Save money by using Christmas leftovers

Christmas week is nearly here, so it’s time to load up our shopping trollies with more food than we know what to do with.

But having so much extra food in the house can cause a problem - what do you do with the leftovers?

It can be tempting to simply throw them away.

But if you’re on a tight budget, you know that’s a huge waste of both money and perfectly good food.

So what can you do?

Well, there are loads of tasty ways to use up your leftovers and make your festive budget go a bit further.

Breakfast

Festive frittata

Beat together a few eggs and throw in leftover veggies, meats and cheeses. 

Either cook on a pan or bake in the oven and you’ve got a satisfying breakfast or brunch in just a few minutes.

Potato cakes

If you’ve got leftover roast or mashed potatoes, mix in with some cheese, herbs and any veg you might still have hanging around.

Mould it into small patties with your hands, fry them up and serve them either on their own or perhaps with a fried egg.

Main meals

Bubble and squeak

Take any potatoes, carrots, cabbage and sprouts you have left over after your Christmas dinner, and chuck them all into a frying pan with a little oil or butter.

Use a spatula or potato masher to press the mixture down into an even layer and fry until crispy.

You can eat it on its own or perhaps serve alongside some leftover meats.

Turkey curry

A Christmas classic - but for a good reason.

Your leftover turkey and veggies can easily be repurposed into a hearty, warming curry, which is perfect for this time of year.

Use either a tin of coconut milk, a tin of chopped tomatoes or a carton of passata as your liquid base and heat it up on the hob.

Throw in your Christmas leftovers with some curry paste and any herbs and spices you might have in the cupboard and serve with rice or chips.

Mac ’n’ cheese

If you went mad buying all the tasty cheese in the run-up to Christmas, then why not knock up a festive mac ‘n’ cheese?

You don’t have to use macaroni - any pasta will do.

It’s also the ideal recipe for using up those leftover pigs in blankets you might still have lurking in the kitchen.

Roasted veg soup

When large bags of carrots, potatoes and parsnips are going for less than 10p in the supermarket, it’s easy to end up with too much.

So instead of throwing leftovers away, boil any leftover root vegetables in some stock, blend it and add some herbs and spices.

Tasty, warming and it only cost you a few pennies.

Serve leftovers with salad

Leftover meat and roasted vegetables could add a little flavour to a salad - ideal if you’re planning to gradually ease off on the fatty treats before New Year’s Day.

Boxing Day pie

If you have leftover turkey, veg and gravy, then you have the perfect pie filling ready to go.

And if you don’t have any shortcrust pastry in the house, it’s easy to make your own from flour and butter.

Chips or wedges

If you didn’t end up using all the potatoes you bought for Christmas, cut them into chips or wedges and boil them for a few minutes in hot water.

Drain away the water, transfer to a baking tray and toss in a splash of oil, before putting them in the oven for 20 minutes or so.

Then serve up with leftover meat, veg or your turkey curry.

Or perhaps separate the chips or wedges into individual portions and freeze them for a later date.

Sweet treats

Rocky road

Melt left over bits of chocolate and chuck in a bowl with sweets, dried fruit, marshmallows and broken biscuits.

Mix it all up, press into a tray and simply leave it in the fridge for a few hours.

And once it’s been chilled for a while, you can cut into squares and serve.

You don’t even need to turn the oven on to conjure up this classic treat and it uses up loads of leftover sweets and chocolate in one go.

Hot chocolate

If you have leftover chocolate stubbornly hanging around, simply add a few squares or some chocolate coins to some warm milk for the perfect seasonal winter warmer.

Save chocolate for baking

Chocolate lasts for ages, so you don’t have to rush to eat it all in one go.

So instead of throwing out anything you’ve not eaten yet, just keep it on hand for the next time you’re baking chocolatey treats like cakes, brownies and cookies.

From scraps to savings

Christmas is an expensive time of year, so if you want to keep costs down, it’s well worth thinking about what to do with your leftovers.

As you can see, there’s no shortage of creative, tasty and cheap ways to use up what you already have.