Leftover Christmas dinner pie

You can make all your delicious festive food stretch even further with this delicious leftover Christmas dinner pie.

We all have leftover turkey or chicken, some bacon or gammon, some stuffing, potatoes and cranberry sauce after a big Christmas feast, right?

Well, in this recipe, you'll marry them all those yummy morsels together in a simple white sauce.

You'll then top your gorgeous filling with a roll of puff pastry and make it extra special with a crumb made from breadcrumbs, herbs and a little cheese. 20 minutes in the oven and you have yourselves an incredible festive feast that's as frugal as it is delicious.

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 200C (180C fan).

Take the pastry out of the fridge and let it relax a little until it is soft enough to unroll. Put it back in the fridge flat.

Place the butter and oil in a pan over a medium heat. 

Warm until melted.

Add the onion and a pinch of salt and pepper.

Fry for 5 minutes until softening. 

Add the flour.

Mix well so that it coats the onions.

Add half the milk.

Whisk over the heat until the sauce is thickened.

Take off the heat and add the remaining milk.

Whisk and set aside.

Put the turkey (or chicken) and stuffing into a greased medium-sized roasting tray.

Add the potatoes and bacon.

Pour the white sauce into the tray. 

Dot the cranberry sauce on top.

Lay the pastry on top. If it’s not quite wide enough to reach the edges of your tin, you can use a rolling pin to roll it out slightly to increase the width.

Press your fingers along the edges all the way round. 

Trim the edges where needed with a sharp knife. 

Brush the top all over with the beaten egg.

Put the sage, breadcrumbs and parmesan in a small.,

Mix well.

Sprinkle all over the top of the pie.

Cut a couple of small slits in the centre of the pastry to allow steam to escape.

Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden and well puffed.

Serve on its own - there's a whole Christmas dinner in there, after all! Or with festive veg such as sprouts and extra cranberry sauce.

Enjoy!

Pointers, tricks and troubleshooting tips for the perfect leftover Christmas dinner pie

Is leftover Christmas dinner pie easy to make?

Yes! This pie is so easy to make and a fantastic way to use up festive leftovers so that nothing goes to waste. You can adapt this recipe to include whatever you have left over, add ham or sausages, a nut roast, a few sprouts or peas, perhaps.

And because we're using ready-made pastry, this pie doesn't take long to make at all. I love to make this for lunch on Boxing Day, bringing new life to leftovers - Yum.

This is also an excellent recipe for Thanksgiving leftovers too.

Will I need any special equipment to make leftover Christmas dinner pie?

You should be able to easily find everything you need to make this pie in the average kitchen: a chopping board and knife to prepare the filling, a large pan and wooden spoon to cook the onions and make the sauce, a roasting tray or oven dish to cook the pie in, a pastry brush to apply the egg wash and a small bowl to make your herby crumb.

Where can I buy ready-made puff pastry?

You can find ready-made puff pastry in the chilled aisle of most supermarkets, usually near the butter. You can usually find it in the freezer section too, with the frozen desserts. It tends to come either get the pre-rolled, or in a block you roll out yourself.

Ready-made puff pastry can usually be frozen at home (check the label) and keeps for a month in the freezer, so I like to add a couple of packets to the pre-Christmas shop and just pop them in the freezer until I need them.

You'll need to defrost them in the fridge overnight. They're perfect for making pies, pastries or even a swift batch of mince pies!

How can I tell if cooked turkey has gone off?

Firstly make sure the turkey is cooked properly to start with, and stored correctly, and make sure proper food hygiene is followed to avoid contamination. The Food Standards Agency has some great guidelines and easy to follow information.

When cooking turkey or chicken, it needs to reach an internal temperature of 74C (165F). Once you've carved the turkey, make sure to get it cooled and into the fridge within 2 hours of cooking.

When you come to use your turkey, check it smells ok. If it's gone off, it will smell sour or rotten and should be discarded. You should also check that the meat still looks fresh and the correct colour, breast meat will look white, and thigh meat looks pinky-grey.

