Make the most of Leftovers 2025

 Updated Dec 2025 ; some prices historic 

Tough times turn leftovers into life savers 

(Courtesy of Pinterest; licensed for reuse)  

                                   

More than ever, we can't afford to waste food. With a little thought and plannning however Festive leftovers can morph into scrumptious comforting meals, especially if you remember you don't need as much protein as you think.  Leftovers can also form the basis of canapes.

Nearly all of the recipes here are Wallet friendly.

A note on Storage Tips:

• Never re-freeze something that has been frozen before UNLESS it was frozen raw/uncooked (eg meat, casseroles, stews) and then cooked
• 67goingon50 recommends a 2-3 day limit on refrigerated food before it is frozen or binned. Bin it if it fails the  smell test
• The post 'Freezing Matters' from 67goingon50 is recommended

Whether you are saving the leftovers for meals once January is over, to keep food spending down until Feb, here are a few helpful 67goingon50's tips, ideas and recipes for leftovers. There are two categories: leftovers frozen over the Hannukah/Christmas blow-out, and perishable cupboard items like fruit, veg and eggs .

1.  Using FROZEN LEFTOVERS

Bread/Buns/Croissants

• Sandwiches: See Christmas Sandwich Free for All, Hoisin Chicken/Turkey Baguette, Devilled Tuna Open Faced Sarnie, Fancy Make-Ahead Sandwiches 

• Ultra Easy Double Dipped French Toast: frugal; so easy kids can make it 

• Bread & Butter Puddings: various on NavBar: Recipes I/Baked Goods, including special occasion ambrosial Chocolate Mint Bread & Butter Pudding and frugal Boozy Orange Bread & Butter Pudding 

• Croissants: stuff with ham/pastrami, scrambled egg and chopped parsley; warm through in moderate oven

• Breadcrumbs (from stale unfrozen breads processed coarsely and frozen in portions suitable for your household) are ideal for anything needing a crispy shell:  schnitzel, fish gougons, southern un-fried chicken, pasta

Cheese

• (Note: hard cheeses and brie are best frozen wrapped first in grease-proof paper then tightly in cling film)  

• Odds and ends of cheese: grate, add a little cream and a touch of smoked paprika; pile onto toasted bread & grill till melted OR layer one half of puff pastry with leftover cold cuts or sausage, cover generously with cheese/s of choice; layer other half of pastry on top;  crimp edges, brush with egg; poke a small hole in the top for escaping steam, bake and cut into squares.  Or try Sensational Cheese Straws using odds and ends of cheese.  Or scatter over leaves and fruit using the template of Warmed Tortilla with Salad, Stilton and Pear

Double Cream

• use within 1-2 months; once defrosted it may not whip as nicely as usual

• beat to a soft peak with vanilla and a little icing sugar for a superior topping for Irish Coffee & hot chocolate

• transforms into butter when beaten continuously with electric beaters until the cream splits into butter and whey; discard whey or use in baking

Egg Whites & Yolks, Frozen

Defrost; see  Cupboard Leftovers

Pre-shredded, sliced Ham/Pastrami, frozen in small portions 

Add to soups, salads or pasts for add colour & warmth to soups, salads or pasta.  

Also :

- stuff croissants with spiced meat & cheese; toast till cheese melts  

-  Celeriac, Ham/Pastrami & Mustard salad or sandwich filling

Potatoes

• Roasties:  Replace chip shop chips with chopped roast potatoes in Tortilla Espagnol: Cheat's Version 

• Leftover Mash: super easy Spiced Potato Cigarillos  (Indian-style 'chip butty' canapes) or Easy-Peasy Smashed Potato Salad (ready in minutes)

Salmon

• Salmon & Rice Leftover Salad: '...fresh bright taste; loved the chilli, the crisp yellow pepper and the lightness of the rice.' 
• Salmon & Mayo Sandwiches with finely chopped sweet pickle

Turkey/Chicken (see Recipes for Turkey leftovers/supermarket bargains) below

2.  CUPBOARD LEFTOVERS

Eggs

Raw: 

• make frittatas & quiches; these will also use up cold or raw vegetables, cheese & shards of protein
• Tortilla Espagnol: Cheat's Version
• Tortilla Espagnol: Glamour Mode, also uses up cooked & raw veg 

Raw Egg Whites (fresh or frozen and defrosted):

