No matter how many people you are catering for on Christmas Day, nobody can ever get the amount of turkey just right. There is always enough leftover to do at least one more meal, and waste not, want not.
But what do you make with it? You can’t think of anything worse than turkey curry, turkey sandwiches or turkey salad. You want something a bit fancier but still no hassle.
What To Do With Leftover Turkey At Christmas
Here are three of our favourite recipes for making the most of your festive leftovers so that you can prepare ahead for Boxing Day.
Festive Pizza
Serves 2
If you’re not quite ready to let go of Christmas just yet but couldn’t face another dinner, why not make a pizza that you can eat while relaxing on the sofa and catching up on the telly you’ve missed?
You will need:
- 1 12” pizza base/145g packet mix
- 6 tbsp tomato pizza base/pasta sauce
- Leftover turkey
- 100g stuffing, cooked and chopped
- Sliced mozzarella
- Handful of sage leaves
- 1 tbsp olive oil
Method:
- Prepare the pizza base mix as required and leave to rest for 10 minutes, or prepare the ready-made base
- Cover the base with the tomato sauce, leaving a gap for the crust around the edge
- Scatter over the turkey and stuffing, then layer the mozzarella over the top
- Mix the sage leaves with the oil and spread over pizza, along with any remaining oil
- Bake for 10-12 minutes at 220°C or on the pizza maker, until the cheese is melted and pizza crisp
TIP: Feel free to top with any other ingredients you wish, such as pigs in blankets, roasted parsnips or even some brussels sprouts if you’re feeling adventurous.
You can stick to making it in the oven, or why not get a little indoor pizza maker to make it a fun family event? Check out our reviews of indoor and outdoor pizza ovens here.
Turkey Noodle Stir Fry
Serves 4
You don’t want curry, but you still want something very out-there. Try this Singapore-inspired dish, which just requires a few ingredients and your wok.
It works well with any brown meat you may have left, such as leg or wing meat.
You will need:
- 200g noodles
- 2 tsp sesame oil
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 1 red chilli, chopped
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- Thumb-sized piece of ginger, minced
- 2 red peppers, sliced and deseeded
- 200g beansprouts
- 6 spring onions, finely chopped
- Leftover turkey meat, shredded
- 2 tbsp soy sauce, plus extra to serve
Method:
- Prepare the noodles as required, then toss in the sesame oil
- Beat the eggs, add half the olive oil to the wok and make a flat omelette with the egg, cooking on both sides. Remove and set aside.
- Add the rest of the oil to the pan and fry the chilli, ginger and garlic quickly
- Add the rest of the vegetables and fry for a further minute, before adding the turkey
- Tip the noodles into the pan with the soy sauce, then shred the omelette and add to the pan. Stir through and mix together
- Serve the noodles with the extra soy sauce
TIP: If you have any other vegetables leftover from the dinner that would be suited to the stir-fry, such as peas, green beans or shredded carrot, you can add them along with the other vegetables. Also, add any other leftover meats such as sausage or ham for a twist.
Slow Cooker White Wine And Garlic Turkey
Serves 4-6
Something to completely counteract the Christmas dinner would be this creamy dish which you can pop in your slow cooker and leave to its own devices so you can relax.
You will need:
- Turkey meat (large chunks work best)
- 1 tbsp oil
- 120ml dry white wine
- 6 whole cloves garlic
- 120ml chicken broth
- 120ml double cream
- 1 tbsp parsley, chopped
- Salt and pepper to taste
Method:
- Place all of the ingredients in the slow cooker and cook on high for 2 hours until all combined
- Remove the garlic cloves, mash and then return to the pot for a further hour
- Serve with rice, any leftover vegetables which go well and some fresh bread
TIP: You can add extra vegetables to the slow cooker if you need to bulk it up, such as mushrooms, onion and peppers, or leave the cream out for a lighter option.