It's also important to thoroughly reheat the turkey and any other leftovers to 74C (165F). And don't reheat your turkey more than once.

How do I strip a turkey to make the most of the leftovers?

First, make sure to get the leftover turkey cooled and into the fridge as quickly as possible.

To save space in the fridge it's a good idea to strip the meat from the bones sooner rather than later. You can do this right after dinner on Christmas Day (it can be quite nice to escape to the kitchen for a bit of quiet time), or pop the carcass in the fridge and strip the meat on Boxing day morning before you make your pie.

Sharpen your knife before you start as this will make your life a lot easier. Get a large chopping board out and a few plates or containers to divide the meat up onto. If you're making stock, get a large pan ready to throw the bones into as you go along.

If you have any large pieces of breast meat leftover, you might want to carve that into slices and keep it for sandwiches. It's easier to cut the breast off the bone, so use a paring knife to cut as close to the breastbone as possible. The meat should come off fairly easily and you can then slice it on your chopping board.

Work your way around the bird, cutting as close to the bones as you can, and don't forget to turn it over as there's meat underneath too.

Cooked turkey or chicken will keep in the fridge for up to 4 days. You can also freeze it and it will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Once you've dealt with the meat, you can then use the bones to make stock. Grab the large pan you've been keeping the bones in, and fill with water to completely submerge them. You can then add other aromatics such as herbs and vegetables, if you like, or you may prefer to make yours simply with the bones so that your stock more flexible for future recipes.

Bring to the pot of bones to the boil and then simmer on low for 2-4 hours. Skim off any scum that rises to the surface every now and then with a large spoon.

When your stock is ready, strain out the bones through a sieve and leave to cool before pouring into freezer-safe containers. I like to do a few small pots of 100ml as ready to go stock pots, or you could freeze a larger amount to make ramen or soups. Don't forget that store bought chicken stock usually contains extra flavourings and quite a lot of salt, so recipes calling for stock cubes will need to be adjusted accordingly.

Your stock will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months, or in the fridge for 3 days. Leave a bit of airspace in the container so there is space for the stock to expand as it freezes.

Is leftover Christmas dinner pie suitable for vegetarians?

In this recipe, I recommend using leftover turkey, bacon, and Parmesan so as it is, this pie is not suitable for vegetarians. Some stuffing is also made with sausage meat (including the I used), so that would not be suitable either.

However, if you've had a vegetarian Christmas dinner, then your leftovers, such as roasted veg and nut roast, will be perfect to use as the basis to make a vegetarian version of this pie.

For the cheesy breadcrumb top, you can use any rennet-free hard cheese that is suitable for vegetarians.

Is leftover Christmas dinner pie suitable for vegans?

For this leftover Christmas dinner pie, as well as the meat contents, I've also used butter to soften the onions in, milk to make the sauce, an egg wash on the pastry, and dairy cheese on top, so all in all this recipe is not suitable for vegans.

Fear not, though, you can easily make this recipe vegan by using vegan leftovers and doing a few plant-based switches.

Use oil to soften your onions in rather than butter, and then use plant milk to make the white sauce. I like to use unsweetened soya milk when cooking as I find it the most neutral and stable, but you can use your preferred plant milk.

And for the filling, you can use anything leftover from your vegan Christmas lunch, such as roast parsnips with sprouts, potatoes, stuffing, carrots and any vegan meat alternatives to make a lovely vegan pie.

Ready-made puff pastry is often vegan as it tends to be made with vegetable fat rather than butter, but make sure to check the label. And instead of an egg wash, you could use a little melted vegan butter or plant milk, topped with a hard plant-based cheese, breadcrumb, and sage mix.

As ever, make sure to check the labels on all of your ingredients to be certain that they are vegan-friendly.

Is leftover Christmas dinner pie gluten-free?

