Five Great Ways to Use Up Your Christmas Leftovers

Preheat your air fryer to 180C for five minutes.

In a food processor, finely chop the turkey or chicken. Remove and set aside. Pulse the fried onion straws separately until finely ground. In a large mixing bowl, combine the meat, stuffing, mashed potatoes, Parmesan, garlic, shallot, sage, and rosemary. Mix well and shape into golf-ball-sized patties.

In one bowl, whisk the eggs with 50ml water. In another, combine the panko breadcrumbs with ground fried onion straws. Dip each patty into the egg mixture, then into the bread crumb mixture, pressing the crumbs to stick.

Place the croquettes in a single layer in the air fryer basket. Lightly spray with cooking oil. Cook for six minutes, flip, spray again, and cook for another six minutes until golden and crispy.

In a blender or food processor, combine cranberry sauce, sour cream, horseradish, black pepper, and jalapeño. Blend until smooth.

Combine the dill, gherkins, red onion, lemon rind, lemon juice, and olive oil in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Plate the croquettes with the cranberry dip on the side and top with a spoonful of dill, gherkin, and red onion salsa.

Boil the macaroni in salted water according to the packet instructions until just al dente. Drain and set aside.

In a saucepan, melt the butter over a medium heat. Stir in the flour and cook for one to two minutes to make a roux. Gradually whisk in the milk, cooking until thickened and smooth. Remove from the heat and stir in the cheddar and half the Parmesan until melted. Season with salt and pepper.

Stir the cooked macaroni, finely chopped Opies Pickled Walnuts, and Mini Gherkins into the cheese sauce. Pour the mixture into a buttered ovenproof dish. Mix the breadcrumbs with olive oil and the remaining Parmesan, then sprinkle over the top. Finish with slices of Pickled Walnut.

Bake in a preheated oven at 180C/160C fan/Gas 4 for 20–25 minutes until golden and bubbling. Leave to cool slightly before serving.

Sprinkle a quarter of the cheddar and a quarter of the mozzarella onto half a side of a tortilla.

Next, top the cheese with a quarter of the turkey, a quarter of the onions and a quarter of the gherkins. Then spoon over with a quarter of the cranberry sauce, and finish with a quarter of the brie.

Fold the tortilla in half. Repeat with the remaining three tortillas. Heat some oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. When hot add the folded tortilla to the pan. Cook until golden on both sides and the cheese is melted.

Once cooked, transfer the tortillas to a chopping board, sprinkle lightly with salt whilst still hot and cut in half.

Hints and Tips: Instead of turkey, swap with chicken or any other leftover meat. The recipe can also be made using fresh meat – cut into small cubes, season and pan fry until cooked through.

Preheat the oven to 200C/180C fan/Gas 6. Line a baking tray with parchment or foil.

Pat the mini gherkins dry with kitchen paper. If desired, spread a little mustard or cream cheese on each before wrapping.

Wrap one rasher of bacon around each mini gherkin and secure with a cocktail stick if needed. Place the wrapped gherkins on the baking tray and bake for 15–20 minutes, turning once halfway, until the bacon is crispy and golden.

Let cool for a minute or two and serve warm as an appetiser or part of a festive platter.

Hints & Tips: These can also be cooked in an air fryer at 200C for 10–12 minutes for an extra crisp result.

Place the chocolate sponge cake or brownie cubes in the bottom of a trifle dish or individual serving glasses.

Drizzle the kirsch (if using) over the cake cubes to soak them. Spread the Opies Black Cherries & Kirsch evenly over the cake layer. Pour the chocolate custard over the cherry layer, spreading it out to cover evenly.

In a mixing bowl, whip the double cream and icing sugar together until soft peaks form. Spread the whipped cream over the custard layer in the trifle dish or glasses.

Garnish with grated or shaved dark chocolate over the whipped cream layer and finish with fresh cherries and drizzle of kirsch syrup. Refrigerate for at least four hours or overnight to allow the flavours to meld and the trifle to set.

Hints & Tips: Instead of using kirsch, use the kirsch syrup from the cherry jar.