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Original poster

To ask how you are managing Xmas dinner leftovers

102 replies

JaceLancs · 29/12/2023 18:13

We are down to a few bits of chicken and some stuffing which will probably be gone soon in a few sandwiches

plenty of alcohol and chocolates though - which will have to be got through by or donated when I start my diet on January 2nd!!
I try really hard not to over buy but then get given edible/drinkable presents
Quite looking forward to a change from all the rich food so am doing gammon with salad and new potatoes for New Year’s Day

OP posts:
StrawberrySquash · 29/12/2023 19:32

Most of it we ate for lunch the next day. Bit of hot fat in a pan for the potatoes and the rest on trays in the oven. That left just a little chicken that was eaten with bread and cheese type lunches, and red cabbage that I've done nothing with.

Jijithecat · 29/12/2023 19:58

We finished off the last of the Christmas lunch by making Jack Monroe's Boxing Day pasties last night. They were delicious.
We'll be eating Christmas cake and chocolates for the foreseeable, but I don’t have an issue with that 😋

OnlyFannys · 29/12/2023 20:01

Leftover veg, pigs in blankets etc went into bubble and squeak and now I'm working through the last of the turkey curry. There is a portion left but even with my lax food hygiene I'm not sure I will risk it tomorrow...

Rudolphtherednoseddog · 29/12/2023 20:10

All that was leftover was some chicken which became sandwiches on Boxing Day and various part used bags of vegetables, which became vegetable soup on the 27th. The confectionery will get eaten over the next few days or weeks. I deliberately aim to minimise leftovers from the roast, I don’t particularly enjoy rounds of curry and bubble and squeak.

I personally wouldn’t still be eating cooked Christmas Day leftovers, unless they’ve been frozen.

GrumpyPanda · 29/12/2023 20:15

No leftovers this year due to a last minute addition of three more adult guests!

Back when I did goose for Christmas I had massive leftovers. Used to do faux goose confit (as not made from fresh) and then use that for cassoulet. All in all, leftovers/derivatives to last for a good ten days or so although not exclusively so.

oneflewoverthe · 29/12/2023 20:17

We only had turkey leftover. Managed to use it all by now though. I'd either freeze it or throw it after this long.

ManateeFair · 29/12/2023 20:17

We had a 5.5kg turkey between three of us on Christmas Day and a ham so there were a lot of leftovers, but I deliberately over-cater for Christmas Day for that reason! On Boxing Day I fried up the leftover potatoes and sprouts with some onions and chestnuts for bubble and squeak and we had that for lunch with leftover cold turkey, ham, stuffing and pigs in blankets with chutneys etc. We also finished off the trifle from Christmas Day then too. In the evening we ate the rest of the salmon pate I’d made as a Christmas Day starter, with crackers, and had some Christmas cake.

The following day we took MIL home via my own mum’s house. I gave a quarter of the cake to my mum and a quarter to MIL and also took down lots of cold meat for my brother - he and my mum ate out on Christmas Day with my sister and BIL so they had no leftovers.

We ate lunch at my mum’s and then had dinner at a hotel. Drove home the next day and had turkey sandwiches for lunch and for tea, some of the cheese we’d bought but hadn’t yet touched 😳

Today DP made us smoked salmon and scrambled eggs for breakfast as we had salmon left from the pate. We also had some of the remaining Christmas cake and about a million Quality Street and Lindor that MIL gave us.

We still have enough turkey for a couple of sandwiches, loads of cheese and crackers, half a tub of Quality Street, a third of a tub of Celebrations, a few Lindor and an entire untouched Christmas pudding as well as about one-third of the Christmas cake and four mince pies. We’ll probably just graze on it until it’s gone; we’re off work until after new year.

We’ve got loads of booze but I don’t see that as ‘leftovers’ as it’s not like it’s going to go off and it’s not like alcoholic drinks are Christmas-specific. It’s stuff we drink all year round anyway. We didn’t buy it with any expectation that it would be just for Christmas.

OutYerEd · 29/12/2023 20:18

The dinner leftovers were finished yesterday morning.

We’ve still got cheese, charcuterie l, chutney & crackers, a few mince pies and one slice of Christmas cake that I’ll be polishing off soon with a cuppa.

DH is still ploughing through a bottle of port. Several bottles of good red wine and a bottle of gin left.

I overestimated how much dessert people would want, so have lots of ice cream and a pavlova in the freezer.

DisforDarkChocolate · 29/12/2023 20:19

We had most in lighter version of Christmas Dinner on Boxing Day. Hot beef toasties on Wednesday and a good size portion of beef and gravy in the freezer.

The chocolates and stuff, that's had to be put out of sight so I don't eat it all.

