13 Delicious Festive Dishes You Can Make With Your Christmas Leftovers

It's time to remix your Christmas dinner!

1. Use your leftover Christmas cake to make a scrumptious trifle.

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Christmas cake or pudding is undoubtedly a Christmas day staple, but why not give it a little twist by using it as the sponge base for a delicious trifle. Use dark rum, Schwartz cinnamon ground, and Schwartz ground ginger to give it that lovely warming feeling, for those cosy, post-Christmas days.

2. A hearty, warming chilli is the perfect way to repurpose your remaining turkey.

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This delicious, smoky one-pot meal will use up your leftover turkey and can be batch-cooked and stored in the freezer for later. Make sure to add some Schwartz smoked paprika and Schwartz chipotle chilli powder for a rich, aromatic flavour.

3. A vegetable curry is an ingenious solution for using up those Christmas Day veggies.

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Starchy vegetables like potatoes and parsnips work really well in this hearty dish, but you can use any veg you might have left over from the big day. Make sure to add coconut milk to give the curry a lovely creamy flavour. Serve with rice and a naan, and don't forget the mango chutney!

4. Got lots left over from your Christmas cheeseboard? Why not use it to make a yummy macaroni cheese.

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Take all your leftover cheeses and combine them to make an extremely cheesy mac 'n' cheese that is both easy to make and tasty. A soft cheese like Brie will give your dish a lovely creamy flavour and you can add Schwartz cayenne chilli-pepper to give it a little fiery kick, too!

5. Turn your Christmas biscuits and Christmas pudding into a mouthwatering rocky road.

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This sweet treat is super tasty and really simple to make, so it could be a great one for the whole family to get involved with. You can use any biscuits you might have left over and the more variety the better. Combine your biscuits with chunks of Christmas cake, then add melted chocolate to combine the mixture before pouring into a tin and spreading evenly. Pop it in the fridge for a couple of hours to chill, then cut into squares. Curl up on the sofa with your rocky road and a hot cuppa for maximum cosiness!

6. Brussels sprouts baked eggs will make a delicious Boxing Day breakfast.

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Sprouts might be a little bit controversial when it comes to Christmas dinner, but this yummy, veg-packed breakfast dish will have even the biggest sprout sceptic wanting more!

Fry up those leftover sprouts to get them nice and crunchy, add in some salty pancetta, and then crack a few eggs on top before baking in the oven. Bake until eggs are set, but make sure the yolks are still runny — perfect for dipping some fresh sourdough bread into!

7. Or why not try making this breakfast hash using your leftover roasties?

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This dish is a great way to start the day and use up some of your Christmas dinner leftovers and you can substitute the different elements depending on what you have. Simply fry up your roast potatoes and any leeks or sprouts you might still have. Cut up your ham into bite-size chunks and add your fried eggs. Garnish with some chopped spring onions and enjoy!

8. This Thai-spiced turkey soup is the perfect pick-me-up for when real winter kicks in!

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Shred your leftover turkey and use coconut milk for the basis of this wonderfully flavour-packed soup. Use Schwartz ground cinnamon as your main spice to give it that festive feel alongside lemongrass and coriander. Don't forget to add some chilli paste for that delightfully punchy kick.

9. This ginger-spiced, no-bake cheesecake is another scrumptious way to transform your Christmas pudding leftovers.

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This dessert is beautifully decadent and a great one to make if you're entertaining. Layer leftover Christmas pudding as the cheesecake's base, and top with a mixture made from cream cheese, Schwartz ground ginger, and white chocolate. Grate over some dark chocolate for a hint of bitterness that complements the cheesecake's richness and voila, a dessert that will definitely have people asking for seconds!

10. Turkey biriyani is quick to make and packed full of delicious flavours.

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This rice dish is simple to create but doesn't compromise on flavour. Start by boiling your rice, then in a separate pan fry some onions. Combine Schwartz chilli powder, Schwartz cumin, Schwartz turmeric, and Schwartz ground cinnamon. The secret ingredient is Schwartz nutmeg, which will give the dish a wonderfully sweet yet spicy flavour profile. Once the onion has turned a lovely golden brown, add your leftover turkey. Stir in your rice so it absorbs all those beautiful, aromatic, and rich spices. Garnish your dish with freshly chopped coriander, add some natural yoghurt and mango chutney to the side, and enjoy!

11. Or for a real crowd-pleaser: sweet and spicy turkey enchiladas!

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A perfect dish to feed the family without any fuss. Shred leftover turkey using two forks and toss in a marinade made from olive oil, Schwartz chilli powder, Schwartz paprika, and Schwartz ginger (to add a little sweetness). Line a baking dish with tortilla wraps and spoon in your mixture. Make sure to leave a little to pour over the top of your wraps. Finish with generous helpings of grated cheese (you can use any leftovers from your cheeseboard). Bake in the oven until bubbling hot!

12. Another way to use up those unwanted sprouts: Put them in this yummy seasonal pasta!

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If you're in a bit of a hurry and don't know what to cook, this dish is easy and quick to make and tastes incredibly fresh even though you're using leftovers. The smokiness of the pancetta complements the sprouts beautifully, but adding plenty of lemon juice is what makes this dish especially fresh and tasty!

13. This deceptively easy-to-make Baked Alaska will use up your leftover Christmas cake in a flash.

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This dessert is a great way to turn your Christmas cake into a real showstopper. Grab a large bowl and mix vanilla ice cream with Schwartz ground ginger. If you want to add a little boozy kick, add a couple of spoons of brandy into the mix. Once thoroughly stirred, smooth the ice cream down into the bowl with the back of a spoon and then layer Christmas cake on top of it before freezing for a couple of hours. When your base is completely frozen, invert your bowl and spoon a thick layer of meringue covering the whole dessert. Heat the dessert in a very hot oven for an extremely short period of time until the meringue is golden brown; leave to stand for a few minutes then serve.

Inspired to try some of these ideas? Schwartz' range of spices can help you transform your leftover Christmas food into flavourful meals. Discover the range here.