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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To not understand about "leftovers"?

125 replies

user1477282676 · 27/12/2016 20:16

I keep reading threads about leftovers...people going on about how nice they are, how they love them and even arguments about what happens to them.

I never really have any from Christmas dinner! No more than from an average Sunday roast anyway....a few potatoes and some meat.

Is it because we only have myself, DH and two DC for Christmas dinner? Do people cook WAY too much?

What ARE these leftovers anyway? Is it piles of meat and a load of crusty stuffing? Dried up parsnips?

What's the deal?

OP posts:

FourKidsNotCrazyYet · 27/12/2016 21:36

Next two days, not best two days!

myfavouritecolourispurple · 27/12/2016 21:40

There were five of us and it was effectively a glorified Sunday roast which we have every Sunday but I did pigs in blankets and added parsnips. We ate everything except for all of the turkey. It's hard to buy a small turkey but I deliberately buy a larger one than we need for one meal so that we can have turkey leftovers - ie to use in sandwiches, with chips, make a pie and possibly a curry as well. We really like turkey and I prefer it cold - I don't really like cold chicken and find it quite slimy so my husband eats all of our chicken leftovers after each normal Sunday dinner.

Otherwise we didn't have any savoury leftovers except for a few Pringles and a few peanuts.

We do however have a tonne of mince pies, chocolate and a Christmas cake. But they are not immediately perishable and will last a couple of weeks at least.

Horsegirl1 · 27/12/2016 21:42

I'm sick of the sight of food. I barely ate my xmas lunch as I'd spent so long cooking it the smell made me sick. Everyone loved their lunch as I make everything from scratch but for me I just couldnt relax or enjoy it as was constantly thinking of serving next course . X

Lynnm63 · 27/12/2016 21:43

We had leftover pigs in blankets as I wasn't sure if our guests like them, they didn't, so ds1 ate a bowl of them for breakfast Boxing Day.

sparkli · 27/12/2016 21:43

A typical Sunday at my folks involves my dad cooking Sunday dinner for 17 or 18 so he's used to it. There was only 11 for Christams dinner and we had venison and turkey. All at Dsis yesterday so leftovers went through to her and there was enough for DH me and our 6 DC for dinner tonight. Leftovers are the best bit - especially the cheese...

Horsegirl1 · 27/12/2016 21:46

What do people make from left overs ? The veg stinks so puts me off x

Bunnyfuller · 27/12/2016 21:48

Always do too much roast dinner. Makes fab packed lunch for me and DH for the first 2 days of the week. As a pp said, makes a very economical meal if you plan ahead with it. We didn't have turkey on Christmas Day, but picked up a crown for £3.12 in Sainsburys this morning so will have that NYD.

Artandco · 27/12/2016 21:48

Horse - why do the vegetables stink? How are you cooking them?

WorraLiberty · 27/12/2016 21:49

We only had a bit of turkey and ham left over.

The ham got eaten in sandwiches on Christmas night and the turkey (only bought a large crown) went into a curry today.

EnidButton · 27/12/2016 21:49

As a Mumsnet chicken can serve 6 people for two weeks I imagine a Mumsnet turkey can serve 10 for a month at least.

HSMMaCM · 27/12/2016 21:50

DD is feeding her boyfriend cold turkey, sweet corn and carrots for their romantic dinner tonight. I'd like to think she's used the microwave and made some carrots and potatoes, but she may have added cold pizza as the carb

Horsegirl1 · 27/12/2016 21:51

Haha very true enid

DarthPlagueis · 27/12/2016 21:52

Isn't it meant to be the best bit? the fact that afterwards you have all the lovely stuff but actually don't have to cook for 2-3 days afterwards?

peaceloveandbiscuits · 27/12/2016 22:00

I deliberately cooked extra veg and potatoes so I wouldn't have to cook the next day. However, we picked at all the potatoes so I ended up making fresh ones the next day. They were worth it

EatsShitAndLeaves · 27/12/2016 22:01

I deliberately "over provide" so we have leftovers.

Bubble and squeak yummy.

Ham for sandwiches/omelettes/pies etc

Beef gets ground and made into a cottage pie with the leftover gravy and mash.

We survive on leftovers for a week after Christmas so I have to cook very minimally - basically just assembly and re-heat jobs.

Ready made pastry is a godsend - pies/pasties etc all filled with leftovers

OhTheRoses · 27/12/2016 22:05

OKay op:

Xmas Eve - baked gammon (five of us)
Xmas day - stuffed, boned duck and a small turkey (all the trimmings) (7)
Boxing day: Cold ham, cold turkey, stuffing, crispy roasties, green salad; tom, mozz and black olive salad, antipasto, pickles, sausage rolls, cheese, crackers, Xmas cake (8)
Today: Turkey and ham pie - two shallots, two leeks, handful mushrooms, (three ladles stock), glug brandy, creme fraiche, puff pastry, mash, veg (incl small bowl of veg from Xmas day)
Tomorrow (pie for ds/dh for lunch), pasta with smoked salmon (creme fraiche, squeeze of lemon, few chopped capers, bit of parsley and leftover green salad)
Thursday - carrot and coriander soup (with last of turkey stock), baguette, cheese, last of the salad and anti-pasti.

Does that help explain it?

mathanxiety · 27/12/2016 22:08

Darth - I always cook loads for Christmas just so as not to have to cook again for two days.

DarthPlagueis · 27/12/2016 22:10

I'm being slovenly and aiming for at least 3 days math.

My teens are all in a social whirl so they can just raid the fridge.

chicaguapa · 27/12/2016 22:15

I've just made Paul Hollywood's Christmas Leftover Pie for dinner tomorrow with friends and had to cook everything from scratch. Not a single leftover in it.

SherlockPotter · 27/12/2016 22:19

Is your Christmas dinner really only like a Sunday roast? I'm a bit sad for you.

I wonder what your Sunday roasts are like then...

SherlockPotter · 27/12/2016 22:20

cardi oh I had a supermarket pizza and garlic bread with buffet food for my Sunday dinner.

mathanxiety · 27/12/2016 22:22

My DCs raid the fridge too. I may get three days out of it all this year because three of them went out to the sales the day after Christmas and had such a big lunch while they were out that they didn't feel like eating when they returned.

crazywriter · 27/12/2016 22:23

We have me, DH and 2 DCs and only ever have turkey leftover. This is done on purpose as we always turn it into a curry on boxing day. Even when we've had more people for Christmas dinner, we get a turkey bigger than needed for the day to have some meat left over for a big pot of curry.

Oh we do get cheese to last for a couple of days and desserts for throughput Christmas week but it's planned so we have a bit of a food blowout over Christmas week and then get right back on the healthier eating from new year.

SherlockPotter · 27/12/2016 22:23

cardi sorry Christmas* like there's a difference.

ChuckSnowballs · 27/12/2016 22:31

We are veggies and I deliberately make enough extras on Christmas day to plate up a second meal for us that evening or the next day. Including reheating the gravy and pouring it over the oven heated plate. Scummy.

Rocket science it is not.

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