We’re having Christmas dinner at my sister’s house this year, and I’m looking forward to spending time with the family and eating lots of lovely food (best hide those Quality Street sis!). But… I’m still cooking a Christmas turkey at home. It just wouldn’t feel festive enough if I can’t spend the days after Christmas day traipsing back and forth to the kitchen to make turkey sandwiches with stuffing and cranberry sauce, or to nibble on those leftover bacon-wrapped chipolatas. So yes, I’m cooking turkey purely for the leftovers. We’ll also be stuffing our fridge like doomsday preppers for ad-hoc buffets and grown-up cheeseboard and wine evenings (Chris doesn’t even really like wine, but it makes us feel grown up). But whilst I’m greedily looking forward to all of it, I know there are going to be lots of food loose-ends, and a time when I’ll just want to eat something more normal. And that’s where this leftover turkey bake comes into play. Leftover turkey, leftover baked ham, and 4 types of leftover cheese. Heck, why no throw in some of those chipolatas and a few sprouts too ;-). A lovely family dinner!
Quick run through (see more details in the recipe card at the end of this post):
We start by frying up some chopped onion in a little oil. Add in chopped bell peppers, salt, pepper and garlic and stir it all together until you can smell that onion-y garlicky goodness. Then we add in leftover cooked and shredded ham and turkey, a little tomato puree (paste if you’re in the US), a crumbled stock cube and some fresh thyme. Now we’re going to sauce it up with 3 tins of chopped tomatoes and a little sugar to balance out the acidity. Simmer for a few minutes, then add in cooked pasta and fresh spinach (yes, we’re packing those veggies in!). Mix it all together and top with grated or chopped cheese from your cheeseboard. It’s great to use cheddar as a base, but in addition to that you can use any cheese you like. Place in the oven and bake for 20 minutes, until the cheese is golden, then top with fresh parsley and thyme and sprinkling of black pepper. SO good!
Pro Tips:
Can I add other leftovers?
Absolutely! Add cooked leftover vegetables - such as carrots, green beans, brocolli, or leftover chipolatas (chop into bitesize pieces first) at the same time as adding in the pasta and spinach. If you have leftovers from your buffet table, such as bacon, pancetta, salami, mushrooms or olives, they all work well too.
Cheese swaps:
Try not to use too many overpowering cheeses. Use a higher quantity of regular cheeses such as white or red cheddar, mozzarella, red Leicester and Gruyere, with a lower quantity of stronger cheese such as brie and stilton. Unless of course you love strong tasting cheeses - then go ahead 🙂
The Leftover Turkey Pasta Bake with Ham and Cheese Video:
The Leftover Turkey Pasta Bake with Ham and Cheese Recipe:
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