5 genius ways to use up your leftover Christmas dinner

Discover how to transform the remains of your festive spread into delicious new dishes!

Belinda Wanis
·Contributor
·2-min read

When Christmas Day is over, if you're anything like us, you will have a fridge full of leftovers. Rather than eat the same thing for days, we've found the best ways of transforming what's left into flavoursome meals while minimising food waste.

A Jingle Jaffle

Aussies love a jaffle or toastie, so think about putting the leftovers of your Christmas Day lunch between two pieces of bread for a delicious Boxing Day sandwich.

A jaffle and a toastie are the perfect Christmas leftover hack
Hack your leftovers with a toastie for lunch and with Christmas ham and cheese it's going to taste delicious! Photo: Getty Images

Try the traditional turkey roast as TikToker CurlysCooking demonstrates below or use the cheese from your cheese platter and glazed ham - add a bit of quince paste and it's positively gourmet!

Pudding Tiramisu

"Leftover Christmas pudding calls for tiramisu!" British chef Oliver Marlowe tells the Mail Online.

Christmas pudding tiramisu on a table with gold baubles around it
Use Christmas pudding instead of sponge fingers to make a tiramisu. Photo: Getty Images

"Substitute classic ladyfingers for leftover pudding, layer it with your mascarpone cream, then repeat until the dish is full, finishing with a sprinkle of cocoa powder, shaved chocolate and clementine zest - rest for three hours before serving!"

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Seafood pasta

If you've over-ordered the prawns this year fear not, good old Woolies has a fabulous seafood pasta that takes a few extra ingredients and just 10 minutes to cook. Perfect for a quick meal on Boxing Day.

Creamy prawn spaghetti
This Woolies pasta recipe is perfect for using up your leftover prawns. Photo: Woolworths

Eton Mess

I don't know many people who have leftover pavlova (there's always a fight for the last piece in our house) but if you do, Eton Mess is a refreshing way of serving it up the next day.

Two classes of Eton Mess, a delicious combination of meringue, cream and berries.
Eton Mess is a delicious combination of meringue, cream and berries. Photo: Getty Images

"Just serve it with some fresh fruit, add more whipped cream and spoon some ice cream into the middle," Phil Wood from Point Leo Estate tells GoodFood.

Restaurant worthy stock

Use your leftover seafood and vegetables to make an amazing stock for the next time you need one.

fish, vegetables and water in a saucepan
Make some stock from leftover meat, seafood and vegetables. Photo: Getty Images

"This can be anything you have left over in the fridge. Think onions, carrots, celery, spinach, herbs, anything that'll go to waste!" Melbourne cook and author Julia Busuttil Nishimura tells 9Honey.

Simply boil it in a couple of litres of water for at least 45 minutes then cool it and freeze it until you need it for a soup, risotto or slow-cooked stew.

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