Leftovers

What to do with leftover Christmas dinner sides?

Roast parsnips, sprouts, pigs in blankets and half a jar of cranberry sauce: the trimmings are often what's left. These three ideas use them up without another roast dinner.

Spiced roast parsnip & carrot soupSprout & pigs-in-blankets pastaCranberry sauce oat bars

Quick answer

Blend 400g of leftover roast parsnips and carrots with stock for a spiced soup for 4 in 25 minutes, toss sprouts and pigs in blankets through pasta for 3, or bake leftover cranberry sauce into 12 oat bars. Chill the trimmings within two hours and use them within two days.

By Frank Jones

Leftover roast potatoes have their own page: what to do with leftover roast potatoes. For the turkey itself, see what to do with leftover turkey, and other cooked veg works in using up leftover cooked vegetables.

1. Spiced roast parsnip & carrot soup

⏲ 25 mins🍽 Serves 4♻ Uses up leftovers

Ingredients

Method

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  1. Soften the onion in a little oil for 5 minutes, then stir in the spice for 1 minute.
  2. Add the roast veg and stock and simmer for 10 minutes until everything is steaming hot.
  3. Blend until smooth, loosening with a splash of water if it's too thick, and season.

2. Sprout & pigs-in-blankets pasta

⏲ 20 mins🍽 Serves 3♻ Uses up leftovers

Ingredients

Method

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  1. Cook the pasta and save a mugful of the cooking water.
  2. Fry the sliced pigs in blankets and sprouts for 5 minutes until crisp at the edges and piping hot.
  3. Stir in the soft cheese, pasta and enough cooking water to make a creamy sauce.

3. Cranberry sauce oat bars

⏲ 40 mins🍽 Serves 12♻ Uses up leftovers

Ingredients

Method

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  1. Heat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan) and line a 20cm square tin.
  2. Melt the butter and syrup, stir in the oats, and press half into the tin.
  3. Spread over the cranberry sauce, scatter the rest of the oats on top and press down lightly.
  4. Bake for 25 minutes until golden, then cool in the tin before cutting into 12 bars.

Allergens

Milk (soft cheese, butter). Wheat (pasta). Oats can contain gluten unless labelled gluten-free. Pigs in blankets and stuffing often contain wheat and sulphites, so check the packs.

Christmas leftovers questions

How long do Christmas dinner leftovers keep?

Cool them and put them in the fridge within two hours of cooking, then eat them within two days.

Can I reheat leftovers more than once?

No. Reheat them only once, until they're steaming hot all the way through.

Can I freeze leftover roast vegetables?

Yes, freeze them within two days. Defrost them in the fridge and reheat them once until steaming hot, or blend them straight into the soup.

How long does opened cranberry sauce keep?

Follow the storage advice on the jar, which usually says to keep it in the fridge and use it within a few weeks of opening.

Kit that helps

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Recipes on CookStuff are researched and editor-written. Check food is piping hot when you reheat it, and follow the storage advice on packs.