• Exquisite Emergency Almond Biscuits: delicious & delicate; gluten & dairy-free; fast & easy     
• Lower-Sugar Mini Pavlovas with Spicy fruit: deliciously crumbly, redolent with Christmas spices
• for anything that will look good with a cloud of meringue, such as Lemon Meringue Surprise Pie or Chocolate Meringue Pie or Baked Alaska

Raw Egg Yolks (fresh or frozen):
     Easier Fruit Curds: lemon or orange or a combo of citrus fruits

Hard Boiled:

• Carnival Potato Salad, also uses up raw peppers
• Skinnier Scotch Eggs, low-fat, high flavour, wallet-friendly; uses up sausage meat
• Avocado & Ham Devilled Eggs, frugal and fabulous
• Tuna Stuffed Eggs, one of 67goingon50's Classics - a delight as the end of January approaches

    
Mixed Fresh Fruit

• Fruit salads: replace sugar syrup with unsweetened fruit juice, fresh or from a carton; flavour with mint or ginger syrup or alcohol; top up with tinned fruit if necessary

• Trifles (See Recipes 1: Baking)

• Crumbles (as above)

• Incorporate into waffles or pancakes (see recipes 1 & 11)

• Bake with fruit juice & flavouring of choice; process to a sauce; strain if necessary; pour over ice cream

Lemons

• Sprinkle juice & zest over lightly steamed or boiled veg & top with toasted sunflower seeds

• Lemon curd for spreading on toast or mixing with yoghurt OR added to  whipped cream in Luscious Lemon Pudding

• Reduced fat Lemon Cheesecake: a complete knock-out dessert

Nuts

• Roast lightly for No-bake Granola Flapjacks: vegan, low sugar, high energy & protein

• Process and transform into lower-sugar Nut Chocolate Spread for Chocolatella Brownies in canapé sizes for special treats

Oranges

•  Skinner Crepes a l'orange 

• Sunshine Salad, also uses up cooked poultry, ham & apples

Raw Potatoes

•  Skinnier Scalloped potatoes, French style - perfect comfort food for frugal January
•  potato salads in Recipes II/Salads 

Vegetables

• Raw: Cook up an attractive, appealing and delicious low-carb vegetarian platter Stir-fry of Low-Carb Vegetables OR make quick & easy simple pickled vegetables

• uncooked sprouts: try Sprout, Pear, Walnut & dried berries 

• Cooked: soups, frittatas and quiches; also vegetarian sandwiches with lettuce, cucumber & tomatoes or veggie slaw moistened with yoghurt mayo or mayo

• Salad Ingredients: Stocks and Fried Rice

RECIPES FOR FRESH LEFTOVERS & SUPERMARKET BARGAINS

  

TURKEY LEFTOVERS/POST-HOLIDAY SUPERMARKET BARGAINS are very popular.

1.  Cooked Turkey/Chicken

• Frontier Turkey in low-fat Creamy Sauce on buttermilk biscuits; 'the biscuit didn't turn soggy' 'Super creamy yet light and full of flavour.' 

One can see this  served from the back
of a chuckwagon in the American mid-west during the cowboy era

• Sliced turkey in hot yorkshire puddings with gravy & cranberry sauce

• Spicy Singapore Noodles with Turkey, Ham/Pastrami & /or Prawns: quick & feisty

• Almost Instant Crispy Noodles with turkey, chilli, broccoli & gravy: divine taste & textures 

• An accent in soups, stir fries, noodles

2.  Raw Turkey (from New Year supermarket bargains)

Turkey in Curry Sauce (from raw or turkey leftovers): This classic turkey leftover recipe happens to be  extremely healthy with plenty of veg incorporated into the sauce.  It is also delicious, comforting andf ull of body and flavour

• Don't forget: turkey carcass makes fabulous stock.  Toss in a slow cooker with a couple of onions, carrots & sticks of celery, some peppercorns & a bay leaf.  Cook on low overnight or for 8 hours.  Strain, throw out veg but strip meat from the bones and save for sandwich fillings and pies.  Refrigerate overnight; remove fat; freeze

3.  Alcohol 
The obvious...but also flavouring coffees, icings (for adults), cheesecakes (for adults), homemade truffles

4.  Bread/Buns

• Sandwiches: See above, also Toast Toppers (various)
• Process stale bread into Fresh Breadcrumbs: freeze 

