Combine your Christmas (or any roast dinner) leftovers with a creamy macaroni-cheese bake and everyone’s a winner. It’s the perfect way to feed a crowd.
Christmas Leftovers
What to do with all the leftovers from Christmas dinner?
Nobody cooking a Christmas dinner wants their guests to run out of anything on the menu so we overestimate and end up with leftovers. For many, myself included, I prefer the meal on Boxing Day. After Christmas dinner, I usually feel as stuffed as the turkey and only a long nap on the sofa restores any sense of normality.
I have found some inventive recipes to use up all that leftover turkey and vegetables including this one. So when the family has sufficiently recovered to eat again, instead of the usual bubble and squeak surprise them with something different this year.
From turkey to sprouts, prawns to mince pies, here are some festive recipes to try this Christmas. Eat, drink, and be merry!
Don’t forget Boxing Day and all those lovely leftovers. Try making a tray bake or even a macaroni cheese!
Christmas Leftovers Macaroni Cheese
Ingredients
- 350 g spirali or macaroni elbow pasta
- 30 g unsalted butter
- 2 cloves garlic crushed
- 2 tsp Dijon mustard
- 30 g plain flour
- 600 ml full-fat milk
- 100 g cheddar cheese grated
- 100 g gruyère cheese grated (or similar vegetarian cheese, if required)
- 300 g leftover roast vegetables such as carrots, parsnips and sprouts
- 250 g leftover stuffing you can use meat or breadcrumb stuffing
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
Conversions
Instructions
- Cook the pasta in a large saucepan of salted boiling water for 2 minutes less than the packet instructions. Drain, reserving a cupful of pasta cooking water.
- Melt the butter in a large saucepan over a medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Stir in the mustard until combined. Stir in the flour and cook for 2–3 minutes, stirring constantly until the mixture smells biscuity. Pour in the milk, a little at a time, stirring constantly until all of the milk is incorporated.
- Gently simmer for 4–5 minutes, stirring constantly, until the sauce is thick enough to generously coat the back of a spoon. Stir in the cheeses and season generously with salt and pepper.
- Preheat the oven to 200℃/180℃ Fan/Gas 6.
- Toss the pasta in the sauce and stir in the reserved pasta water. Stir in the roast vegetables and tip the mixture into a 1.5 litre/2¾ pint baking dish. Crumble over the stuffing, then bake for 20–25 minutes until lightly golden on top and bubbling throughout.
Notes
You may also like one of my other favourite recipes …
