What to do with your Christmas leftovers

Here are some ideas for the Christmas leftovers that you can tackle on Boxing Day.

• Freeze any cooked meat in portion sizes to be used in all sorts of recipes at a later date.
• Have a picnic.
• Have a ‘leftovers lunch’ for family/friends – everyone brings a plate of leftovers!
• Make pizzas.
• Add ham and turkey to pasta with a cream or tomato sauce
• Create a veggie bake with leftover vegetables (obviously!)  
• Create a ‘Christmas lunch’ sandwich
• Have a one pan Boxing Day brekky with ham, potatoes, and eggs
• Turkey or ham tacos make a nice change to sandwiches, or you could even try rice paper rolls with shredded turkey.
• Blend any leftover fruit salad into a delicious smoothie.  
• Nobody likes a sad salad the day after it’s made, so try and only make as much as you will need on the day.  
• Make stock from the turkey carcass (just like chicken stock) and freeze.
• If there’s any leftover Christmas cake – try out our recipe for Christmas truffles:  Christmas Pudding Truffles
• Make ham/turkey rolls and freeze for a quick and easy lunch when you go back to work.

Remember: If you only buy what you need in the first place, there will be much less food wastage.  

The most important part of using up leftovers is making sure they have been cooked and stored correctly in the first place.  

Food safety tips include:

• Always store foods such as meat, dairy products, and other perishable goods in the fridge until needed.
• Always cover food to prevent contamination.  
• Do not keep anything containing meat, dairy products or other perishable goods that have been left out of the fridge for more than four hours.
• You should always thaw frozen food in the fridge or microwave (never on the kitchen bench).
• Have an esky of ice or ice bricks to keep meats and other foods cold at barbecues and picnics.
• As a guide, keep leftovers for no longer than three days, however this could be less depending on the type of food and the way it has been handled

For more information, visit: Festive food safety