5.  Cheese

• spread leftover mixed cheeses over half a rolled out puff/shortcrust pastry, sprinkle with spice of choice, top with the rest of the pasty and press down with a rolling pin, cut into strips and twist into cheese straws; bake at 180c/350f until golden brown, about 10-15 min. (these go down a storm!)
• layer bottom half of pre-made puff pastry with leftover deli meat or sausage, cover generously with grated cheese; top with rest of pastry, crimp edges, brush with egg; bake; cut into generous squares; serve warm
• Remember: Hard cheeses and soft ones like brie can be frozen but wrap first in grease-proof paper, then in cling film and store in an air tight freezer bag  

7. Eggs (see also above)

Raw Egg Yolks (fresh or frozen, defrosted)

• Easier Fruit Curds: lemon or orange or a combination of citrus fruits

Mixed Fresh Fruit   

• Ripen at home fresh pineapples can be sweet and budget friendly, usually around a pound;  see how to peel a pineapple)
• Berries near the end of their life on offer can be frozen for jam/compote

Orange

• Sunshine Salad, uses up cooked poultry, ham & apples

Raw Potatoes

•  Skinnier Stuffed Potato Skins (also uses up bacon & cheese) 

Vegetables

• uncooked sprouts: try Christmas Season Slaw: Sprout, Pear, Walnut & Cranberries

• Salad Ingredients: add to Stocks and Fried Rice

 

DON'T FORGET THE HOMELESS:

Freeze or keep back some:

• sandwiches/rolls with nice fillings

• robust treats/desserts

When shops re-open, add  fresh fruit, bag up and leave with a cup of hot coffee foe your favourite homeless person.

Christmas leftovers from 2015 on NavBar: How to..

Please leave a Comment in the box below

  

This group of recipes has been compiled by B  Lee/ Bright Sun Enterprises and may not be reproduced, in any form, without the author's written permission.   

TREATS/DESSERTS FOR THE 2025 FESTIVE SEASON

For slimmers and weight-watchers, one of the great delghts of the Festive Season is having an excuse to indulge in desserts and treats normally off limits the rest of the year.  Any of these terrific recipes is guaranteed to wow guests and family.  

Some are easy, some healthier than most; some 'never-mind-the-calories; just enjoy the sensation!'  Prices range from wholly indulgent to frugal/wallet-friendly.

But all are mouthwatering and utterly delicious.

An added bonus?  Many of these recipes can be made in advance

Many have not appeared in previous compilations.

Note: some of the prices are historical; refer to the postng date at the rop right hand corner of the photo

1.  SPECIAL OCCASION -- Pure Indulgence

Luxury Pistachio Cheesecake: Blogger rates it 5-star! Pale richly creamy fillling, studded with bright green chopped pistachios, slathered over a generous crumb crust.  

Singleton's Quick & Easy Chocolate Coconut Cream Torte: full size option is very much a special occasion in terms of calories but the ingredients are wallet-friendly; the prep takes just 15 minutes. Apologies for slightly blurry photo but tasters cheered its 'Restaurant quality; sublime airiness.'

Egg Nog Truffles: boozy, creamy rich indulgence, surprisingly easy to make

Choco-Mint Croissant Bread & Butter Pudding: Truly To die for.  Households have  been known to make one for Christmas Mass supper and another for Christmas Day.  Rich, light, gooey, with a crispy top, the intensity of chocolate sends guests into raptures.  Cook's Delight: it's made 3 days before it's needed and and forgotten until it's time to bake.

Triple Chocolate & Cointreau Shortbread, melts in the mouth, warms as it goes down!

Upside Down Cheesecake: Skinner, lower in fat, and the crust is served separately to accommodate gluten-phobes.  Adapted from Heston Blumethal's mother, this sensational classic cheesecake doesn't take long to put together but the cooling/wait time - virtually all day - is more than worth it!  It is absolutely delicious with fabulous textures.  

