5 seasonal leftover recipe ideas
Beth Furness - Assistant Nutritionist
You can find all the recipes below in the Nutracheck app. Tap 'My Meals' (in bottom menu bar) > 'BBC Good Food' and search the recipe name.
Christmas leftovers pizza
Serves 2 - 624 kcals per serving
| Kcals | 624 |
|---|---|
| Fat | 29.2g |
| Sat fat | 12.1g |
| Carbs | 51.2g |
| Sugar | 6.5g |
| Fibre | 4.2g |
| Protein | 37.6g |
| Salt | 1.79g |
See the recipe in app here
Ingredients
- 145g pizza base mix
- 6 tbsp tomato pasta sauce
- Large handful (about 100g) of leftover stuffing (a sausage stuffing works well for this)
- Large handful (about 100g) of leftover cooked turkey, shredded
- 100g mozzarella, sliced
- Small bunch of sage, leaves picked
- 1 tbsp olive oil
Method
- Heat the oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Prepare the pizza base mix following pack instructions. Once rolled out, leave to rest for 10 mins, then top with the pasta sauce.
- Scatter over the stuffing and turkey, then top with the mozzarella. Toss the sage leaves with the oil, then scatter over the pizza, drizzling over any remaining oil. Bake for 10-12 mins until the crust is crisp and the cheese has melted.
Leftover turkey curry
Serves 4 - 563 kcals per serving 
| Kcals | 563 |
|---|---|
| Fat | 32.9g |
| Sat fat | 11.1g |
| Carbs | 12.4g |
| Sugar | 10.2g |
| Fibre | 2.9g |
| Protein | 54.4g |
| Salt | 0.55g |
See the recipe in app here
Ingredients
- Sunflower oil
- Onion, finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, crushed or finely grated
- Thumb-sized piece of ginger, peeled and finely grated
- 1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- ½ tsp paprika
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
- ½ tsp garam masala
- 1 tbsp tomato purée
- 400g can passata or chopped tomatoes
- 1 tbsp mango chutney
- 100ml double cream
- 2 tbsp natural yogurt (optional)
- About 600g leftover roast turkey, cut into large chunks
- Chopped coriander, toasted flaked almonds, steamed rice and garlic naan breads, to serve
Method
- Heat the oil in a casserole dish or shallow pan over a medium heat, and fry the onions for 10-12 mins until golden. Stir in the garlic, ginger, chilli and all the spices, and cook for 2 mins more until the mixture resembles a paste. Stir in the tomato purée, passata or chopped tomatoes and mango chutney, and bring to a simmer. Cook for a further 10 mins.
- Stir in most of the cream and the yogurt, if using, and return the mixture to a simmer. Add the turkey and continue to simmer until the turkey is piping hot. Remove from the heat, drizzle over the remaining cream and stir through briefly. Scatter over some coriander and flaked almonds, and serve with the rice and naan breads on the side (calories not included).
Red cabbage, cauliflower and coconut dhal
Serves 4 - 421 kcals per serving 
| Kcals | 421 |
|---|---|
| Fat | 14.2g |
| Sat fat | 4.5g |
| Carbs | 53.3g |
| Sugar | 10.2g |
| Fibre | 16.7g |
| Protein | 25g |
| Salt | 0.35g |
See the recipe in app here
Ingredients
- 1 small cauliflower, broken into small florets
- 2 tbsp rapeseed oil
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 200g red cabbage, sliced
- Thumb-sized piece of ginger, peeled and grated
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- ½ tsp chilli powder
- ½ tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp garam masala
- 1 tsp black mustard seeds
- Small handful of curry leaves
- 300g split red lentils
- 1.25 litres hot low-salt vegetable stock
- 1 lime, juiced
- 2 tbsp coconut flakes, toasted
- Coriander leaves and chopped chilli, to serve (optional)
Method
- Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Toss the cauliflower, 1 tbsp of the oil and some seasoning in a roasting tin. Roast for 25-30 mins, then set aside.
- Heat the remaining oil in a large saucepan and add the onion and cabbage. Fry gently over a medium heat for 10 mins. Add the ginger, garlic, spices and curry leaves and fry for 2 mins. Stir through the lentils and most of the cauliflower. Pour over the stock, bring to the boil, lower to a simmer and cook uncovered for 40 mins. Stir through the lime juice and season to taste. Ladle into bowls, top with the remaining cauliflower, toasted coconut, coriander and chilli, if using.
