Christmas leftovers: Bloggers share their favourite recipes

Festive bakes. Credit: xameliax

When Christmas is over thousands of us are left with the task of making something tasty from the leftover food.

Food bloggers from the Midlands show us that Christmas leftover meals can be just as exciting as the meal itself.

Festive bakes by luxury lifestyle blogger 'xameliax'

Festive Bakes. Credit: xameliax

  • 1 pack of ready roll puff pastry (or handmade if you have the time!)

  • Leftover Turkey

  • Leftover Veggies ( Brussel sprouts, peas, parsnips, carrots)

  • Leftover Pigs in Blankets

  • Leftover Stuffing (optional)

  • 3-4 large Sage Leaves

  • 250ml of Double Cream

  • ¾ Chicken Stock Cube

  • 2 tablespoons Plain Flour

  • 50g Butter

  • 1 Egg (for glazing)

  • Salt & Pepper to taste

"Pre-heat your oven to 220oC/Gas Mark 7 and chop up your turkey, veggies, stuffing, sausages and sage into small pieces.For the sauce: melt the butter, stock cube and flour over a gentle heat and carefully add the cream avoiding boiling and splitting the sauce.Stir your turkey, vegetables, stuffing, sausages and sage into the sauce, salt and pepper to taste and allow to cool.In the meantime roll out your pastry thinly (around 3mm deep) and cut out 5 rounds for your pasties. I cut round a bowl for mine and found them the perfect size – depending on your leftovers you might have enough filling for another batch…roll out another pack of pastry and keep baking!Spoon out your mixture into the middle of your pastry circles leaving a cm or so gap of pastry once folded over. Brush the top edge of pastry with your egg glaze and crimp away.Glaze the rest of the pasties with egg and bake for 20-25 minutes on a baking tray until golden brown."

You can read more of xameliax recipes here.

Extra cheesy cauliflower cheese by food blogger 'Bite Your Brum'

Extra cheesy cauliflower cheese. Credit: Bite Your Brum

  • 1 large cauliflower or left over vegetables.

  • 3 tablespoons of full fat cream cheese

  • 150ml milk

  • 75g mature cheddar

  • 30g Stilton

  • 1/2 garlic powder

  • 1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg

  • Seasoning

"Take off the outer leaves and cut the cauliflower into decent sized floretsPar boil and drain the florets, placing 4-5 of them in a food processor.Add the milk, cream cheese, Stilton, half the cheddar, garlic powder, seasoning and nutmeg.Blitz until it becomes a smooth thick sauce.Place the rest of the cauliflower in an oven proof dish. Pour over half the sauce. Stir to coat each piece and then add the rest.Sprinkle over the rest of the the grated cheddar cheese for a crispy top.Bake for 30 minutes in a medium heat (I went for 200 degrees; my oven is fan assisted) until it’s bubbling, the top is crisp, and the cauliflower is tender."

You can read more Bite Your Brum recipes here.

Potato Stew with Harissa by 'The Gastronomic Gorman'

Potato Stew with Harissa. Credit: The Gastronomic Gorman

  • 210g chickpeas

  • 100g spinach

  • 1 red onion

  • 3 cloves garlic

  • 4 small potatoes (cubed)

  • 2 chargrilled peppers

  • 1l vegetable stock

  • ½ cup passata (can use tinned chopped tomatoes also)

  • 1 tsp fennel seeds

  • 1 tsp ground coriander

  • 1 tsp cumin

  • 1 heaped tsp smoked paprika

  • Harissa recipe here

"Finely chop the red onion and fry off in a drizzle of olive oil until softened, then add the minced garlic for an extra 60 seconds.Add the chopped peppers, chickpeas, and chopped potatoes and cook for a further 5 minutes on the hobThen add the stock and all the spices and bubble for 15 minutesAdd the spinach and cook for a further 4 minutesServe up in a bowl and top with a dollop of DF yogurt, drizzle of harissa and the toasted Seeds."

You can read more of the Gastronomic Gorman's recipes here.