This recipe recommends using wheat-based flour to thicken the sauce. There is also wheat flour in standard puff pastry, breadcrumbs and stuffing so as it is, this recipe is not gluten-free.

If you want to a gluten free version of this leftover Christmas dinner pie, you can try picking up a gluten free puff pastry and stuffing, and using cornflour to thicken your sauce.

You can make your own gluten-free breadcrumbs with a stale piece of gluten-free bread. Just blitz it in the food processor until you get a good crumb, or just leave this step out, if you like.

Make sure to check the labels on everything you use in the pie to ensure they are gluten-free. You should also think about what elements of the original dinner were cooked and served with as this may have caused cross-contamination.

Is leftover Christmas dinner pie keto-friendly?

This leftover Christmas dinner pie has about 67g of carbohydrate per serving so would not be suitable for a keto diet.

Is leftover Christmas dinner pie safe to eat while pregnant?

There is nothing in this leftover Christmas dinner pie that should pose a risk to pregnant people.

Always make sure to practice good food hygiene, and particularly when preparing food and leftovers for pregnant people and any other at-risk groups like young children or the elderly as they can be more susceptible to infections.

Egg safety varies from country to country and you should always seek country-specific advice. The NHS has a great resource that will help review the latest advice regarding foods that are safe to eat while pregnant in the UK.

However, this website does not offer medical advice and you should always check with your health professional.

Is leftover Christmas dinner pie suitable for babies and toddlers?

If your child is over 6 months old and happily eating solid food then this leftover Christmas dinner pie is ok for little ones.

However, I recommend that you leave out the salt from the white sauce and avoid using any leftovers that have been pre-salted. Adults can season their pie themselves at the table.

Always give food at an appropriate size and shape for your baby or child. Make sure to cut up any large pieces of turkey, potato, or stuffing into a small and manageable size for them.

Always keep young children supported upright while eating and supervise your baby when they’re eating in case they start to choke.

The NHS has some excellent advice on feeding babies.

This website does not offer medical advice: always consult your health professional if you have any concerns.

What goes well with leftover Christmas dinner pie?

This pie is a meal in itself with all those lovely leftovers covered in yummy white sauce and crispy pastry.

If you have any leftover veggies like carrot or sprouts you could serve them too, or quickly cook some frozen peas to have with it if you want some more veg.

Can I make this recipe egg-free?

Yes, if you're making this for someone who needs to avoid egg then simply use melted butter or milk instead of the egg wash on the pastry top.

Make sure to check the other ingredients like the stuffing and puff pastry to be certain that they are egg free too.

I haven’t got stuffing can I use sausage?

This recipe is really flexible and so you can just use whatever you have left over. Sausages would be great, as would pigs in blankets. Chop whatever you use into bite size pieces.

Can I add bread sauce to leftover Christmas dinner pie?

Leftover bread sauce could be a great way to thicken your white sauce. Soften the onions, and only add half the amount of flour. Cook off the flour as per the recipe, then add your bread sauce with the first half of the milk.

Whisk until thick, and then add the remaining milk. If you have a lot of bread sauce you may not even need to add the flour.

Can I add extra veggies to this recipe?

Yes, if you'd like to add roast parsnips, carrots or sprouts to your pie then go right ahead. Remember that you need about 550g (19.5 oz) of filling in total, so make that up with whatever combination of leftovers you like.

How should I store leftover Christmas dinner pie?

This pie is made using leftovers and those leftovers should really only be reheated once, which happens during the cooking of the pie.

When food is heated and cooled multiple times there is an increased risk of bacteria developing on food. This is particularly crucial for at-risk groups like young children, pregnant people, or people with compromised immune systems as they are more susceptible to infection that health bodies could usually fight with ease.

If you know this pie is going to be too big to finish in one meal, you could make two smaller pies and keep one uncooked in the fridge ready for the next day. But make sure to use both pies within 3 days of the date you first cooked your leftovers.

How long does leftover Christmas dinner pie keep?

