2018 Christmas Leftovers Thread

Vanlady · 27 December 2018 at 9:50PM

Great thread!
5 for Xmas dinner here.
Plenty of leftovers so 1 plate portioned up for DM to take home for boxing day. 4 plates of it reheated for boxing day dinner, was almost as good as Xmas day dinner.
1 plateful left for DS 's lunch today.
Bits of chicken, ham and sausagemeat left over and used up for DH and myself for lunch sandwiches today.
A few bits of chicken left over which I'll add to HM chicken and chickpea curry to be taken out of the freezer for tomorrow night.
Left over cooked sprouts and carrots that were not reheated have been frozen, planning to add to dinner on new years day.
Uncooked carrots, potatoes and parsnips were made into a delicious thick soup in the slow cooker for tea tonight.
I cooked my chicken (we're not fans of turkey ) and ham in slow cookers on Xmas day and used some of that stock for gravey and the soup today, 2 portions of the stock have been frozen.
Only just started eating the Xmas pudding and custard tonight but that's disappearing fast

.
Half a jar of cranberry sauce left, will add to new years day dinner. Hopefully that will get rid of that lingerer!
So no leftovers here thank goodness:T

Tink- blanche or cook any leftover veg and freeze, or use up in a stir fry.

Vanlady · 27 December 2018 at 10:41PM

Pipney, I meant to add, brilliant what you did with that goose!

monnagran · 28 December 2018 at 12:13AM

tink, I would slice the turkey and freeze it in several portions. Easy to take one portion out and use it as a pie filling, mix it with a tin of condensed chicken or mushroom sauce, cover it with pastry, or scones (Turkey cobbler) or a savoury crumble mixture or use the meat in a quiche. I would always chuck in a few dried herbs as well.

The veg can be used in bubble and squeak or liquidized in some gravy for soup. Or cook some potatoes, layer the sliced potatoes with the chopped up veg, cover with a cheese sauce and sprinkle some grated cheese and breadcrumbs on top and bake until top is nicely browned.

Sorry if the instructions are not exact or detailed. My cooking tends to be a bit vague and left to take its chances.

Tink_04 · 29 December 2018 at 7:44PM

Thanks for the tips! I sliced the turkey and froze it in portions of gravy. Will come in handy for Monday dinners when we have mash and veg left over!

I mashed the veg and put in a freezer bag ... not sure what ill do with it but I'm sure it will get chucked in something along the line! I also froze my left over stuffing and pigs in blankets ... not sure what these will become but we may have a roast potato and veg night and these can get heated up in the oven with them for picky bits! I hate waste. We are having a NYD dinner which is always Gammon so ive got all the cheap veg for that and still have loads of potatoes that need using up!.

Last year i did a turkey pie and i wasn't that fussed on it (I'm not a huge turkey fan)

We have a freezer with some party food bits in for NYE, we just do a picky party tea with the kids and anything left is for tea on NYD most of the cheeses have been eaten but i have some left which ill wrap and freeze (hard cheese only)

I've got 2 bags of mozzarella that are use before 02/01 any idea what i can do with them? i had bought them to make pizzas with the kids but we wont get round to it? can i slice it and freeze it or is it a no no?

I hate the over indulgence at Xmas but get so caught up i forget what i have bought! Luckily im usually well aware and don't buy much perishables as i cant bare the waste!

Tink

YorksLass · 30 December 2018 at 4:52PM

Tink_04: You could use the mozzarella to make breaded sticks. Cut the cheese into sticks (or slices if it's a ball), dip in flour, then beaten egg, then breadcrumbs (press in well). Double-dip in the egg and breadcrumbs if you like them really crispy. Freeze at this point if you don't want them straight away. Otherwise freeze for a couple of hours before shallow frying, baking in the oven or "fry" in an air fryer.

Like Vanlady, we don't have turkey either. This year we had roast pork and I've frozen some slices in gravy "for later". I have lots of "for laters" in my freezer. :rotfl: The rest has been minced up for a pork & pepper loaf for today's dinner and there are some thin strips in the fridge that will be used tomorrow in a sweet & sour stir-fry.

