2–3)

  • 300g leftover mashed or roast potatoes
  • 200g cooked Brussels sprouts, roughly chopped
  • 100g cooked cabbage, carrots, or parsnips (whatever you have)
  • 1 small onion, finely chopped
  • 2 tbsp butter or vegetable oil
  • Salt, pepper, and a pinch of nutmeg

Method

  1. Combine all the vegetables in a large bowl and season well. Mash lightly — you want texture, not a smooth paste.
  2. Shape into patties roughly 2cm thick, or keep it as one large cake if you prefer.
  3. Melt the butter in a non-stick frying pan over a medium-high heat.
  4. Fry the patties for 4–5 minutes on each side until deeply golden and crisp.
  5. Serve immediately alongside a fried egg, leftover ham, or cold turkey slices.

Tips: The key to crispy bubble and squeak is patience — resist the urge to move the patties too soon. A little Worcestershire sauce on the side is non-negotiable.

Estimated cost per serving: under £0.80

3. Ham and Pea Soup

That leftover gammon or glazed ham transforms into a rich, silky soup that feels restorative after the indulgence of Christmas week. If you have the ham bone, even better — it makes a remarkable stock.

Ingredients (serves 4)

  • 250g cooked ham, shredded or diced
  • 1 ham bone or 800ml good chicken or vegetable stock
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 2 medium carrots, diced
  • 300g frozen peas
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • Small bunch of fresh mint or parsley
  • Salt and white pepper

Method

  1. If using the ham bone, cover it with 1.5 litres of cold water and simmer for 1 hour. Strain and reserve the stock.
  2. Heat the olive oil in a large pot. Soften the onion, garlic, and carrots for 8 minutes.
  3. Pour over the stock and bring to a boil. Add the peas and cook for 5 minutes.
  4. Use a stick blender to blitz half the soup until smooth, leaving the rest chunky for texture.
  5. Stir in the ham, season carefully (the ham is already salty), and scatter over fresh herbs before serving.

Tips: A swirl of double cream and some crusty bread elevate this from frugal to genuinely elegant.

Estimated cost per serving: approximately £1.00–£1.40

Making the Most of the Post-Christmas Budget

The week after Christmas can put real strain on household finances. Stretching leftovers across several meals is one of the simplest ways to keep costs down in January. If you are also reviewing your broader finances this month — checking whether your savings account is still competitive or whether your credit card rate is the best available — a comparison site like QuidCompare is a useful starting point for checking current UK rates across accounts and cards in one place.

For now, though, the best investment you can make is in that fridge full of forgotten turkey. It deserves better than a cold plate at midnight.