Love your leftovers

5 nifty ideas for leftovers

If there's one thing you can guarantee when it comes to Christmas food, it's that you'll always cook too much. Make the most of excess festive food with our easy tips to use up those leftovers and some delicious ways to use up your Christmas turkey

1. Serve a smoked salmon brunch
Plate up slices of smoked salmon, fresh dill, crème fraîche and grapefruit segments with piles of rye crackers to scoop it all up – it's a quick and easy holiday brunch.

2. Make a cheese sauce
Make a speedy pasta sauce with the remnants of the cheeseboard. Warm crème fraîche in a small pan then crumble in a handful of cheese – Stilton or Dolcelatte, garlicky cream cheese and mature Cheddar all work well together. Pour over freshly cooked pasta and top with crispy bacon if you have some in the fridge.

3. Whizz up a cranberry dipping sauce
Heat cranberry sauce in a small pan and mash with a fork to break up the fruity lumps. Whisk in sugar and a splash each of white wine vinegar and balsamic vinegar. Bring to the boil, then simmer for about 10 minutes or until the sauce has reduced. This makes a great dipping sauce for spring rolls or cocktail sausages.

4. Bake a fruity Christmas cake dessert
Fill cored cooking apples with a mixture of crumbled Christmas cake and chopped nuts or small cubes of marzipan for a retro-style pud. Bake until the apples have softened, then serve with custard or ice cream.

5. Love your spare chocolates
Give festive chocolates a makeover by chopping them into small, but still recognisable, chunks and sprinkling over a slab of melted chocolate. Leave to set, then break into shards for a New Year’s Eve after-dinner treat.