John Gregory-Smith's Christmas leftover ideas

John Gregory-Smith

Published: October 27, 2026 at 10:37 AM

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If you’ve cooked too much (or overshopped), these three clever ideas will help you turn excess into something really special

When it comes to Christmas dinner, we're all about the leftovers. These inventive dishes offer new, luxurious ways to revive your surplus sprouts, spuds and baked ham, not to mention the rest of your cheeseboard. From a tempting twist on caesar salad to a bubbling gratin and crispy croquettes, Boxing Day can't come soon enough!

Discover more ways to reinvent your leftovers with our Boxing Day recipes and Christmas leftover ideas.

Simple ways to use up leftovers

Roast sprout and turkey caesar salad

If you are craving something a little green after Santa’s been, this Brussels sprout caesar salad has your name on it. Grab that last bag of sprouts and roast until crisp, then serve with loads of lettuce, leftover turkey and a speedy dressing.

Someone grating parmesan over a sprout salad

Roast potato and brie tartiflette

Turn your leftover roast spuds into a decadent dish that’s perfect for the festive season. The potatoes are cooked in a creamy sauce with bacon, garlic and thyme, then baked with a whole brie. This is full-on festive food, perfect with sliced ham and a salad.

A tartiflette with whole bries in it

Ham and cheese croquettes

Get ready to win Boxing Day with these gorgeously golden, crispy croquettes. To make life easy I use cold mash for the base and then add loads of leftover shredded ham and anything I can find on my cheeseboard. The chef’s kiss is the little ball of brie in the centre, which turns gooey when you cook it.

Someone dipping a croquette into a dip

Authors

John Gregory-Smith

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