Rye Christmas pudding cookies
Makes 16 - 248 kcals per serving
| Kcals | 248 |
|---|---|
| Fat | 12.3g |
| Sat fat | 6.5g |
| Carbs | 30.8g |
| Sugar | 16.8g |
| Fibre | 2g |
| Protein | 3.1g |
| Salt | 0.13g |
See the recipe in app here
Ingredients
- 180g butter, softened
- 160g dark muscovado sugar
- 40g golden caster sugar
- 1 large egg
- 2 tbsp brandy or cognac
- 200g self-raising flour
- 80g dark rye flour
- 160g leftover Christmas pudding, torn into bite-sized chunks
- 30g flaked almonds
- Clotted cream or vanilla ice cream, to serve (optional)
Method
- Line a large plate or freezerproof container with baking parchment and set aside. Tip the butter and sugars into a stand mixer, or use an electric whisk, and beat until pale, creamy and well combined. Beat in the egg until combined, then stir in the brandy or cognac.
- Combine the flours and 1 tsp sea salt in a medium bowl. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet, followed by the Christmas pudding pieces and the almonds. Divide the dough into 16 equal pieces, weighing for accuracy, if you like, and roll each piece into a ball using your hands.
- Arrange the dough balls, well spaced apart, on the prepared plate or in the container and chill in the freezer for 1 hr. If the balls don’t fit in one layer, stack them with a sheet of baking parchment between each layer to prevent sticking. Will keep, well wrapped in the freezer, for up to three months.
- Heat the oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5 and line one large or two smaller baking trays with baking parchment. Arrange the chilled dough balls on the prepared trays, ensuring they’re well spaced apart as they will spread during baking. Flatten each ball down slightly until they’re about 3cm high. Bake for 14 mins, then remove from the oven and immediately scatter over a pinch of sea salt. Leave to cool completely on the trays to firm up. Sandwich the cooled cookies with clotted cream or ice cream just before serving, if you like.
Leftover veg cake
Serves 15 - 346 kcals per serving
| Kcals | 346 |
|---|---|
| Fat | 12.5g |
| Sat fat | 7.3g |
| Carbs | 55.5g |
| Sugar | 39.5g |
| Fibre | 2g |
| Protein | 4.2g |
| Salt | 0.25g |
See the recipe in app here
Ingredients
- 200g butter, melted, plus extra for greasing
- 140g sultana or raisins
- Zest and juice 2 oranges, or 4 clementines
- 300g self-raising flour
- 300g light soft brown sugar
- 2 tsp mixed spice
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 4 large eggs, beaten with a fork
- 300g carrots, parsnips, pumpkin, butternut squash or swede, or a mixture, grated
- 200g icing sugar or fondant icing sugar
- Few crushed white sugar cubes
Method
- Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Grease and line a 30 x 20cm baking or roasting tin with baking parchment. Mix the sultanas and zest and juice from 1 orange (or 2 clementines), and microwave on High for 2 mins.
- Mix the flour, brown sugar, spices, bicarb and pinch of salt into a large bowl. Mix the eggs with the melted butter and sultana mixture, then tip into the dry ingredients and stir in with a wooden spoon. Stir in the grated veg, and scrape into the tin. Bake for 35-40 mins, or until a skewer poked in the centre comes out clean. Cool in the tin.
- Once cool sift the icing sugar into a bowl and stir in remaining orange zest plus enough juice to make a runny icing. Drizzle all over the cake and scatter with the crushed sugar cubes. Leave to set, then slice into 15 squares to serve.
Nutritionist Beth Furness (ANutr), holding a BSc in Nutrition and Health, is deeply dedicated to applying evidence-based knowledge to all aspects of nutrition. Her passion lies in fostering healthy relationships with food, ensuring that everyone maintains a balanced and sustainable approach to nutrition.
About Nutracheck
Nutracheck is a top-rated food diary App and website. We track calories and 7 key nutrients - carbs, sugar, fibre, protein, fat, saturated fat and salt. Our mission is to give our members insight into what they are eating to empower them to make more informed food choices. We've been helping people achieve their weight management goals since 2005.
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