ReindeerShelter · 29/12/2023 20:20

In the bin. We don’t eat leftovers in this house. I find the idea quite grim.

motleymop · 29/12/2023 20:23

I made this with the stock from the gammon and leftover meat. It was really good. Pureed half the meat into the soup and added the rest in cubes.

www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/pea-ham-soup

ManateeFair · 29/12/2023 20:26

Kinneddar · 29/12/2023 18:35

You must have massively over cooked to still be eating leftovers 4 days later

A lot of people, including me, deliberately cook ‘too much’ with the intention of having a few days of leftovers.

Glittering1 · 29/12/2023 20:26

Full cheeseboard and crackers, two tubs of celebrations, box of black magic, about 40 soft drink cans, bag of peanuts, yule log and two full boxes of crisps. I was buying something every week and forgot how much I had bought. Three teenagers here so we will eat and drink it all eventually. Turkey and ham were eaten on the 26th and 27th. Sandwiches, curry etc.

MyBigFatGreekSalad · 29/12/2023 20:26

We had SO much veg left. sprouts, carrots and parsnips.

We've made-
Bubble and squeak
roasted veg and sausage tray bake
Roasted veg and truffle risotto

And tomorrow I'm going to use the last of it to make soup.

We'll have no problem getting through the chocolate😂

TinselAngel · 29/12/2023 20:26

ReindeerShelter · 29/12/2023 20:20

In the bin. We don’t eat leftovers in this house. I find the idea quite grim.

How on earth is food cooked the day before "grim"?

PrimroseSilk · 29/12/2023 20:27

ReindeerShelter · 29/12/2023 20:20

In the bin. We don’t eat leftovers in this house. I find the idea quite grim.

What a waste. Why do you think it is grim?

OP - why do you have to donate the alcohol? Surely that will keep for the year and for when you entertain in future?

MyBigFatGreekSalad · 29/12/2023 20:27

ReindeerShelter · 29/12/2023 20:20

In the bin. We don’t eat leftovers in this house. I find the idea quite grim.

🙄 boring

RM2013 · 29/12/2023 20:30

Boxing Day I chopped up some Turkey, gammon, pigs in blankets and mixed with some stuffing and gravy, warmed it up and served in hot baguettes - was delicious. The dog had a Christmas and Boxing Day dinner and the rest left over was put in containers and frozen

SoOutingWhoCares · 29/12/2023 20:32

I hate food waste but don't want to be eating leftovers for days on end.

Leftover roast meat was mainly frozen for future Sunday dinners but also made into soups and salads with veg leftovers. Leftover cream, cheese and some of the gammon made it's way to a massive quiche which made one dinner, one lunch and there are a few portions frozen for lunches and dinners when back to work.

Nothing is being binned, everything will get used up somehow. Chocolates etc can be eaten up as and when, there's no reason they can't be enjoyed as a small treat in the new year. Pork chipolatas are frozen for use in Sunday breakfasts for a few weeks. Left over deserts frozen too and will also be used on Sundays.

TheKeatingFive · 29/12/2023 20:38

In the bin. We don’t eat leftovers in this house. I find the idea quite grim.

This makes me really angry. We need to learn to respect food and not waste it. To call that 'grim' is stupid and juvenile.

FusionChefGeoff · 29/12/2023 20:40

I've put all the non perishable treats in a box in the garage with the plan to slowly 'release' them into the house over the next few months.

We've given some away as have been to one buffet meal at friends and a drinks thing today.

Frozen smoked salmon / leftover ham

Picky bits Boxing Day, full on Xmas dinner take 2 on the 27th and then Christmas pie today took care of the actual meal.

IncognitoIsMyFavouriteWord · 29/12/2023 20:44

My DS took half my fridge and cupboards home with him. He's freezing some bits to reheat when he goes back to work next week 😁
There is still a lot of Bailey's, and I don't drink that much, so I want to bet it's still there next Christmas.

Inthebleakmidwinter2 · 29/12/2023 20:47

I don't have any roast dinner leftovers but there's loads of cheese and chocolate hanging around, which I need to get rid of before going on a diet. Might attempt broccoli and stilton soup, never made it before.

jollyjeffrey · 29/12/2023 20:53

We cooked here on Boxing Day. Gammon has gone in chunks to the kids for lunch the past few days, turkey was finished today in a orzo dish we had for dinner. Party food was breakfast the next day, cheesecake is slowly going (2 slices left) and cheese is being whittled down.

Still a load of cakes / lebkuchen / nuts to be eaten but they don't go out of date for ages.

WonderingWanda · 29/12/2023 20:55

Made turkey curry last night and macaroni cheese today. Kids are slowly polishing off the snacks.