With the most wonderful time of the year fast approaching, many will be planning to fill fridges with mouth-watering Christmas favourites ahead of the big day. Why not have a more sustainable Christmas this year and make them go further than just the day itself?
With a third of all food produced in the world being lost or wasted, Tesco is setting out to help the nation make their food go further this festive season and beyond*. From brussels sprout crepes to turkey pies, there are all sorts of clever ways to use up your Christmas turkey, ham and brussels sprouts, as well as any other leftover food.
With bubble and squeak traybakes costing just £0.35p per person, Tesco Real Food has an array of delicious and versatile recipes for the whole family to tuck into, including Chinese Spiced Gammon, Turkey and Cannellini Pie, and Christmas Leftover Veg Korma.
Tesco executive chef, Jamie Robinson says: “The days between Christmas Day and New Year are known as ‘Twixmas’. With the pressure of Christmas dinner over, it’s a time to unwind and, best of all, eat lots of lovely leftovers! These recipes help make the most out of the Christmas food shop by using cupboard staples and just a few extra ingredients – with the added bonus of not having to spend lots of time in the kitchen!”
Tesco Christmas Leftover recipes and top cooking tips from Tesco Executive Chef, Jamie Robinson:
Transform your Christmas leftovers into an aromatic spiced gammon dish, fragrant with ginger, Chinese five-spice and citrus flavours. This speedy Asian-inspired meal is ready in just 25 minutes and is best served with fluffy rice.
Jamie’s top tip: “When cooking the ham, cover it with foil as this acts as a steamer rather than just straight roasting, which can often dry the meat out. If you want to add some extra spice, try infusing the glaze for the ham with ground allspice or cinnamon.”
Serves: 4 people
Cost per serving: £1.06
Turkey and cannellini pie recipe
This pie is bound to go down a treat for the whole family, packed with leftover turkey and creamy cannellini beans, making it the ideal dish to knock up on Boxing Day for a hearty post-Christmas family feast.
Jamie’s top tip: “For this dish, I like to add leftover turkey to put it to good use, but you could also mix any other leftover meat in there too. Once the pie is ready, re-heat any leftover gravy, and add some peas tossed in butter, lemon, salt and pepper, to serve alongside.”
Serves: 6 people
Cost per serving: £0.79
Christmas leftover veg korma recipe
Enjoy this festive twist on a traditional Indian korma by adding all your leftover Christmas veg into one pot. This dish is rich and creamy in taste, and packed full of spices, best served alongside some crunchy poppadom’s – friends and family are bound to love this tasty meal.
Jamie’s top tip: “This is a great make-ahead recipe, which tastes even better the next day. You can make it in advance and store it in the fridge in an airtight container for up to three days. Adding paneer or tofu is a nice way to make this dish protein-rich and even more wholesome.”
Serves: 4 people
Cost per serving: £0.97
Boxing Day bubble and squeak traybake recipe
This bubble and squeak traybake dish, makes cooking for the entire family even easier by transforming leftovers into a comforting, hearty meal packed with vegetables, mash, and cabbage.
Jamie’s top tip: “Bubble and squeak is a great way to use up any leftover vegetables, helping families avoid waste during the festivities. It is also a dish that you can add comforting flavours to – my favourites include adding herby sage butter or even a dollop of brown sauce.”
Serves: 6 people
Cost per serving: £0.35
Crispy sprout and chestnut baked crepes recipe
This easy cheesy dinner is perfect if you’ve ended up with surplus sprouts. Made using sautéed sprouts, onion and chestnuts, it is oven baked in a cheesy white sauce and topped with bubbling cheddar – comfort food for everyone!
Jamie’s top tip: “Brussels sprouts are a staple part of the traditional Christmas dinner, and luckily, you can keep leftover cooked sprouts for about three to four days, so making these crepes is a great choice for the days between Christmas and New Years Eve. I personally enjoy adding some crispy bacon to the top of this dish.”
Serves: 6 people
Cost per serving: £1.06
