Tips on how to make the most of Christmas leftovers

Online food retailer MuscleFood.com are sharing their top tips when it comes to making the most of your food this Christmas.

This comes after data revealing 230,000 tonnes of food ends up in the bin over the festive period.

Households which are smart with the use of their surplus Christmas food will not only save money but also fill their freezer and family with plenty of tasty meals.

Tom Bennet from MuscleFood.com said: “Food inflation is at an all time high, so making the most of your food budget this year is more important than ever.”

Top tips

Meal plan

Plan the meal based on the number of guests you will have, what food was eaten/discarded last year and what food will work best in a variety of meals for leftovers. It is also a good idea to think of meals that work well when frozen to get the most out of your food budget.

Serving up

Rather than piling food onto your family’s plates yourself on Christmas Day, serve up your food buffet-style. This way, your dinner guests will only plate up the amount of food they are wanting to eat.

Gravy

Leave it to cool and freeze it in large ice cube trays. Defrost for roast dinners, stews and pies over the coming two to three months.

Potatoes

There are lots of ways they can be used to get the most out of your money. Why not try a potato and stuffing hash, a potato omelette, potato salad or rostis? Any remaining potatoes can be frozen for up to one month.

Brussels

This polarising vegetable can be stored for up to three days in an airtight container in the fridge and works great for a Boxing Day bubble and squeak, sandwiches or soups. They can also be frozen and stored for up to 12 months to be used in future recipes and roast dinners.

Soup

Save the bones from your turkey along with some of the meat, potatoes and veg for soup. This can be saved for up to three months, helping to fill the freezer for future meals.