2.  FABULOUSLY FRUGAL & WALLET-FRIENDLY FESTIVE TREATS

Two-stage prepare in advance Sensational Apple Crumble with crunchy to topping: low sugar, fresh fruit; part-cook now; combine before finishing in oven before serving

Creamy Pineapple Glazed Pudding, thrifty, easy; replace pineapple with other fresh fruit

Boozy Orange Marmalade Bread & Butter Pudding: Inexpensive but yummy with an alcoholic twist 

 

3. TEA-TIME TREATS

Twisted Scone Wreath stuffed with Chocolate & Nuts, Orange & Cinnamon; drizzle with melted white chocolate or buttercream for a snowy finish

Blueberry Orange Sponge: tastes even better made 2-3 days ahead; butter/dairy free option; fresh fruit; spelt option; choice of low sugar topping or fully fledged rich buttercream

Pineapple, Walnut Blueberry Cake: rich, fine-crumbed cake stuffed with fresh fruit and nuts is the perfect indulgence for visitors/guests. Tasters loved it.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Fingers: vegan option, easy-peasy

4.  DIETERS' DELIGHTS

Skinny Chocolate Peppermint Mousse: No cream unless you want it as a topping - and the pudding's choolate flavours are still deep & dark  

Light & lovely but still intensely chocolatey; 
no-bake, butter-free, cream optional

Tiramisu Pudding: less fat and fewer calories: fabulous layers of creamy filling, coffee dipped ladyfingers & chocolate ganache; making it will be fun and quick if  family is involved 

Luscious Lemon Pudding: gloriously gorgeous crowd-pleaser; yoghurt lightens & enhances creaminess and flavour; Foolproof lemon curd instead of shop-bought elevates the dish

4.  EASY-PEASY 

Fruit 'n Nut Flapjacks: truly fabulous and wallet-friendly, with a winning difference; option for dairy free 

1 Recipe=2 Delicious Treats: Cinnamon Breakfast Twists for breakfast & Blueberry Scones for Tea: mouthwatering contrast of flavours 

5.  VEGETARIAN/VEGAN

Special Occasion Vegan Lemon Drizzle Cake: Indulgent, fat & egg free.  Easily the best of the vegan cake recipes tested by 67goingon50.  Truly fabulous taste & texture but the cake has a maddening tendency to sink in the middle; just fill the dip with fresh fruit!  Financial indulgence unless you have shares in a maple syrup farm!

Cherry Garcia Ice Cream: Vegan, easy-peasy; the nicest, tastiest, healthiest ice cream ever; no cream - just bananas...

'Irish Coffee' Chocolate Cake':  Vegan-glorious; dark, rich and gorgeously chocolate, the cake is fine-crumbed and hints of whiskey.  The frothy topping is served on the side or turned into icing 

Orange Berry Plate: fresh, colourful, guilt-free, budget friendly

Pomelo (Chinese grapefrut) fruit platter with Cinnamon Vanilla Yoghurt Cream: wallet-friendly, low-fat 

6.  CHEATS' DELIGHTS

Cheat's Black Forest Trifle: with cherries, brandy, custard & cream

Simple, light but ever-so-delicious, so yummy & quick.  Tasters thought it tasted fantastic and praided the 'light' cream and lovely texture of chocolate sponge. Not frugal.

Cheat's Christmas Log: When the pressure's on, a good supermarket Swiss Roll, whether chocolate or fruit,  smothered in simple home-made chocolate ganache, makes a great impression.  

For more Christmas dishes, see How to...on the Nav Bar above; they're 2/3 of the way down the page

These recipes have been developed by B  Lee/ Bright Sun Enterprises and may not be reproduced without the author's written permission.

Make your own Cranberry Sauce 2025: fabulous whether Sophisticated or kid's delight; low sugar & preservative; knock-out flavours

In the 67goingon50 kitchen when it comes to Christmas dinner, Cranberry Sauce is always home-made and always from fresh berries (although there is often a a jar of supermarket Cranberry Sauce, preferably with Port, in the fridge for emergencies. )

Neither difficult nor time-consuming, make-your-own cranberry sauce is lower in sugar, free of the usual preservatives and so tasty, diners are astounded.  Once you've made your own, there will be no going back

Note: prices are historical

Cranberry Red Wine & Ginger Sauce

Punchy. Tasters reel back a little, go 'Whoa!!' and enthusiastically dig in again.

Sophisticated, a little different and full of character but not over-the-top.  Savoury rather than sweet with a hit of fresh ginger  - and all the better for it. Easy, make ahead, low sugar & preservative  

Kid-friendly Cranberry Orange & Cinnamon Sauce

Make ahead, lower sugar & preservatives; freeze till needed

Does what it says on the tin; kids love it, especially the jewel-like texture

 

Please leave a Comment in the box below

This recipe has been developed by B  Lee/ Bright Sun Enterprises and may not be reproduced, in any form, without the author's written permission.