Liven up your limp leftovers and whip up a festive feast to stop good food going to waste…
Christmas can be a gluttonous time, but no one likes to see food go to waste. Make the most of all your Christmas trimmings and cook-up delightful dishes for all the family. Barbora Ormerod from The Devilled Egg Cookery School inspires us with some creative ways with turkey leftovers that will keep you full right into the new year.
“Once October is behind us and the days get darker and colder, our attention inevitably turns towards Christmas. Decorating, shopping and cooking – there’s so much to organise for the big day that we often neglect to prepare for the downtime that comes after. Not least, among these questions is: what happens to all that leftover turkey?
No one wants to be toiling in the kitchen after Christmas, but it would be a shame to waste the leftovers from such an anticipated meal. The following ideas are all pretty simple and quick, but a bit more interesting than the usual options. Best of all, they taste great.
Banh mi
Vietnamese for bread, ‘banh mi’ also often refers to a sandwich filled with meat, sauce and pickles. The bread used is traditionally a baguette (not quite the French style, but it will do). Turkey makes a great filling because it is quite succulent and goes with a wide range of flavours. It works beautifully with mayonnaise mixed with tamarind, but will also stand up to strong pickles and even chilli. After an indulgent few days, this is quite a satisfying and refreshing dish.
Tortilla
This familiar food originated in Central and North America as an unleavened cornbread. It’s a classic way to make a tasty snack out of anything; from vegetables to meat or even cheese. I like to pan fry chunks of leftover turkey with a few slices of avocado (frying adds flavour and gives the avocado a lovely buttery-ness), before wrapping in a tortilla with a slice of fresh mango, which complements the white meat and avocado very nicely.
Pizza
Another classic, but rarely seen with turkey topping. It’s actually a great way to use up leftovers and scraps from the fridge, especially if the meat is a little dry. Simply spread pizza dough with tomato passata, add ingredients like mushroom, peppers and red onion, then add the turkey and cheese, and bake on a bread stone preheated to 230C for 4–5 mins until crispy and golden. If dry, just drizzle the meat with a little extra passata, oil or cheese…or all three.
Frittata
Another great way to revitalise dry leftovers is to turn them into a frittata. It doesn’t take much work and is deliciously rewarding, working well as a light meal or just an exciting snack or starter. Best of all, it is extremely flexible – you can swap out ingredients to suit what you have available, and it will last if kept in the fridge. Simply fry a selection of chopped vegetables (more leftovers will do nicely) to add a bit of colour, then mix in a bowl with the turkey meat and a few eggs. Pour the whole lot back into the hot pan, top with a little cheese (optional) and bake in the oven until set.
Quesadilla
If you have more ingredients than just turkey meat to use up, for instance, cheese and cranberry sauce, it’s dead easy to sandwich them between two tortillas and fry until the cheese is completely melted, and the tortilla is golden and crispy. Quesadillas always make a delicious snack and are easy to tweak depending on what’s in the fridge.
Of course, if you’ve had altogether too much roast bird over Christmas and need to take a break, it’s still worth portioning the meat and freezing in sandwich bags for the new year.”
Pro tip: Save your turkey carcass and turn it into stock.