17 Recipes To Use Up Christmas Leftovers

Maximising calorie consumption is de rigueur on Christmas Day but, despite all that eating, it seems inevitable we’ll somehow end up with a fridge full of food on December 26. This year, don’t limit yourself to yet another ham sandwich or commit to picking at the ruins of a cheese board until it’s gone. Instead, transform Christmas Day’s surplus into something entirely new – Adam Liaw’s “carbonara” fried rice, for example, or a fancy toastie. We’ve collated 17 recipes to help empty your fridge during those long lazy days after Christmas. And if you’re looking for more inspiration, we asked top chefs – including Dan Hong, Shannon Martinez, Nathan Sasi and Guy Grossi – how they get creative with Christmas leftovers. Happy feasting.

Adam Liaw’s “carbonara” fried rice

You have probably spent enough time in the kitchen in the lead up to Christmas. So say hello to Adam Liaw’s “carbonara” fried rice. It’s on the table in 10 minutes, uses just one frying pan to minimise clean-up, and will help get a decent amount of ham out of your fridge and onto your plate.

Maker & Monger and G McBean’s glazed ham and cheese toastie

Can’t pull yourself away from post-Christmas ham sandwich mode? At least liven the tradition up a little with this hedonistic toastie, which incorporates several leftover ingredients. On top of using up Christmas ham, it puts your leftover glaze to work as a glistening finish for the toastie itself.

Gewurzhaus’s mac’n’cheese

If this year’s cheese board wasn’t as popular as you thought, that’s no bad thing: now you’ll have a bunch of fromage to fold into this fancy mac’n’cheese. It takes a little bit of time and effort but, just remember, no one will judge if you use store-bought noodles.

Matty Matheson’s caesar salad

Didn’t get through all your salad leaves? Or overestimated how much bread everyone would be eating on the day? Deploy both in The Bear star Matty Matheson’s high-octane caesar salad, which makes a nice transition between the feasting of Christmas into the lighter eating of hot summer days.

Combination fried rice from Raymond’s

Fried rice is endlessly versatile, meaning you can make it to use up a vast array of leftovers. Here, you can throw in whatever meat you like, plus a range of veggies for a nice alternative to the meat-, veg- and dessert-heavy eating of Christmas.

Evan Moore’s barbequed panzanella salad

Funnel leftover tomatoes and stale sourdough into this vibrant salad. As an added bonus, almost all of it can be cooked outside on the barbeque, so you can take a welcome break from the kitchen.

Lune’s twice-baked birthday cake frangipane croissant

A croissant on Christmas morning starts the day on the right foot. But what to do with the stale leftovers the next day? Why not spend two hours transforming them into something magical – like a birthday cake frangipane-filled, crumble- and buttercream-topped beauty – under the guidance of Lune’s Kate Reid? Unless you’re a test cricket or Boxing Day sales devotee, how else would you be spending two hours on December 26?

Gin and tonic icy poles

Overdid it on the Christmas Day booze but still have a half-bottle of gin you don’t want gathering dust? Make these grown-up, booze-spiked icy poles and you’ll have a little gin-based treat hiding in your freezer when you feel up for imbibing again.

That’s Amore Cheese’s frittata

Despite the December heat, many still stick to doing a full-on roast Christmas meal, northern-style. Use up any leftover roast pork or beef in this fluffy, flavoursome frittata that’s amped up with a truffle-y cheese.

Mike McEnearney’s roasted root vegetable salad with salsa verde

Tweak this recipe a little and you’ll have a solution to your leftover roast vegetable problem. Toss them through a bright salsa verde for this salad, and you’ll feel both nourished and pleased that you’ve helped your veggies avert landfill.

Samuel Goldsmith’s green shakshuka

You’re probably used to a fiery red version of this North African dish. Goldsmith’s take is a vivid green thanks to peas and kale, chard or whatever leafy veggies you have on hand. It’s simple and naturally gluten- and dairy-free.

Katrina Meynink’s tomato, harissa and Jatz pie with layers of cheese

Think of this rustic pie as a layered cheese plate with compacted Jatz crackers forming the base. The result is a buttery, crusty shell filled with cheesy, tomatoe-y goodness.

Deborah Kaloper's sausage-laden pasta bake

Spicy pork sausage, fennel and chilli come together to make this hearty, crowd-pleasing pasta bake. Use ziti, a tubular pasta similar to penne, to load every forkful with rich sauce and melting cheese.

Samuel Goldsmith’s rustic tomato galette

This colourful galette makes a rustic centrepiece for a dinner party, and one your guests won’t believe uses peas scrounged from the bottom of your freezer, blended with cheese and olive oil to create a delicious paste.

Adam Liaw’s quick Sri Lankan prawn curry

The prominent chef and TV host is all about 20-minute dinners, and this Sri Lankan prawn curry is no exception. Serve it with rice or warm naan for a nourishing weeknight meal, and don’t worry about clean-up – everything is cooked in one pot.

Elizabeth Hewson’s mortadella party sticks

Food on sticks is always more fun. These skewers of fried mortadella, guindilla peppers and cornichons are just the right retro-feeling accompaniment to drinks as your next dinner guests walk in the door.

Ella Mittas’s mixed berry and panettone trifle

Extra panettone? Toast it, then use it as a layer between fresh berries and homemade custard. It’s a simple yet highly effective dessert to top off a late-December lunch. Throughout the year, change up the flavour by using whatever fruits are in season or by adding citrus zest or shaved chocolate to your custard.