CapricornLass · 30 December 2018 at 6:11PM

We do have turkey, and I pay for a heritage/free range variety as I find it has more taste. I also buy a free range piece of gammon from one of our local suppliers - again, worth every penny. They are part of our Christmas and I save up the money for these during the year in my christmas fund as these two items come to £80-£100 on their own.

Having paid so much, I make sure that every bit of it is used. After they have fed three adults on Christmas Eve and Christmas day, and 10 adults on Boxing Day, we've had the gammon cold with chips and veg, turkey sliced with mustard mash and veg, made a Turkey En Croute (Delia Smith recipe), made two pots of soup one using the bird juices and and the other from stock made with the carcass, both turkey and gammon sandwiches on different days, and tonight will use up the remaining turkey in a curry. In previous years I've made hash cakes with the gammon, and also a lovely turkey and leek flan (again a Delia receipe.)

I never seem to have any spare cooked veg left over to be cooked with another meal, so can't help you there, I'm afraid.

However, I do wonder about the portion sizes quoted for a turkey. My bird was under 5kg this year, and was supposed to feed 8 people. As you can see from above, it clearly provides a lot more meals than that!

buildersdaughter · 30 December 2018 at 6:12PM

We had goose as well, and have 1 litre of fat & 2 litres of stock.
My left over goose goes into cassoulet (another of the dishes I learned in SW France). I make the simplest version:
Soak haricot beans. Lightly fry chopped onion, carrot, celery, and any bits of left over ham or bacon that you have. Add beans.
Cook in the oven for an hour.and good stock to cover, and some cloves of garlic, and some pieces of thyme if you have any in the garden.
Fry the goose in a bit of its fat, and also a good sausage per person.
Cut into pieces and add to the beans. Bake uncovered until the stock is absorbed, a light crust is beginning, but not hard.
A serious dish for cold weather!

freyasmum · 30 December 2018 at 6:19PM

Thats an impressive amount of work with a goose!

I cooked 2 gammons on Christmas Eve and a turkey with all the trimmings on Christmas Day.

The gammons were cooled, wrapped and put in the fridge. They were sliced on Boxing Day to be part of the buffet.

Most of our sides were scoffed with the meal itself. I'd cooked a LOT of veg (deliberately) so the leftovers went into the gammon water with some gammon and lentils. We ate that with par baked baguettes.

It's all the other bits and pieces that we've still got to contend with! :eek: They are slowly going down... me and the littlest have been scoffing pate, cheese and crackers for days.

Next year will be different!

Pollycat · 30 December 2018 at 6:31PM

Tink_04 wrote: »

I mashed the veg and put in a freezer bag ... not sure what ill do with it but I'm sure it will get chucked in something along the line!

I've got 2 bags of mozzarella that are use before 02/01 any idea what i can do with them? i had bought them to make pizzas with the kids but we wont get round to it? can i slice it and freeze it or is it a no no?

I cook, mash and freeze:
swede
parsnip
turnip
carrots
They are - for us - a great addition to mashed potatoes for a topping for shepherds pie, especially the sweeter meats like pork, chicken and turkey.
I blanch leftover cabbage and sprouts to add to beef/lamb base shepherds pies.

As for mozzarella, I freeze it all the time when I buy it YS.

buildersdaughter · 31 December 2018 at 7:53PM

Thank you, it does have to work for us, as it costs so much! Not a scrap wasted. should add that I also chop the liver, mix with left-over stuffing, and scraps of goose - stuff that into the neck and freeze. It makes a tasty 'roast' for the Sunday after Xmas.The granny of the family I stayed with told me that it was by tradition, made up before the meal, with bits of ham, roasted alongside the goose, and given to the children!
My mother and grandmother taught me to make stock for soups, but it was in France that I learned the value of a very good stock in many dishes. The goose stock is hoarded and used carefully.

I also buy short date mozzarella and freeze it for pizzas. Leftover bits of gammon get frozen for the same purpose.

And I love adding other veges to 'shepherds' pie mash.

Wishing you all a Happy New Year

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2018 Christmas Leftovers Thread

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