As this is reheated leftovers it needs to be used up in one mealtime. Any left will need to be discarded.

If you've made two smaller pies, to keep one for the next day, it definitely needs to be eaten the next day, and within 3 days of the original cooking of the turkey and other filling ingredients.

Can I leave leftover Christmas dinner pie out on the counter?

No, as this pie contains meat and dairy it should not be left out on the side. It needs to be cooked, served and eaten immediately.

Can I make leftover Christmas dinner pie ahead?

In a way, you are making this recipe ahead because it's mainly made with leftovers. You can't make it ahead in the usual sense because it needs to be eaten straight after it's been cooked.

If you wanted to, you could make the white sauce with onions ahead and keep it in the freezer for up to a month. Defrost the sauce in the fridge over night and on Boxing day, all you would need to do is bring everything together, top with pastry and put it in the oven.

The sauce may separate in the freezer. Defrost it in the fridge overnight then warm it through on the hob, whisking as you go. You can add a little more milk if it's too thick.

Can I keep this recipe in the refrigerator or freezer?

No, this pie needs to be eaten after it has been cooked. Any uneaten leftover Christmas dinner pie will have to be discarded as you shouldn't heat and cool food too many times.

This pie can't not be kept in the fridge or freezer for another day.

Can I make this recipe in a different quantity?

You can adjust the size of your pie depending on how much leftovers you have. If you head down to the recipe card below you'll see the recipe is set to 6 servings, which uses a total of 550g (19.5 oz) of leftovers to make the filling.

Weigh the leftovers you want to use for the filling, then you can adjust the number of servings to match the amount of leftovers you have.

Click on the number of servings and a slider will appear that you can move up and down. The ingredients update automatically so you can move the slider until it's at a point where your filling total is the same, and then all the other ingredients will be in the right proportions to make the sauce and pastry top.

Can I make leftover Christmas dinner pie in individual portions?

If you have small oven-proof dishes then go right ahead and make this into little individual pies. This would be a little more fiddly to put together, but would make serving a little easier as you can simply serve a pie dish onto everyone's plates.

If you are keeping the pies in their dishes, make sure people know they are hot, and remove the pie from the dish for children.

Can I make leftover Christmas dinner pie in a different tray or dish?

Yes, if you don't have a high-sided baking tray that will hold all your pie content, you can use any other ovenproof dish, such as a casserole dish. You could also use several smaller dishes if you want to make individual pies.

It's a good idea to use one that is about as wide as the ready rolled pastry rectangle so that you know it will cover the whole dish, but feel free to make an oval or circular pie if you wish.

Can I make this recipe in a stand mixer such as a KitchenAid or Kenwood Mixer?

As we're using ready-made pastry and the sauce is mixed on the stove top, there's no need to get out the stand mixer for this recipe.

Can I use gravy instead of white sauce?

Yes, if you have leftover gravy, this could be a great way to use it up. You will probably need to make a little more to have enough sauce to cover all the filling.

Pop your gravy in a measuring jug and topped it up to make 1 litre of liquid using either stock or water.

Soften the onions as you would for the white sauce, add the flour then add half of your gravy liquor to the softened and floured onions. Stir until the mixture has thickened and then add the remaining liquid, stir and set aside until you're ready to add it to the pie.

This could also be a great way to make your pie dairy-free, as long as you also use oil instead of butter to soften the onions, a dairy-free pastry and a plant-based cheese for the topping. If you're serving to someone who needs to follow a dairy-free diet, be sure to check the labels on everything you use.

Can I add a pastry base to this pie?

I don't think this recipe needs a pastry base as it's already packed with rich leftovers and white sauce, so the rich, puffed top is just the right amount of pastry and brings each serving to a generous 700 calories.

However, if, for you, a pie isn't a pie without a pastry base then you can certainly add one if you like.

I haven't tested this particular pie with a pastry base, so you'll need to experiment.

I recommend using shortcrust pastry for the base, as puffy pastry can go a bit wet when being used for a pie base like this.

Grease your oven dish or tray well with butter or oil before fitting the pastry base. You can prick all over with a fork and blind bake for 8 minutes if you wish to help reduce the risk of a soggy bottom!

How can I make sure my leftover Christmas dinner pie is perfectly cooked?

After the pie has been in the oven for about 25 minutes, the pastry will have puffed up beautifully, the cheesy topping will be melted and golden brown, and the inside of the pie should be up to 74C (165F).

The pie needs to be piping hot all the way through to make sure the leftovers are safely cooked. I find it really helpful to use a probe thermometer for this kind of thing - perhaps an idea for your Christmas wish list!

If you don't have one make sure the filling is steaming hot, being careful not to burn yourself. You can use one of the slits you made in the middle to have a peek inside, using a sharp knife to lift the pastry slightly.

Why did my leftover Christmas dinner pie turn out dry and overcooked?

Did you add the cranberry sauce? I find these little pockets of cranberry add a lovely juiciness to this pie.

Did you make enough sauce? If yes, was it over-thickened?

If you've used more leftovers than the recipe recommends, then the sauce probably won't be enough to generously cover everything which can result in a dry pie.

Make sure to set a timer when you put the pie in the oven. I like to check the pie after 20 minutes to see how it's doing. If the pie is in the oven too long, it will dry out and eventually burn.

Why did my leftover Christmas dinner pie turn out wet and undercooked?

This pie takes about 25 minutes to bake. If its undercooked, you can return it to the oven for another 5 minutes or so until it's done.

It's always a good idea to preheat the oven. Some ovens can take up to 15 minutes to come up to temperature, so your pie would only be being cooked at the right temperature for 5 minutes if you forgot to preheat!

When making the white sauce, be sure to thicken it up well. Give the flour time to absorb the butter and oil before adding the milk, and then again give the milk time to be absorbed too. Heat gently and keep stirring, all of a sudden it will become lovely and thick and you can add the rest of the milk. A very thin sauce with uncooked flour in it will make for a wet pie.

After the pie has been in the oven for about 25 minutes, the pastry should have puffed up beautifully, the cheesy topping will be melted and golden brown, and the inside of the pie should be up to 74C (165F).

If your oven is too hot, this could mean your pastry will look cooked on top before the filling has had enough time to heat through.

The inside of your pie needs to be piping hot all the way through to make sure the leftovers are safely cooked. I find it really helpful to use a probe thermometer for this kind of thing.

Why didn’t my leftover Christmas dinner pie rise?

For this recipe we're using ready-made puff pastry so there shouldn't be any problems with it rising. Make sure not the over work or handle the pastry too much.

When using ready-rolled pastry, let it sit out on the side for 10 minutes or so to relax before unrolling, this helps stop the pastry from cracking when you unroll it.

If you need to make your piece of pastry bigger you can roll it out a little more, but the ready-rolled pastry is quite thin to start with so you'll only be able to gain a centimetre or two.

Once the pastry has been rolled out you can return it to the fridge while you prepare the rest of the pie. It's a good idea to let the pastry rest flat like this before covering your pie.

Make sure to preheat the oven too. If the oven isn't hot enough, the pastry won't have time to rise and cook properly. Conversely, if the oven is too hot the pastry may rise quickly and then collapse and likely burn.

The weight of the cheesy breadcrumb topping will also stop the puff pastry from rising completely so don't be tempted to pile on extra cheese and breadcrumbs.

How can I add/change the flavours in this leftover Christmas dinner pie?

The joy of this pie is you can use the recipe as a guide, adding whatever combination of leftovers you have in the fridge.

I love making veggie-filled versions too, especially with honey roast parsnips which add a lovely sweetness to contrast sprouts and other greens.

You can add different meats like ham or sausages, if you like, perhaps to replace the stuffing if you don't have any.

How about mixing some bread sauce into your white sauce to enrich it? Or make a thick gravy sauce instead of white sauce?

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